When Maria planned a surprise party for her husband’s 40th birthday, she thought it would be a night to remember for all the right reasons. She invited close friends and family, decorated the house, and made sure everything was perfect for his big day. But when the doorbell rang, something unexpected happened.
My husband’s 40th birthday was coming up, and I wanted to throw him a surprise party. I told him I would be out of town on his birthday, and we agreed to celebrate on another day.
The night before his birthday, I pretended to pack my bags and leave for the airport. But instead of traveling, I stayed overnight at my friend Karen’s house.
As I packed, Karen asked, “Are you sure this will work?”
“Absolutely,” I said. “Tom thinks I’m visiting my sister.”
The next day, I got up early to prepare everything. Tom usually came home around 6 p.m., so I invited friends and family to arrive at 5. By 4:45, guests began showing up, starting with his brother, Jim.
“Need any help?” Jim asked, carrying a box of decorations.
I handed him streamers and said, “Sure, hang these up.”
Soon, Tom’s best friend, Dave, arrived with his wife, Lisa. “Wow, Maria, you’ve outdone yourself,” Lisa said, admiring the decorations.
“Thanks! Can you help with the balloons?” I asked. Everyone worked together, and by 5:30, the house looked amazing, with streamers, balloons, and a big banner that said, “Happy 40th, Tom!”
At 5:45, I gathered everyone in the kitchen. “Tom will be here soon. Let’s hide,” I said, feeling excited. We turned off the lights and found hiding spots, waiting in the dark. My heart raced when I heard the key in the lock.
The door opened, but instead of Tom, I heard a woman’s voice. “Do you think he’ll like it?”
My heart sank. Who was this woman? For a second, I thought Tom was cheating on me. The lights came on, and we all gasped.
Standing in the doorway was a young couple, just as shocked as we were. The woman held a suitcase, and the man had a set of keys.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Who are we? Who are you?” the woman responded, equally confused.
Jim stepped forward. “We’re here for a surprise party. Who are you?”
The man replied, “We rented this house on Airbnb.”
My face went pale. “Airbnb? This is our house!”
Dave scratched his head. “Tom must have listed it after Maria said she was leaving.”
The woman looked at me sympathetically. “Oh no, we didn’t know. We’re so sorry. We’ll leave right away.”
“No, it’s okay,” I said, trying to stay calm. “Let’s figure this out.”
The couple, still confused, stepped inside, and everyone started whispering, trying to understand what happened.
Karen came over and whispered, “Maria, what’s going on?”
“I have no idea,” I whispered back. “Tom must have put the house on Airbnb when I told him I’d be away.”
Tom’s sister, Susan, spoke up. “Let’s all sit down and talk this out.”
We moved to the living room, the party decorations now feeling out of place. The couple introduced themselves as Jake and Emily.
“We’re really sorry,” Jake said. “We thought the house was empty.”
Emily nodded. “We didn’t mean to crash your party.”
I smiled. “It’s not your fault. This is just a big mix-up.”
I called Tom, and he answered cheerfully. “Hey, honey! I thought you’d be on your flight.”
“Tom,” I said, trying to stay calm, “did you list our house on Airbnb?”
There was a pause. “Uh, yeah. I thought we could make some extra money since you were out of town.”
I took a deep breath. “Tom, I’m not out of town. I was planning a surprise party for you. Now, we’ve got guests and an Airbnb couple here.”
There was silence before Tom finally said, “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
I looked at Jake and Emily, who sat awkwardly on the couch. “What do we do now?”
“I’m coming home. We’ll figure it out,” Tom said.
I turned to everyone. “Tom’s on his way. We’ll sort this out soon.”
Jake stood up. “We can find another place to stay.”
Lisa shook her head. “No, stay. There’s plenty of food and drinks. Join us.”
Emily smiled. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. The more, the merrier,” I said.
Tom arrived fifteen minutes later, looking sheepish. “I’m really sorry,” he said. “I just wanted to save money for a vacation.”
Susan laughed. “Well, you certainly surprised us.”
Jake and Emily decided to stay, and soon everyone was laughing and having a great time.
As the night went on, I smiled. Despite the chaos, it turned out to be a night none of us would forget. And as for the vacation, Tom and I would definitely be taking one, with a funny story to tell for years to come.
My head dropped when my daughter revealed what she saw! Read full story
Both Dani and Nathan felt they were meant to be together when they first met in high school. They got married after a few years and anticipated a great life together. But after just two years of marriage, Nathan made a change.
Dani didn’t know if the two having a newborn girl into their lives had anything to do with that shift. Ultimately, Nathan was an excellent father, thus it was most likely not the cause behind his harsh criticism of Dani.
He began to feel self-conscious about her appearance and advised her to take better care of her beauty. “Dani, you’ve just let yourself go.” he remarked. “Always dressed in such dowdy attire. Do you believe that’s how you’ll maintain the spark?
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Despite working from home and spending a lot of time with tiny Ellie, he also accused her of being a bad mother.
“It’s the computer screen that you’re always behind. Even so, are you paying Ellie enough attention? It doesn’t appear to be. Every night when I get home from work, she is by herself.Dani tried everything to please Nathan, but she finally gave up because he was never delighted with whatever she produced.
Dani saw her marriage disintegrating and made the decision to let it go because she lacked the strength to battle something that was confined to her husband’s imagination.
One day, Nathan informed Dani that they had to relocate since he had a job opportunity. Dani was okay with the decision to move to a different city because Ellie was in the first grade and she worked from home. She secretly hoped that the adjustment would have a favorable effect on their marriage.
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After Ellie transferred to a new school, Dani saw that her daughter was beginning to behave badly when she got home. She even discovered her sobbing in her room one day.
“Honey, what took place?” Concerned, Dani enquired.
“Miss Allen is not the mother I desire! You should become my mommy. Ellie started crying.
Dani felt a cold rush through. Ellie’s instructor was Miss Allen.
She questioned, “Why would she become your mother?”
As Ellie began telling her mother everything she had learned over the past few days, tears streamed down her face. She felt as though the burden bearing down on her shoulders was gradually lifting.
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When Dad picked me up from school yesterday, Miss Allen asked me to wait outside the door while she had a conversation with Dad. Though I didn’t hear everything, I did hear her promise to be a better mother to me. Dad chuckled at her comment.
Nathan was involved in a romantic relationship.
Dani poured Nathan a drink that night after confirming Ellie was asleep.
“Okay,” she started. “With Ellie, Miss Allen seems to be really good.”
He questioned, his eyes brightening. “Really?” “Ellie liked her, I knew that.”
“Enough for her new mother to be Miss Allen?” Dani enquired. “What’s going on, and please don’t tell me a lie.”
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Embarrassed to look up, Nathan turned to face the ground. However, he acknowledged visiting his daughter’s instructor. Not long after they first met, they began their affair. That wasn’t all, though. He had an affair with a different woman back where they used to reside, and she began to demand more of him than just being his mistress. For this reason, he chose to move and change occupations.
Dani realized then that her marriage was over.
She moved Ellie to a different school in the days that followed because she needed to be loved and safeguarded and not get entangled in her father’s adulterous activities.
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Dani went to a new home and filed for divorce. Nathan is allowed to see his daughter anytime he wants.
Do you believe Dani made the proper decision?
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