My husband Todd’s 35th birthday was supposed to be special. I spent weeks planning an elegant dinner party for twenty guests – the kind of event he specifically asked for. But what happened next showed me exactly how little he valued my efforts.
After six years of marriage, I’d grown accustomed to Todd taking my hard work for granted. Like last Thanksgiving when he volunteered us to host both families, then spent the entire time playing fantasy football while I cooked, cleaned, and decorated. He still took credit when everyone complimented the meal.
This birthday was supposed to be different. Todd wanted a “big, proper dinner” with all his friends and family. I threw myself into preparations – cleaning the house, arranging place cards, preparing multiple courses, even decorating the cake with edible gold leaf. Meanwhile, Todd contributed exactly nothing, claiming he was “swamped at work.”
The ultimate insult came the day of the party. As I was putting final touches on the meal, Todd casually announced he was going to a sports bar with his friends instead. “Just cancel everything,” he said, as if I hadn’t spent weeks planning his dream celebration.
That’s when I snapped. Instead of canceling, I packed all the food into my car and drove to Todd’s bar. I set up an impromptu buffet right in the middle of the establishment, inviting all our guests to join me there. The look on Todd’s face when he turned from his beer to see me serving his birthday feast to random bar patrons was priceless.
His parents arrived to find their son’s birthday dinner being served in a sports bar. His friends couldn’t stop laughing. The bartender offered me free drinks for life (but not for Todd). And the cake? I’d iced “Happy birthday to my selfish husband” across the top.
Todd called me crazy and claimed I humiliated him. But the truth is, he humiliated himself by showing such disrespect for my time and effort. Two weeks later, he’s still walking on eggshells around me. Maybe now he’ll think twice before taking me for granted again.
