You know that has always bothered me. Why should I fear my spouse?
Because the Lord God tells women to fear their husbands: "Nevertheless let every one of you in particular love his wife as himself: and let the wife fear her husband." ~ Ephesians 5:33 (Douay-Rheims)
If you have a problem with it, then you have a problem with the Holy Ghost Who is the Author of the Bible.
Fear corrects behavior, thus harmony ensues. The Lord God still forgives sins through the Sacrament of Penance, even if the motivation of the penitent is fear of the Lord more than love for Him. That's how necessary fear is to the human condition. Of course, a more perfect contrition would stem from love for God, but contrition due to fear of God still suffices.
The Catholic Church is the Bride of Christ, and we are to fear the Lord God as told in holy scripture. Our Blessed Mother tells us to fear Him: "And His mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear Him." ~ Luke 1:50 (Douay-Rheims)
Listen to your Heavenly mother. She's the only woman whose counsel is foolproof.
Likewise, the wife should fear her husband, lest she be rightfully corrected by her husband who, like a refiner of silver, should put her through the fire as to remove the impurities, and this would be painful, as to maintain their harmonious union as one (Ephesians 5:31) before the Lord God. The husband must see his reflection in his wife, just as the Refiner of Silver (Malachi 3:3) must see His reflection in the silver. This can only happen when the silver is pure. Harmony in marriage is necessary for both husband and wife to support each other in their quest to Heaven.
The word of God further tells us: Being subject one to another, in the FEAR of Christ. Let women be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord: Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the saviour of his body. Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things. ~ Ephesians 5:21-24 (Douay-Rheims)
A wife's true love for a her husband is best reflected by her obedience to him. A woman who doesn't fear her husband, she doesn't truly love him, nor does she respect him. She thinks he's a joke, and he is a joke. Disobedience of the wife is sure to follow. Sooner or later, she'll clandestinely entice a man who has the disposition and willingness to put her in her place. Such is the duality of woman. She disobeys her husband because he's a eunuch in the first place, yet she seeks a real man who will have no scruples in making her realize it's in her best interest and well being to be obedient to him.