On the night of our anniversary, I was waiting for my husband in my best dress. Then a cake arrived with the words “It’s time for a divorce!” emblazoned in gold letters. An hour later, I was boarding a flight to find out the truth.
Marriage was right for me. It wasn’t always perfect, but I felt loved and secure with Thomas. Our first year as husband and wife had been filled with warmth, late-night conversations, and laughter over burnt pancakes on Sunday mornings.
That’s why I spent two weeks preparing for our first wedding anniversary.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Two weeks. Can you imagine?
Every detail had to be perfect. I spent hours endlessly searching for the ultimate duck à l’orange recipe, and I even tried it twice to make sure it was right. And, of course, the gift.
I still remembered how he’d stopped in front of the store window a few months ago, staring at that designer tie. It was one of those quick, fleeting moments men have when they see something they like but decide they don’t need.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
But I noticed. And I remembered.
Finally, the table was set, the candles were flickering, and I stood in my best dress, feeling completely happy.
Suddenly, my phone rang.
“Hi, sweetheart,” Thomas’s voice sounded… casual. “I’m already halfway to the airport.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
I frowned. “Which airport?”
“There’s an emergency meeting. Clients, you know how it is…”
I closed my eyes. I inhaled. I exhaled.
“Thomas, today is our wedding anniversary.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“And I haven’t forgotten! I’ll make it up to you, I promise, as soon as I get back.”
This sentence has remained etched in my mind. Making up for it…
I looked at the beautifully set table. I imagined myself sitting there, eating alone, wearing that dress I had chosen just for him.
“Good. Have a good flight.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Thank you, my dear. I love you.”
I didn’t want to ruin my evening. Instead of sulking, I decided to take a long, luxurious bubble bath.
As I sank into the warmth, the doorbell rang. I sighed, wrapped a towel around myself, and headed for the door. A delivery man was standing there, holding a large white box tied with a red ribbon.
“Anna?”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
I nodded.
“Special delivery,” he said, handing it to me.
“Who is this from?”
“Anonymous order. Have a nice evening!”
I closed the door, walked over to the table, and stared at the box.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
For a split second, my heart leaped.
Would Thomas have at least prepared a surprise? I love surprises!
I carefully untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Inside was a cake. The smell of buttercream filled the air. But it wasn’t the cake that took my breath away. It was the message written across the top in elegant gold letters.
“It’s time to get a divorce!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
My brain started searching for an explanation.
A joke? A cruel mistake? Some kind of confusion?
And then I saw a little card tucked under the lid.
“I hope you take it as well as he did. XOXO.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Mistress? But how…
That’s when my phone rang. It was Gloria. My mother-in-law. I hesitated before answering.
“Anna, my darling! Happy birthday!”
I swallowed, barely managing a whispered “Thank you.”
“How do you like the ring?” she chirped. “Thomas said it was exquisite!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
My blood boiled.
Because I’d never received a ring. Thomas always gave me gifts in the morning for special occasions. Always. It was his thing.
But today? Nothing.
“Oh… yes, it’s beautiful,” I lied.
“What a shame Thomas had to leave today,” Gloria sighed dramatically. “But what a wonderful opportunity to surprise him!”
“A surprise?”
“Of course! He told me he was staying at,” she laughed, “the same hotel you both stayed at, remember? Oh, how romantic! I know you’re spontaneous, Anna. Buy a ticket and surprise him!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
Something inside me clicked.
The cake. The note. The mysterious ring I never received. It wasn’t a coincidence. Is Thomas cheating on me?
My mouth was dry. I closed my eyes for a moment, to steady my breathing.
“That’s a wonderful idea, Gloria,” I said kindly. “I’ll book a flight right away.”
“Oh, how exciting! I can’t wait to find out everything.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Sure,” I said, staring at the cake one last time. “Thanks for calling.”
I ended the call and put my phone down.
For a long moment, I stood there, staring at the cake, the note, and the flickering candles, which were supposed to celebrate something beautiful.
Then, without hesitation, I grabbed my purse and booked the next flight.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
***
I barely made it to the last flight, sprinting through the terminal with my bag slapping against my hip. All the while, my mind was racing faster than my legs.
Am I making a mistake? Am I about to walk into something I can’t see?
Exhaustion weighed heavily on my shoulders when I landed, but adrenaline kept me standing. My hands were shaking as I checked the room number—the number the kind receptionist had so kindly provided me after I quickly explained my situation and casually pointed to the cake.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Room 614.
Finally, standing in front of the door, my pulse was beating so hard I could hear it in my ears. I took a breath. I knocked.
The door opened and I almost fainted.
A brunette. Gorgeous. Waves of effortlessly styled black hair cascaded over one bare shoulder. Her silk gown clung to her skin as if it had been tailor-made for one purpose: to make a bride feel small.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
Behind her, on the bed, were Thomas’s clothes. The air left my lungs.
She leaned against the door, taking her time, her lips curling into a slow, knowing smile.
“Thomas is in the shower,” she purred, looking me up and down. “I’ll tell him you stopped by.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Oh? You wouldn’t want to disturb him?”
“Something like that,” I said.
“You look tense. Maybe you should get a massage while you’re here. There’s a great spa downstairs.”
“Thanks for the suggestion,” I said kindly. “But I brought my stress reliever.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
And with one swift motion, I smashed the cake directly onto his smug little face. A magnificently disgusting explosion of buttercream and fondant splattered the aisle.
She screamed, stumbling backward, hands flying to her cream-covered hair.
“WHAT THE…?! Are you crazy?!” she yelled, blinking as vanilla frosting dripped from her eyelashes.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“It’s possible,” I admitted as I entered the room.
“You… you… psychopath!” she screamed, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at me.
I dodged it effortlessly.
“I was aiming for your dignity, but it turns out you didn’t have much of it to begin with.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
She lunged toward me, arms dangling, but her slippery heels betrayed her. She sprawled on the carpet in a spectacular and undignified heap. I stepped over her.
“Don’t forget to send me the dry cleaning bill!”
I stormed to the bathroom, my heart pounding, ready to tear Thomas apart….
And then I stopped dead in my tracks.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
There, wrapped in a plush white bathrobe, sipping champagne like she was at a five-star resort, stood Gloria.
My mother-in-law. She raised her glass in a mock toast and smiled.
“Oh,” she said lazily. “You weren’t supposed to barge in. That’s not very… you, darling.”
“What ?”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“You’re always so… uncertain. I never expected this side of you.” His eyes roamed over my heaving chest, my wild hair, the remnants of cake still smeared on my fingers. “Almost impressive for a little gray mouse like you.”
I ignored the insult.
“Where is Thomas?”
“Oh, he’s in another hotel. Who leaves their wife alone on their anniversary? I saw an opportunity and I took it.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
A slow warmth crept up my spine.
“An opportunity for what?”
Gloria sighed as if I was exhausting her.
“To get rid of you, my love.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“The cake…” I stammered.
She laughed, taking another slow sip.
“Oh, I made it myself! Did you like it?”
“But why?”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Oh, darling, you were never the right choice for my boy. But Alicia…” she gestured lazily toward the still-flaming mess in the other room, “now she’s perfect. A successful model. Beautiful. Well-rounded. You two have met now… how delightful!”
“You’re crazy. Thomas loves me. You’ll never separate us.”
“Oh, now it’s just a little trickier,” Gloria mused. “But don’t worry. I’m playing the long game.”
“Thomas will find out, and you’ll regret ruining my day.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“And how exactly do you intend to go about this, my dear?”
I took my phone out of my pocket and held it up between us. Gloria froze.
“Oh,” I thought, tapping the screen. “Didn’t I tell you I called Thomas as soon as I walked into this room. And when I realized the suit on the bed wasn’t his? I left the line open.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
For the first time, Gloria’s smile faded. I pressed the speakerphone. That’s when Thomas’s voice echoed through the room.
“Mom, I can’t believe it! How could you? We’ll talk about this later…” his voice was sharp with rage. “Anna, I’ll be there in ten minutes. Wait for me in the hall.”
A flicker of panic crossed Gloria’s face. Her brilliant plan? Crushed.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Have a good evening,” I purred as I headed for the door.
I stopped, glancing back at Alicia, still dripping with buttercream.
“Oh, and Gloria?” I said over my shoulder. “Thanks for the cake. It looks wonderful on Alicia’s face.”
And with that, I walked out like I won the Oscars.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
***
I stood in the hotel lobby, staring at my reflection in the glass doors. What a sight!
My hair was a mess, my makeup ran like I’d lost a fight with a raccoon, and there was still frosting on my sleeve. Yet, even though I looked like I’d barely survived a cake battle royale, I’d never felt more victorious. Behind me, the elevator dinged. Hurried footsteps approached.
I turned around just as Thomas stopped in front of me, out of breath.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“I don’t even know what to say,” he breathed, running a hand through his hair.
“Try ‘My Mom Is Crazy’ for starters.”
A muscle in his jaw tightened. “Anna, I had no idea…”
“Listen, we can talk about this later. Right now? I’m starving.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Thomas exhaled, nodded, and slipped an arm around my waist as we walked out into the night.
Dinner was quieter than usual. By the time dessert arrived, I finally felt like I could breathe again. Thomas reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Slowly, I put down my fork.
“Is this… from your mother?”
Thomas let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “No. Actually, it came from me.”
Inside was a beautiful ring. I ran my thumb over the sparkling stone.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“My gift for you is at home.”
Thomas leaned over, smiling. “Is this another cake?”
“No. But if you ever go on another business trip on our anniversary… Then yes. But there won’t be any frosting.”
He laughed and reached out to me. That night, we celebrated. It wasn’t perfect. But it was our moment.
I knew there would be more battles with his mother. But I had made one thing clear that night. It wouldn’t be so easy to cross my boundaries again.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
Tell us what you think of this story and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
If you liked this story, read this one: When I told my husband I was pregnant, he froze. When he saw the ultrasound, he panicked. The next day, he was gone—no calls, no sign of me. But I wasn’t going to let him just disappear. I needed answers…and revenge. Read the full story here .
This story is inspired by the daily lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to real names or places is purely coincidental. All images are used for illustrative purposes only. Share your story with us; it might just change someone’s life. If you’d like to share your story, email us at info@amomama.com .
Để lại một phản hồi