{"id":5309,"date":"2024-10-25T20:09:28","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T20:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/?p=5309"},"modified":"2024-10-25T20:09:28","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T20:09:28","slug":"my-husband-sent-me-a-cake-to-announce-our-divorce-when-he-discovered-the-truth-he-came-crawling-back-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/my-husband-sent-me-a-cake-to-announce-our-divorce-when-he-discovered-the-truth-he-came-crawling-back-2\/","title":{"rendered":"My Husband Sent Me a Cake to Announce Our Divorce \u2014 When He Discovered the Truth, He Came Crawling Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>While Emma is sitting at her desk one afternoon, she gets a surprise delivery. When she opens the box, she finds a cake with an unsettling message and the pregnancy test she forgot to hide. Will she go home and explain the truth to her husband or let him walk away?\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>I was at my desk, half-typing an email, half-daydreaming about what to make for dinner when the office delivery guy appeared at my office door. He held a bright pink bakery box in his hands, grinning from ear to ear like he was in on some inside joke I didn\u2019t know about.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/589ab971071bb5787bd4f4139a1caf80c95af165ccd5a3e33d32dabc020a2bbf.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman sitting at her desk source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cGood afternoon, Emma!\u201d he said enthusiastically. \u201cThis is for you!\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cThank you, Nico,\u201d I said, blinking as he handed me the box.\n\n\n\n</p><p>I hadn\u2019t ordered anything. There were no birthdays or work celebrations planned. So, who would be sending me a cake? My stomach fluttered with curiosity. My husband, Jake, was one of the head bakers at a fancy bakery in town. So, maybe this was just a little treat from him.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/0bf34967bfb8090a9b99fbd77f09509bf9d51ef56e2173215aadbc60ac370a55.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' baker in a bakery source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A baker in a bakery | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>The office buzzed with its usual energy, phones ringing, keyboards clacking, people laughing in the break room, everyone just wanted to get out for the day. But in that moment, it all faded into the background. I slowly untied the ribbon, lifted the lid, and froze.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Scrawled across the top of the cake in black frosting were four words that turned my blood cold:\n\n\n\n</p><p><em>I am divorcing you.\n\n\n\n<p>I stared at the words, blinking in disbelief. But there was more!\n\n\n\n</p><p>Placed neatly on the cake, next to the damning message, was a positive pregnancy test.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/6c07f23e98f48b3c150b44db5628f06136c7784f2a85c749c2d3a0d4475fd1eb.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"A' cake with a message and pregnancy test source: amomama>\n\n\n\n<p>A cake with a message and a pregnancy test | Source: AmoMama\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>My heart dropped into my stomach.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Jake had found it. He\u2019d found the pregnancy test that I\u2019d thrown into the bathroom trash this morning, the same test that I was supposed to pick up and bring with me, easy to hide from Jake.\n\n\n\n</p><p>But I was late, and I had forgotten. Now, this? The cake\u2026 this was Jake\u2019s response? Divorce. A cake with a slap-in-the-face message.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/e71ce792f9f9d67609f20c3a78a8927e3816bac4bbffe5bf66271012fdf60efd.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' pregnancy test in a bin source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A pregnancy test in a bin | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>I gripped the edge of my desk to steady myself, I could feel a panic attack almost rising to the surface. This wasn\u2019t just some cruel joke. Jake thought I had cheated on him.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Why else would he send this?\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>I closed the box, my mind racing.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Jake had been told years ago that he was infertile. And he believed that there was no way this child could be his. He thought I\u2019d betrayed him, that I\u2019d gone behind his back after everything we\u2019ve been through.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/005a69b5a4f71fe5f93f9d584c1aa76d5cfe9c5d3e4f89e34c4abe7e23c778f0.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' closed cake box source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<h1 class='\"wp-block-heading\"'>My Husband Sent Me a Cake to Announce Our Divorce \u2014 When He Discovered the Truth, He Came Crawling Back\n\n\n\n</h1><p><a href="%5C%22http:%5C/%5C/usabible55.store%5C/archives%5C/7375%5C%22"><time datetime='\"2024-10-25T13:03:25+00:00\"'>October 25, 2024&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="%5C%22http:%5C/%5C/usabible55.store%5C/archives%5C/author%5C/soknear%5C%22">Joey&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;</a><a href="%5C%22http:%5C/%5C/usabible55.store%5C/archives%5C/7375#respond%5C%22">Leave a Comment\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><a href="%5C%22http:%5C/%5C/usabible55.store%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2024%5C/10%5C/457457108_122174639708191231_8888333481474670231_n-437.jpg%5C%22"><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22http:%5C/%5C/usabible55.store%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2024%5C/10%5C/457457108_122174639708191231_8888333481474670231_n-437-735x400.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"\/'>\n\n\n\n<p>While Emma is sitting at her desk one afternoon, she gets a surprise delivery. When she opens the box, she finds a cake with an unsettling message and the pregnancy test she forgot to hide. Will she go home and explain the truth to her husband or let him walk away?\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>I was at my desk, half-typing an email, half-daydreaming about what to make for dinner when the office delivery guy appeared at my office door. He held a bright pink bakery box in his hands, grinning from ear to ear like he was in on some inside joke I didn\u2019t know about.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/589ab971071bb5787bd4f4139a1caf80c95af165ccd5a3e33d32dabc020a2bbf.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman sitting at her desk source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cGood afternoon, Emma!\u201d he said enthusiastically. \u201cThis is for you!\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cThank you, Nico,\u201d I said, blinking as he handed me the box.\n\n\n\n</p><p>I hadn\u2019t ordered anything. There were no birthdays or work celebrations planned. So, who would be sending me a cake? My stomach fluttered with curiosity. My husband, Jake, was one of the head bakers at a fancy bakery in town. So, maybe this was just a little treat from him.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/0bf34967bfb8090a9b99fbd77f09509bf9d51ef56e2173215aadbc60ac370a55.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' baker in a bakery source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A baker in a bakery | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>The office buzzed with its usual energy, phones ringing, keyboards clacking, people laughing in the break room, everyone just wanted to get out for the day. But in that moment, it all faded into the background. I slowly untied the ribbon, lifted the lid, and froze.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Scrawled across the top of the cake in black frosting were four words that turned my blood cold:\n\n\n\n</p><p><em>I am divorcing you.\n\n\n\n<p>I stared at the words, blinking in disbelief. But there was more!\n\n\n\n</p><p>Placed neatly on the cake, next to the damning message, was a positive pregnancy test.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/6c07f23e98f48b3c150b44db5628f06136c7784f2a85c749c2d3a0d4475fd1eb.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"A' cake with a message and pregnancy test source: amomama>\n\n\n\n<p>A cake with a message and a pregnancy test | Source: AmoMama\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>My heart dropped into my stomach.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Jake had found it. He\u2019d found the pregnancy test that I\u2019d thrown into the bathroom trash this morning, the same test that I was supposed to pick up and bring with me, easy to hide from Jake.\n\n\n\n</p><p>But I was late, and I had forgotten. Now, this? The cake\u2026 this was Jake\u2019s response? Divorce. A cake with a slap-in-the-face message.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/e71ce792f9f9d67609f20c3a78a8927e3816bac4bbffe5bf66271012fdf60efd.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' pregnancy test in a bin source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A pregnancy test in a bin | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>I gripped the edge of my desk to steady myself, I could feel a panic attack almost rising to the surface. This wasn\u2019t just some cruel joke. Jake thought I had cheated on him.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Why else would he send this?\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>I closed the box, my mind racing.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Jake had been told years ago that he was infertile. And he believed that there was no way this child could be his. He thought I\u2019d betrayed him, that I\u2019d gone behind his back after everything we\u2019ve been through.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/005a69b5a4f71fe5f93f9d584c1aa76d5cfe9c5d3e4f89e34c4abe7e23c778f0.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' closed cake box source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A closed cake box | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>The truth, though?\n\n\n\n</p><p>The truth was far more complicated.\n\n\n\n</p><p>I hadn\u2019t cheated. Of course not. I hadn\u2019t been with anyone but Jake. The pregnancy test was mine, yes, but I hadn\u2019t told him yet because I needed confirmation from the doctor first.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Honestly, Jake and I had been through so much heartbreak trying to have a baby that I couldn\u2019t stand the idea of getting his hopes up, only to have them crushed.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/0b87d7a38042fe1abe55bc7a884eb7dad351d20a8a02f92f9b767fbfe77db104.png%5C%22" alt='\"An' upset couple source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>An upset couple | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>I remembered our conversation from three years ago.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cI think we should just stop trying for a while,\u201d I said, sitting on our bed.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cWhat do you mean, Em?\u201d Jake asked. \u201cJust like that, stop trying?\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been trying for a baby for the past eighteen months, Jake. I think our bodies need a moment to breathe.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cYou mean my body?\u201d he asked. \u201cIt seems like mine is the problem. The doctors have told us that it\u2019s my fault. It\u2019s my sperm. So, yeah. Let\u2019s stop\u2026\u201d\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/4d29dec939cceff19900aa8136d0de111ba5e8d501f18ef80038d4a92cb68b48.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman on the bed source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman on the bed | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>After that, it took a lot of work for Jake and me to get back on our feet as a steady couple. Without the pressure of trying to have a baby, we could barely function.\n\n\n\n</p><p>But now, my husband thought the worst of me.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Grabbing the box, I packed up my things and rushed out of the office, ignoring the concerned looks from my coworkers. I didn\u2019t have time to explain. All I could think about was getting home, facing Jake, and explaining the truth.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/dcace4e95dd8c4becc48b8358af9d83426d24916fe56587d4b2694d0e9d696cf.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman driving source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman driving | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>When I walked through the front door, I saw him immediately. Jake was pacing back and forth across the living room, his face flushed, his body tense with fury.\n\n\n\n</p><p>He turned the second I stepped inside, his eyes wild.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cTell me the test wasn\u2019t yours!\u201d he shouted.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/c22cfaada4d15aabee66ead3635ecf8bb4d89f096926845e44d1c391d9168024.png%5C%22" alt='\"An' angry man source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>An angry man | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>I placed the cake box gently on the kitchen counter and stood still, facing him.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cIt is mine, honey,\u201d I said.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Jake\u2019s expression didn\u2019t soften. He looked angrier; he looked ready to explode.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cIf you want a divorce, I won\u2019t stop you,\u201d I continued. \u201cBut before you walk away from us, there\u2019s something you need to know.\u201d\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/842393f01421e9ad53f07d0d6b8fc121f4cb60a44cea4617ea75d751d9b80556.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' pensive woman source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A pensive woman | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>His hands balled into fists at his side.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cWhat could you possibly say, Emma? I thought you loved me. And yet, here you are, having someone else\u2019s baby?\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cJake, listen to me!\u201d I interrupted. \u201cThis baby is yours. You\u2019re going to be a father!\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>The words hung in the air.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/e038c1446ec725e2e08b18ab47718a2064fad2ced8c0603e49a779769df649bb.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' shocked man source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A shocked man | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>Jake stopped pacing, his brow furrowed. For a moment, he just stared at me as if trying to process what I had said. Then he shook his head, his voice trembling with disbelief.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cNo. That\u2019s not possible. Emma, I\u2019m infertile. The doctors said it. We\u2019ve been over this for years.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cDarling, the doctors were wrong,\u201d I said, stepping closer to him. \u201cI went to see Dr. Harper this morning after I took the test. I didn\u2019t want you to see the test before I spoke to her because false positives happen more often than not. She explained everything to me.\u201d\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/da368a1994170902fb76dd99c97147a670e3e17790d70927bddb9c9cfd58eccd.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' smiling doctor source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A smiling doctor | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>My husband\u2019s eyes searched mine, filled with confusion, but he didn\u2019t interrupt me this time. I took a deep breath, knowing it was the time to explain it all, even though I wasn\u2019t entirely sure he\u2019d believe me.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cJake,\u201d I began. \u201cYou were never completely infertile. Dr. Harper told me that you\u2019ve had a condition called oligospermia. It means that your sperm count was low, but it didn\u2019t mean you couldn\u2019t have children. Dr. Harper said that it\u2019s likely that the stress from trying and failing to conceive over the years might have made it worse.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>Jake just looked at me, unable to speak.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/16a4cca8204e7e15bcd09feef674f58d460881d66a7598b335bb7027be79bb78.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' shocked man source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A shocked man | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cBaby, you were never completely unable to have kids\u2026\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>My husband\u2019s mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. He sank into the armchair as he processed everything I said.\n\n\n\n</p><p>I watched as the anger drained from his face, replaced with a veil of sheer disbelief. He buried his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking as the realization hit him.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/a2027fcc8c817ab7defd5efd4f65a4e5ab00cb525f45855def421c5a5cf56142.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' man sitting on a couch source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cOh my God, Emma,\u201d he said, his voice thick with emotion. \u201cI thought you cheated on me. I thought you found someone else because I couldn\u2019t\u2026 I thought I couldn\u2019t give you what you always wanted.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>He trailed off, his words dissolving into sobs.\n\n\n\n</p><p>The man I had spent years loving, the man who had been so strong through all our struggles, was breaking down in front of me.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/11f9c9fc348cd8e70d2ad031ebf48839e5c2f2127f3bcd06310186bca36255af.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' man sitting on a couch source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>I stood there, watching him crumble, my own heart aching in ways I couldn\u2019t describe. I knew that I should have been happy at this new development in our lives.\n\n\n\n</p><p>I mean, I was finally pregnant after years of trying. This was joy. But I was hurt that Jake had jumped to the worst conclusion, that he hadn\u2019t even asked me before sending that awful cake.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>But I understood, too. I understood the years of insecurity, the pain we\u2019d both been through trying to have a child.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/cc3e50f9af95972f50a9903ed7e691ab9ed1c19da1d4018a507a455ab89af5a7.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman standing in a living room source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman standing in a living room | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cI\u2019m so sorry,\u201d Jake said after a while. \u201cI thought\u2026 I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>I didn\u2019t move. I just let him sit there and cry, let him process everything. He apologized over and over, each word dripping with regret. He had been ready to walk away, to end everything because of a misunderstanding, because of his own fears.\n\n\n\n</p><p>But now, now he knew the truth.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/2ce505840f3a1f651c0e47c96b9c0cd3a0e73b1f1c4e0b8fa1b92103b597873a.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' woman standing in a living room source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman standing in a living room | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cI don\u2019t deserve you,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t deserve this chance. But I swear to you, I\u2019ll make it up to you every day. I promise. I\u2019ll be the best father. I\u2019ll be the best husband!\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>I felt a lump rise in my throat. This wasn\u2019t how I had imagined telling him. I had dreamed of the moment we\u2019d finally get the news we\u2019d waited so long for. I\u2019d pictured his joy, his tears of happiness. But not this. Not this mess.\n\n\n\n</p><p>But as I stood there, looking at my husband who had just crumbled to pieces, I realized that despite everything, we had been given the one thing we thought we\u2019d never have.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/b131fc2bdd16fff44bbd8b4e0c769a6b29e6f563bd30f9f177eb880dca8248bf.png%5C%22" alt='\"An' upset man source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>An upset man | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p><em>A baby.\n\n\n\n<p><em>A future.\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cWe\u2019ll figure it out,\u201d I whispered, my voice cracking. And for the first time in a long time, I saw hope in Jake\u2019s eyes. When my husband reached for me, this time, I didn\u2019t pull away. We stood there, wrapped in each other\u2019s arms, the weight of a pregnancy and a baby resting on our shoulders.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/204aad5b8ac12126feab990b00097e1cf82758fcdaa27cb804399efdcabca3b5.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' couple embracing source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A couple embracing | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>What would you have done?\n\n\n\n</p><p>If you enjoyed this story, here\u2019s another one for you |\n\n\n\n</p><h2 class='\"wp-block-heading\"'><strong>I Hired a Fake Boyfriend for Our Family Dinner \u2013 It Turned Out to Be the Best Decision of My Life\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Family gatherings were the worst for Lara, especially since her sister, Emily, began to make fun of her love life, or lack thereof. Determined to sit through her father\u2019s birthday dinner, Lara decides to hire a boyfriend for the night. Little did she know that something reminiscent of a romantic comedy would soon play out.\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>I love my family, but family gatherings used to be a nightmare for me. Every single time we got together, my sister Emily would find some way or the other to poke fun at my single life.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/874218c8887123369f120716b2530075c15c968c5685a0380f4150ef87be8420.png%5C%22" alt='\"Two' smiling women source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>Two smiling women | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>Last Thanksgiving, she took it too far and even set a place at the table for my \u201cimaginary boyfriend,\u201d complete with a hand-drawn face on a napkin. Everyone around the table laughed while I forced a smile.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cIt\u2019s funny, Lara!\u201d she would say whenever I brought up the incident.\n\n\n\n</p><p>It was anything but funny.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/2d7235398d9c222ae5cb356616094eb91e240ca716f85aea4d2e3746a8cea0ce.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' dinner table source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A dinner table | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n</p><p>Now, my father\u2019s birthday is coming up, and of course, it was to be celebrated with a family dinner.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cThere\u2019s no way I can sit through another one of those events with my family,\u201d I told my friend, Kate, when we met for coffee.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cI\u2019m telling you now, Emily probably has something up her sleeve already,\u201d I grumbled.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/f9d152f8d8d201b17445c3d3467611b30c4fd4a5414f97d1cbd86f6367682199.png%5C%22" alt='\"Two' women at a coffee shop source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>Two women at a coffee shop | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cThen just hire someone out for the night!\u201d Kate chuckled, adding sugar to her coffee.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cHire a man?\u201d I exclaimed.\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cYes! My sister did it through an agency. She didn\u2019t want to go to her ex-boyfriend\u2019s wedding by herself, so she found the agency. Look, it\u2019s all above board and the guys do exactly what you need them to do.\u201d\n\n\n\n</p><p>Advertisement\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image\"'><img decoding='\"async\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/cdn.amomama.com%5C/428726178dd03ee84df88dff2247a03b4a9385ee45f58045b4700aff5fa8daa8.png%5C%22" alt='\"A' smiling woman source: midjourney>\n\n\n\n<p>A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n</p><p>\u201cIt\u2019s not\u2026 sleazy?\u201d I asked, trying to think of a better word.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Read the full story&nbsp;<a href="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/amomama.com%5C/430652-i-hired-a-fake-boyfriend-for-our-family.html%5C%22">here.\n\n\n\n<p><em>This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.\n\n\n\n<p><em>The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided \u201cas is,\u201d and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class='\"mh-excerpt\"'><p>While Emma is sitting at her desk one afternoon, she gets a surprise delivery. When she opens the box, she finds a cake with an <a class='\"mh-excerpt-more\"' href="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/runeecho.com%5C/my-husband-sent-me-a-cake-to-announce-our-divorce-when-he-discovered-the-truth-he-came-crawling-back-2%5C/%5C%22" title='\"My' husband sent me a cake to announce our divorce when he discovered the truth came crawling back>[&hellip;]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5309"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5309"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5310,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5309\/revisions\/5310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}</a></p></div></em></p></em></p></a></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></strong></p></strong></h2></figure></p></em></p></em></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></em></p></figure></p></figure></p></a></figure></a></time></a></p></figure></p></figure></p></figure></p></em></p></figure></p></figure></p>