Donna And Mark
Donna was terrified as she lay completely still under the bed. Her heart was pounding, almost leaping out of her chest as she stared at her husband’s feet before her. It was supposed to be a fun little prank to add some laughter to their relationship.
She never thought that it would come to this, but she knew that this called for drastic measures. As the seconds passed, her heart slowly started crumbling within her, her stomach twisting into a tight knot. Nothing would ever be the same again.
It Wasn’t The Same Anymore
Donna and Mark Smith met when they were seventeen years old, and they immediately liked each other. They soon began dating and eventually, Mark gathered the courage to ask Donna to marry him. It was now twenty-five years later, and they were still madly in love with two children.
Everyone thought they had the perfect marriage, and Donna always wondered how she got such an amazing and generous husband. But one day, everything changed.
She Had An Idea
After a while, Donna began to notice something heartbreaking. As time went by, her husband’s passion for her began to fade. She was used to him complimenting her on a daily basis, and he would always act affectionately around her, but it wasn’t like that anymore. She began wondering if he was having an affair or hiding something.
But when she finally learned why he was so distant, she was sick to her stomach.
The Note
Not wanting to lose her husband, Donna knew she had to do something. She wasn’t going to just sit around and watch her marriage fall apart.
When they were younger, Donna and Mark would often play pranks on one another, as well as their friends and family. Donna decided that a way to ease tension was to pull a silly prank on her husband to test if he still loved her. But she never saw his reaction coming.
Her Plan
As she planned her prank, she began writing a note about all of her feelings and what she felt was missing from their marriage. As she wrote this note, tears slowly welled up in her eyes.
She loved Mark more than she could ever explain, and she had to know if he was just keeping up appearances with his happiness. She desperately wanted to know the truth. But once she learned what the truth was, she felt sick to her stomach.
She Planned It Out
Desperate to know what her husband’s true feelings were, she wrote down everything that bothered her in their relationship and why she wanted a divorce from him.
No, she didn’t really want a divorce, but she thought this was a good way to see what her husband’s true feelings were. She used this prank to get to the bottom of his dismissiveness and lack of passion in their relationship. But she had no idea that her plan wouldn’t go as smoothly as she had hoped.
What She Imagined
Donna decided that to see what his true reaction was to the note, she would hide under their bed when he first read it. She would leave the note on top of the bed before sliding in underneath it.
This way, she could see his genuine reaction. She wondered if he would cry or maybe even be happy. She thought her idea was genius, she never considered that something could go terribly wrong. She had no idea what was coming.
She Was Blunt
In her head, she imaged Mark sobbing as he read the note, like something out of a rom-com. She imagined herself crawling out from under the bed and comforting him, like his guardian angel. Then she would know how strong their marriage really was.
But Donna didn’t receive the answer she was looking for at all. His reaction would shatter her entire world.
What If It Backfired?
She knew that it was important to be as blunt as possible in the note. She wrote about how she could feel the love slowly fading as the years passed and that she didn’t love him anymore. She knew that she was being harsh, but in her mind, it had to be done. She wanted a reaction out of him.
After she finished writing the note, she took a deep breath. She then placed the note on their bed and crawled underneath it, waiting for him to come in. But she would soon discover that this was the worst decision she ever made.
Honey, I’m Home
As she lay under their bed, waiting for Mark, she started wondering what would happen if the prank backfired. What if his reaction was the opposite of what she was hoping for? Maybe she should’ve considered marriage counseling instead.
But before she could change her mind, she heard the front door slam shut. He was home. Her life was about to turn upside down.
Reading The Note
Finally, the moment of truth had come. Donna heard her husband’s footsteps make their way up the stairs, all the while her heart began to race. He shouted out her name, but Donna just stayed silent underneath the bed.
Her husband walked into the room and straight away Donna knew this was a big mistake. And his reaction was about to prove her right.
Not What She Expected
Donna can feel her heartbeat in her throat as she watches her husband’s feet standing in front of her. He was obviously reading the note, but a terrible silence lingered in the air.
It was too late for Donna now. There was no she can take back her elaborate prank. She was about to get exactly what she wanted; her husband’s true feelings. But she wasn’t expecting this.
On The Phone
As she lay under the bed, with her nerves on edge, she waited for a response from her husband. Anything at all. Was he silently crying? Was he in shock?
But then suddenly, he did something that she never thought he would do, he started to laugh.
Then, he pulled out his phone and called someone. Who was he calling? When Donna found out she felt sick to her stomach.
Mystery Caller
“Hey you,” Mark said, “guess what, my marriage is finally over! I know right, I thought she’d never get the message. I’ll be right over to see you,” he said then walked out of the room.
Donna was lost for words. She felt sick to her stomach. She wanted so badly to turn back time, but she couldn’t. Her worst nightmare had come true.
Heartbroken On The Floor
What her husband just said tore Donna’s heart in two. She had never felt heartbreak like this. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t speak. Even the worst-case scenario she had imagined hadn’t gone like this.
Who had he called? Another woman? A mistress? Or was it a friend? Either way, she was about to find out.
No Longer Soulmates
As Donna lay under the bed feeling like a complete fool, regret and heartbreak washed over her. She did hope for a dramatic breakdown from her husband, but instead of walking out of their home, he’d come running into Donna’s arms sobbing.
Donna managed to drag herself out from under the bed and she was faced with much more than when she had crawled under not a mere half-hour before. But little did Donna know more devastation was to come.
Reading His Note
As Donna tried to compose herself, her body was still racked with deep sobs. How could she carry on without him? They’re were each other’s soulmate. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. But then suddenly, she saw something on the bed.
There, next to her relationship death sentence was another note. He must have left it and she had not noticed. What was inside the note? She was about to get her answer.
Caught Out
Donna picked up the note and began to read it. She could feel her heart begin to shatter with every word she read. Still, she knew she had to find out the truth. After all, that had been the entire purpose of her prank.
As she read down the page she felt herself sob harder and harder as he detailed everything that she had been so afraid of for months. But there was something else she never expected to read.
Embarrassment
After building up the courage to read it, she saw that her husband had written, “Dear Wife, Next time you try to trick me into proving my love for you make sure that your feet aren’t sticking out from underneath the bed next time”.
She could not believe it. She had been caught in the act. How would she ever live this one down?
Relief
Despite planning her prank down to the last detail she had let herself down with the most trivial and small detail. She was totally humiliated at the way it had all backfired on her.
On the bright side, she could see her husband was light-hearted enough to make a joke of it. Would she be able to get over this embarrassment?
Trust
As she put the pieces together, she realized her husband hadn’t even been on the phone at all and had been faking the call to get under her skin. She deserved it really.
It had taught her a valuable lesson about playing with people’s emotions to get what you want. It never works out. Would her husband be able to forgive her?
Happily Ever After
Sometimes this kind of a prank can be the ultimatum that a couple needs to see where they stand with one another but it is not something that would be regarded as healthy. Having trust in your partner and being open and honest is the only way to deal with issues like this in a healthy manner.
Thankfully for this paranoid woman, her insecure prank didn’t tank her marriage but who’s to say how long it lasted after displaying her manipulative behaviors.
Instant Regret
Sometimes all you need in a relationship is trust to get you through the ups and downs that are inevitable in life. Going to elaborate measures to see if they will react dramatically is never indicative of a healthy relationship. Hopefully, for this couple, they learned to communicate better so she never had to pull any crazy stunts like this ever again.
Another woman found herself in a similar situation when she noticed that her husband insisted on paying their babysitter outside. She was convinced that something untoward was going on
The Richards
She didn’t pay it any mind at first. But when she heard her husband and the babysitter in a hushed whisper. What was going on? She needed to get to the bottom of that.
But after setting up her plan she watched the recording and wished that she had never gone through with it.
New Mom
The Richards couple were the talk of the town. They seemed to have everything that they ever wanted. The two were successful in their jobs – John was a lawyer and his wife Grace was a real estate agent.
The day they found out Grace was pregnant they couldn’t believe it. They were beyond happy but soon that happiness would change as they were met with many hardships.
The Babysitter
Grace had always dreamt of being a mother and now that it was finally going to be a reality she couldn’t be happier. To make things even better the pregnancy went off without a hitch.
But the challenges would arrive after she conceived. She soon developed postpartum depression and found it hard to get back her old physique.
Flirtatious Personality
Grace knew that once she went back to work she’d need to find a sitter to look after her precious child.
She got a babysitter named Anna. She was very pretty and came highly recommended by her neighbors. Grace felt confident hiring her, but there would be a problem she didn’t see coming.
Insecure
Grace noticed soon after hiring her that Anna had quite a flirty personality. But she tried to forget about it but soon found reasons to think twice.
One day she heard a hushed conversation between the sitter and her husband. What were they talking about? She felt jealous and suspicious, she needed to find out what was going on.
Tactical Planning
Grace was becoming all too aware as time wore on that their relationship had changed. They had been together for a while. Grace began to wonder whether her husband thought it was time for a change. After all, she had given birth to a child, and she didn’t have the energy or the physique that she once had.
Usually, she would just brush these suspicions off. But now, she had a good reason for suspicion.
Setting Up Cameras
Grace didn’t know how to handle this situation. She knew if she asked her husband what was going on between them, he’d feel deeply upset that she didn’t trust him.
Instead, she decided to gather more evidence before saying anything. After all, it may well be nothing. She waited until they were both gone to execute her plan.
Hitting Play
She set up two hidden cameras inside the house and one outside. She continued to act as if she suspected nothing. But the more time passed, the more she noticed their strange behaviors.
Her heart pounded as she realized there was definitely something going on between them.
Obvious Tension
After a week passed, Grace was ready to confront her worst nightmare. She sat in her living room and logged into the security cameras. She hoped desperately that her intuition was wrong.
She scoured over the footage, pausing anytime she saw both her husband and Anna alone in a room. She’d continue to hit play and watch anxiously as her stomach twisted.
Unexpected Visit
It wasn’t long before she noticed the tension between them. Anna slowly closed the distance between them each time they were alone. Now, there was no doubt she was hitting on him – but how would he react?
Grace was glued to the screen. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door.
High Alert
It was Anna. She dropped by unannounced to collect her payment for the month. She said that John was expecting her. Grace forced a smile. Just then, her husband appeared.
“Anna!”, he said. Grace was about to get up and reach for her wallet when John said, “Oh I got this Grace. Don’t worry about it”. He insisted on walking Anna out to her car and paying her himself. Little did he know, Grace was watching.
Ulterior Motives
More often than not, being a mom isn’t the sexiest of jobs. You are tired, full of mess and constantly available for your kids. However, Grace’s husband was a desirable man. She had often noticed the looks he got from other women. She tried not to let it bother her, but it lingered in the back of her mind.
But the way their babysitter was looking at him tonight put her on high alert.
Gestures
Grace could see that Anna was behaving more oddly than usual around her husband tonight, and she was wearing a slinky little black number that left little to the imagination.
Maybe she was going out partying afterwards? Grace tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. But when she saw her put her hand on John’s arm, she knew she was definitely up to something.
Moment Of Truth
Grace watched Anna and her husband walk to the hallway, then they stopped. She wished she could hear what Anna was saying. Then, her heart dropped.
The audacious babysitter took a few steps back and gestured at her little black dress suggestively. It didn’t take much for Grace to imagine what she was saying. She couldn’t see her husband’s reaction, though. He had his back to the camera. Then, they stepped outside.
An Answer
Grace watched as her husband guided Anna outside. Then she logged straight into the live footage from the outdoor camera.
“This is it,” she thought. The moment her marriage came crumbling apart. She watched them converse. But something was wrong. It looked like an argument. Anna started to cry and John stormed back inside. What happened?
Truth Comes Out
Grace raced out to her husband. “What happened?” she asked. “I fired her,” John said. “Why?” Grace questioned. John told her to take a seat. Grace braced herself for what was to come. It was happening. She couldn’t believe it.
John told her that he didn’t like the way she treated him. He continued…
Explanation
“I didn’t like the way she looked or talked to me. She flirted with me all the time and I felt like she was completely disrespecting you. She made me feel uncomfortable. I told her to stop many times. She didn’t listen. I was left with no choice. It was way too inappropriate.”
Grace had never felt happier – and guilty. So, she came clean.
Pouring Her Heart Out
Grace told him how worried she was. She said she knew something was going on between them and set up a camera. She asked for his forgiveness for spying and should have trusted him.
She explained that she felt insecure since the baby and felt like he wasn’t as interested in her anyway.
Understanding
Grace began to cry. She told John how she felt like everyone she knew had been able to pull themselves together after giving birth, but she was struggling with her insecurities and her post-partum depression.
She hadn’t managed to lose the baby weight and she felt like he didn’t find her attractive anymore, which only made things worse.
Working On Herself
Her husband was shocked at her response. He had no idea she felt that way and although he didn’t appreciate her not trusting him and going to such extremes, he admitted that he should have just been open about everything with her.
He understood how it must have looked as he didn’t communicate openly and maturely with her. Needless to say, Anna wasn’t hired by the Richards ever again. And Grace?
Healing
What Grace had done pushed her to finally get professional help for her postpartum depression. Her doctor explained that she wasn’t alone in her feelings – postpartum depression affects ten to twenty percent of new mothers.
She started treatment with antidepressant medication and began seeing a psychotherapist. John was supportive and completely on her side. She no longer felt so alone.
Joy Again
Around four weeks later, the terrible looming paranoia and insecurity began to lift – Grace felt like she was able to breathe.
The feelings of inadequacy, depression, and anxiety melted away and she started to become her old self again. They hired a new babysitter to help her with her baby a few days after John fired Anna, and she was nothing like her.
A Medical Condition
After a year of treatment, Grace was ready to come off the medication. Her one regret is not getting the help she needed earlier.
There was joy in her life again, and with John’s support, she grew to accept her post-baby body – after all, John didn’t care one bit that she wasn’t as slim as she used to be, and sh efinally accepted that too.
The Best Treatment
Although some people may trivialize postpartum depression, it is very real and requires medical care. It is not something a new mother can overcome by herself simply by “snapping out of it” or by trying to be more positive.
This extreme form of depression can make women feel like they have lost control, that they are helpless, and that they are inadequate. So, what should you do if you know someone you think is experiencing it?
Things Change
According to the Post Natal Depression Support Association, the most effective way to tackle postpartum depression – in conjunction with medication – is to seek professional care from a psychologist to identify the triggers and help the new mom work through them.
There are also support groups out there, and many women find it helpful to share their thoughts and feelings with other women. Most of all, women with postpartum depression need to know that they are not alone.
An Eventful Wedding
Our last couple was also having a hard time in their marriage when the husband decided to take things into his own hands.
Cody and Bailey Mcintyre had been married for two years when things started going south. Things had been great between the two. As far as Cody was concerned, life was excellent. But out of nowhere, everything changed.
They Meet
Cody and Bailey met at a wedding where Cody’s brother was tying the knot. Bailey had been among the bridesmaids that graced the event.
“It was more than love at first sight,” Cody shared. He spent the entire day trying to get her attention, and when she finally noticed him, he asked her on a coffee date. He had no idea that Bailey had other plans.
Seeing Her Again
Bailey had been working as a painter when he met Cody at the wedding. He was a dashing young man with the brightest smile and the wittiest mind she had ever seen.
But she couldn’t give him the attention he was clearly asking for, as she had a busy schedule ahead of her that day. “I had work after the wedding and couldn’t stay to socialize,” she said. But fate wasn’t done with her and Cody.
A Coffee Date
“I didn’t see her for almost a year until I moved away from the city into a quiet suburb,” Cody shared. And who else did he meet when he went over to introduce himself to the neighbors but Bailey?
Of course, she had already forgotten about him. But one smile and a simple greeting sent everything rushing back in. But trouble wasn’t far away.
She Doesn’t Love Me Anymore
Bailey finally agreed to that coffee date she’d declined a year prior. But the date would lead to many years of happiness between her and Cody, culminating with them on the altar.
Life was supposed to be perfect. It had been for the three years they had been together before their wedding and the two after. But things were quickly changing.
Seeing The Difference
The roaring flames that had been between the two before were now a flicker of a flame, threatening to go out at the slightest blow of the wind. For Cody, realizing his wife was no longer interested in him was agonizing.
But the pain became unbearable when he realized Bailey was hiding something from him. He had to uncover the truth or lose his mind.
Saturday Morning
For a few days now, Bailey had been leaving home early and coming late. She also acted suspiciously whenever Cody was around, taking secret calls outside their house and meeting people he didn’t know over the weekend.
Cody had decided to let her do whatever she was doing, hoping things would change. But his patience would soon run short.
Following Her
Cody decided enough was enough when Bailey left the house one Saturday morning. It was still early, which made everything even more bizarre.
Bailey had left her car in the garage, taking a cab wherever she was going. But Cody hopped into his vehicle and quickly tailed her. What he’d discover would leave her in tears.
How Could She Do This?
Cody followed Bailey as carefully as he could, ensuring he kept a distance away from the car she was in. Her cab pulled into one of the four-star hotels in their city, and as quickly as she’d got into the car, Bailey came out and ran into the establishment.
Cody wasted no time in following her in. He parked his car away from the hotel and hurried inside, ready to catch his wife in the act.
The Hotel
Although Cody was keen to uncover the truth behind his wife’s change in behavior, he couldn’t stomach the idea of her being unfaithful. She was her everything, so he couldn’t understand why she’d do this to him.
He remembered how happy they’d once been but couldn’t forget how erratic her behavior had become in recent weeks. He wiped away a tear. He’d do anything to save their marriage.
The Truth
Cody followed his wife through the long corridor into a plush floor where the rooms were not only massive but equally expensive. After a deep breath, he pushed open the door she’d disappeared into.
Cody’s mouth fell open, and his insides wizened at what he found inside the room. He stepped back. How could Bailey do this to him?
Before Cody stood everyone he held dear, from his parents and siblings to friends and extended family. How Bailey had gotten them here so early in the morning was a mystery.
Cody’s mom broke the silence with her bright smile, “Bailey says you are always working,” she said. “She’s been planning this for weeks!” Bailey came over and hugged Cody, kissing his forehead. “Did you forget again?” she asked. “It’s your birthday, honey.” Cody grinned.