Our tenth anniversary dinner was supposed to be a celebration, but instead, it became the breaking point. Fiona had become obsessed with prank videos, turning every moment at home into a performance — scaring me in the shower, upsetting the kids with fake spiders and broken glass. That night at the restaurant, she pulled her worst stunt yet: pretending to choke in front of a crowded room, only to burst out laughing when people rushed to help. Humiliation burned through me. I stood up, told her I was leaving, and walked out without her.
I took the kids to my brother’s house that night, ignoring Fiona’s endless texts about how I had “overreacted.” The next morning, her mother called, furious at first, until I explained exactly what had happened. There was silence on the line before she admitted, “If it’s gotten this bad… I wouldn’t blame you if you filed for divorce.” Hearing those words from her own mother made me realize just how serious things had become.
I agreed to meet Fiona again at the restaurant the following evening, carrying an envelope of fake divorce papers. When I slid them across the table, her hands shook as she read them, and tears streamed down her face. She begged me not to end our marriage, promising she would stop the pranks. That’s when I told her — the papers weren’t real. It was my way of showing her exactly how cruel her “jokes” felt to us.
For the first time, Fiona truly seemed to understand. She promised to delete the videos, stop the stunts, and refocus on our family. As we walked out together, hand in hand, I felt a cautious hope. Marriage isn’t about cheap laughs or public embarrassment — it’s about love, respect, and knowing when enough is enough. This time, I believed Fiona finally got the message.