Our Anniversary Scare: A Wake-Up Call

It was supposed to be a special evening. Our anniversary dinner, just the two of us, celebrating another year together. But as soon as we sat down, I felt something was off. I glanced at Fiona, who was staring intently at her phone. Trying not to let it bother me, I asked her a question.

“Oh, yeah. Just checking something quick,” she replied, looking up briefly before returning to her screen. I nodded, hiding my disappointment. This was our night, but it seemed like Fiona’s mind was somewhere else entirely.

The waiter arrived with menus and a warm smile. “Can I interest you in our anniversary special? A bottle of champagne to start?”

“That sounds perfect,” I said, hoping to catch Fiona’s attention. “What do you think, honey?”

“Hm? Oh, sure. Whatever you want,” she muttered, eyes still glued to her phone. I sighed inwardly and ordered the champagne. After the waiter left, I reached across the table and gently touched Fiona’s hand. “Hey, can we maybe put the phones away? It’s our anniversary.”

Fiona looked up, a bit guilty. “You’re right, I’m sorry. It’s just this new video series I found—”

I tried to keep my frustration at bay. “Another prank channel?”

“They’re hilarious, Aidan! You should see some of these—” she started, but I couldn’t focus. I let her words drift over me as I thought about how things had been between us lately.

It all began as harmless fun, with Fiona showing me silly videos on her phone. We’d laugh together, enjoying the moment. But then, she started to take these pranks into our home. I remembered the time she jumped out from behind the shower curtain, scaring me half to death. Or when she put a fake spider in our daughter Nora’s lunchbox, making her cry. The worst was the “broken” glass prank that left our son Callum too afraid to touch anything in the kitchen for days. Each time, Fiona would laugh it off. “It’s just a joke!” she’d say. “Don’t be so serious!” But it was wearing us down. The kids were tense, and I was exhausted.

I snapped back to reality as the waiter returned with our champagne. Fiona was still talking, waving her hands excitedly as she described some YouTuber’s latest prank. Then, out of nowhere, she stood up. “I need to use the restroom. Be right back.” I watched her walk away, a gnawing feeling in my gut. Something didn’t feel right.

Suddenly, I heard a commotion behind me. Turning around, I saw Fiona stumbling between tables, clutching her throat. Panic surged through me as she gasped, “I can’t breathe! Help me!” She fell to her knees, and the restaurant erupted into chaos. People rushed to help, calling for assistance. I was frozen, unable to believe what I was seeing.

Then, just as quickly as it started, Fiona burst out laughing. “Just kidding!” she declared, standing up and dusting herself off. “It was a prank!”

The silence that followed was deafening. I felt every pair of eyes in the restaurant on me. Fiona grinned, completely unaware of the horror she’d caused.

The restaurant manager, looking stern, approached us. “Ma’am, that was extremely inappropriate. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

I stood up, anger boiling inside me. “I’m leaving,” I said through clenched teeth. “Without my wife. You can get an Uber home on your own.” Fiona’s smile vanished. “Aw, come on. It was just a joke!”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I stormed out of the restaurant, leaving her to settle the bill. The drive home was a blur of anger and confusion.

As soon as I got home, I went straight to the kids’ rooms. “Pack a bag,” I told Nora and Callum. “We’re going to Uncle Declan’s for a bit.”

Within an hour, I was at my brother Declan’s door with two sleepy kids in tow. He took one look at me and ushered us inside without a word. “Guest room’s all yours,” he said, helping with the bags. “Want to talk about it?”

I shook my head, feeling drained. “Not tonight. Thanks, bro.”

My phone buzzed nonstop with messages from Fiona, but I ignored them and tried to get some sleep. The next morning, I woke up to find 37 missed calls and dozens of texts. As I scrolled through them, my anger flared up again. “You’re overreacting.” “It was just a joke!” “How could you embarrass me like that?” “You owe me an apology.”

I tossed the phone aside, disgusted. How could she not see how wrong she was? And then, as if on cue, my phone rang again. This time, it was Greta, Fiona’s mom. I hesitated, then answered.

“Aidan! What’s this I hear about you abandoning my daughter at a restaurant?” Greta’s voice was sharp, brimming with indignation.

I took a deep breath. “Hi, Greta. It’s not what you think.”

“Oh? Then explain it to me, young man. Because from where I’m standing, you left your wife alone on your anniversary. That’s pretty low.”

I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. “Fiona pulled a prank, Greta. A bad one. She pretended to choke in the middle of a crowded restaurant.”

There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line. “She did what?”

I explained everything—the prank, Fiona’s obsession with these stunts, and how it was tearing our family apart. When I finished, Greta was quiet for a long time. Then she let out a heavy sigh. “Oh, Aidan. I had no idea it had gotten this bad.”

“Yeah, well, now you do.”

“I… I don’t know what to say. If things are really this bad, I… I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted a divorce.”

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. Divorce? Was that where we were heading?

“I don’t know, Greta,” I said honestly. “I just need some time to think.”

After we hung up, I sat on the edge of the bed, my head in my hands. Was this really the end of our marriage? I spent the day in a fog, going through the motions of taking care of the kids. By evening, I had made up my mind. I called Fiona. “Meet me at the restaurant tomorrow at 7 p.m. We need to talk.” She agreed immediately, sounding relieved. I hung up before she could say more.

The next night, I arrived at the restaurant early. My palms were sweaty as I clutched the envelope containing the divorce papers I’d had drawn up that afternoon. Fiona walked in, looking small and vulnerable. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her hair messy. “Hi,” she said softly, sitting down next to me.

“Hi,” I replied, my voice tight. We sat there in awkward silence for a few moments. Then Fiona broke down. “Aidan, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you or the kids. I just got carried away with the pranks and—”

I held up a hand to stop her. Without a word, I slid the envelope across the table. Fiona’s hands shook as she opened it. Her eyes widened as she realized what she was holding.

“No,” she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Please, Aidan, no. We can work this out. I’ll stop the pranks, I promise. Please don’t leave me.”

I let her cry for a moment, my own heart aching. Then I took a deep breath. “It’s a prank,” I said quietly.

Fiona’s head snapped up. “What?”

“The divorce papers. They’re not real. It’s a prank.”

Her mouth fell open, and for a moment, she was speechless. I leaned forward, my voice firm. “This is what it feels like, Fiona. This is how your pranks make us feel—scared, hurt, betrayed. Is this what you want for our family?”

Fiona’s face crumpled as she sobbed. “No,” she cried. “God, no. I’m so sorry, Aidan. I never realized…”

I reached across the table and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “I love you, Fiona. But this has to stop. No more pranks. Ever. Can you promise me that?”

She nodded vigorously, gripping my hand tightly. “I promise. No more pranks. I’ll delete all those stupid videos. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

I exhaled slowly, feeling a weight lift from my chest. “Okay,” I said. “Then let’s go home.”

As we stood to leave, Fiona hesitated. “Aidan? Thank you for not giving up on us.”

I pulled her into a hug, breathing in the familiar scent of her hair. “We’re in this together,” I whispered. “For better or worse, remember?”

She laughed softly, a sound I hadn’t realized I missed so much. “I remember. Let’s aim for ‘better’ from now on, okay?”

I nodded, feeling hopeful for the first time in weeks. As we walked out of the restaurant hand in hand, I knew we had a long road ahead. But at least now, we were on the same path. And there wasn’t a prank in sight.

What would you have done?