For our 10th anniversary, my husband threw an extravagant party: friends, family, and his bossy sister, who showed off the gold bracelet she had given him last month. I stood there, expecting something sincere from him.
He handed me a box, I smiled, opened it, and inside was… a rag. His sister burst into hysterical laughter, almost choking. The guests gasped in disbelief. My heart sank. Did he really see me as just his maid?
Memories of the past 10 years flashed through my mind: me cooking, cleaning, doing laundry. I looked at him and was stunned. “Is this a joke?” I asked, my voice firm but sharp.
He hesitated, then forced a smile. “Yes, of course! The real gift will come later.”
Liar. I could see it in his eyes Tell me now, I demanded. His sister slapped me EVEN HARDER I had enough. I grabbed the rag tightly and did something I didn’t expect from myself. And then karma intervened.
Just as his sister prepared to mock me again, the doorbell rang. It was a delivery man with a huge, elegant bouquet of roses and a small, velvet-covered box. My husband’s face turned pale as he saw the items handed to me with a card that read, “Happy Anniversary, Love!” His sister’s laughter stopped abruptly.
I opened the box to find a …
