Donna was lying beneath the bed and feeling horrified. She knew her husband was standing in front of her because she could see his feet. It had all started because they wanted their relationship to have more fun and giggles, and she thought the prank was a good idea.
She had done what she had to do, never intending for it to end up like this. She’d had no idea what was going to unfold. Her heart cracked with each second, feeling her stomach as she lay on the floor. Her life had changed forever.
Donna And Mark
Mark Smith was seventeen when he got the nerve to ask Donna on a date. They made it to childhood sweetheart status when Mark eventually proposed, and no one was surprised when they had children twenty-five years later.
Donna was over the moon and often wondered how she had gotten so lucky to find a husband like Mark. Anyone would agree their marriage was perfect, but one day would change everything.
Not The Same
Donna had spent enough time with Mark to know that he didn’t look at her the same way he once did. When they started dating, he complimented her often and showered her with love and affection. She couldn’t help but wonder if someone else was in the picture or if he was perhaps hiding something else.
She couldn’t take his distance any longer and made up her mind that she would find out what the cause was. But she had no idea how much the answer would make her stomach churn.
Pranksters
Donna was unwilling to give up on their marriage and knew she had to do something to keep it from turning to dust.
The younger versions of Donna and Mark loved to do pranks, and they would often pull them on family and friends. Donna wanted to test her husband to see if the love was still there and thought a silly prank was a great way to do it. But she never anticipated his reaction…
Writing Her Feelings
Amidst the planning for the prank, Donna wrote about how she felt about their marriage and what she thought was missing. As she wrote, the feelings surfaced, which brought tears to her eyes.
She loved her husband with all her heart and needed to know if he was pleased in their marriage or if it had been a charade all this time. She needed the answers and would soon find them, but they would leave her gobsmacked.
Her Plan
She planned to uncover how her husband truly felt, so she listed everything that bothered her about the relationship. She ended it off by saying that she wanted a divorce.
She loved her husband too much to want a divorce, but she needed the note to seem serious to get her needed answers. Where has his passion gone? Why had he grown so dismissive? But she would soon find out things don’t always go according to plan.
Under The Bed
Donna wanted to see her husband’s reaction to the news, but she needed to be up close to see that. She left the note on the bed and hid underneath it to see how he took the earth-shattering news.
Her mind raced as she waited. Would he fall to his knees and cry? Or would he be happy with the news? But Donna trusted that her genius plan would work, having no idea what was waiting for her around the corner.
The Reaction She Hoped For
Donna thought her husband’s reaction would be something out of a movie. He would be shocked and would cry before she miraculously appeared by his side to soothe him. That’s when she would know that she shouldn’t have worried about their marriage after all.
But Donna didn’t get the reaction she had pictured in her head. Her husband ended up doing something that flipped her world upside down.
Harsh
To make the note believable, Donna had written bluntly that she felt the love had started waning over the years and that she no longer loved him. She had winced at how harsh it sounded, but she needed it to be convincing enough to get a reaction out of him.
After having written the note, Donna took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She had positioned the message on the bed before she hid underneath it and waited. She had no way of knowing that she should have handled this another way.
Starting To Doubt
The longer Donna waited for her husband to walk in, the more she started to worry that her plan might not go as planned. Would his reaction be what she hoped? She wondered if she should have signed them up for marriage counseling instead.
The door slamming shut ripped her away from her thoughts. She heard her husband moving around downstairs, and her heart beat faster at the thought of his reaction.
Listening To His Footsteps
It wasn’t long before Donna heard her husband walking up the stairs, his heavy footsteps stopping at the door. When he called out to her, Donna was still under the bed and holding her breath so as not to make a sound. Her heart was hammering in her chest.
She heard her husband walk into the room and instantly regretted her decision. She knew that what she had done was wrong, and her husband’s reaction was about to confirm it.
Too Late
The room was silent as Donna looked at her husband’s feet, and she was surprised he couldn’t hear how loud her heart was beating. The silence became unbearable, knowing that he was reading the note.
Donna wished she could reverse time, but she knew there was no going back now. The prank had already begun to unfold, and she was about to get the answers she wanted. But she would never have thought she would hear this.
Silence
Donna lay under the bed, hands shaking with nerves while she waited for her husband’s response. She wondered what the silence could mean. Was he gaping at the note in shock? Was he crying so hard that no sounds could be heard?
But when he burst out laughing, she frowned. This was not what she had pictured. She heard him pull out his phone and dial a number. She had no idea who he was calling, but she would soon find out…
“Great News”
When the person answered, Mark, greeted them warmly, saying, “I have great news! It felt like she would never realize it, but she knew I was not interested anymore. She wants a divorce! I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He ended the call and rushed out of the house.
Donna remained under the bed, mouth agape. She wished she had never done the prank. She felt queasy, realizing that what she had feared most had become true.
Who Was It?
Donna was heartbroken by what her husband said. She had never felt so hurt before as she did now. She felt like a zombie, still trying to process what had happened.
She was motionless as her mind filled with questions. Who was the other person on the phone? Was it a woman she knew? Had he met her at work? She would have her answers soon enough.
Heartbroken On The Floor
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.
No Longer Soulmates
As Donna tried to compose herself, her body was still racked with deep sobs. How could she carry on without him? They 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.
Reading His Note
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.
Caught Out
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?
Embarrassment
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?
Relief
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?
Trust
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.
Happily Ever After
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.
Instant Regret
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.
The Richards
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.
New Mom
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.
The Babysitter
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.
Flirtatious Personality
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.
Insecure
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.
Tactical Planning
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.
Setting Up Cameras
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.
Hitting Play
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.
Obvious Tension
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.
Unexpected Visit
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.
High Alert
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.
Ulterior Motives
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.
Gestures
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.
Moment Of Truth
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?
An Answer
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...
Truth Comes Out
“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.
Explanation
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.
Pouring Her Heart Out
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.
Understanding
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?
Working On Herself
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.
Healing
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.
Joy Again
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 she finally accepted that too.
A Medical Condition
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?
The Best Treatment
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.