It was supposed to be just another grocery reminder with my signature twist: “Get BREAD… and say hi to your girlfriend Valerie.” After years of marriage, I’d learned the only way to ensure Daniel saw my texts was to include something outrageous.
His reply came quickly: “Who is Valerie?” I grinned – success. “Nobody,” I texted back, “just making sure you read this.” Then his response made my stomach drop: “But I’m with Valerie right now.”
My fingers trembled as I demanded his location. “Near the bakery,” he replied. I raced out the door, my mind conjuring images of his attractive coworker Valerie. Was my joke about to uncover an actual affair?
When I arrived at the bakery panting, there was no sign of him. Then my phone buzzed: “I’m at work. Now that you’re there… bread. 🥖” The realization dawned – he’d played me perfectly. The final twist? “Valerie is the cashier here, remember?”
Oh. That Valerie. The grandmotherly woman who’d helped us last holiday season. Standing there flushed with embarrassment, I could practically hear my husband’s triumphant laughter from his office.
I texted a weak threat about gluten-free revenge bread, to which he replied with heart emojis. As I finally entered the bakery to actually purchase the forgotten bread, I had to admit defeat – this round went decisively to him. But our little prank war? Far from over.
