As Nick was returning home from a three-day business trip, he noticed something alarming on the billboard of his wife’s diner. The sign seemed to be calling him out publicly. Baffled and uncertain about what could have sparked this, he hurried home to get some answers from his wife.
On the drive back, Nick was mentally going over his to-do list for the weekend. His plans included finishing up a work project, setting up a meeting with investors, and following up on junior employees’ performance reviews. All he really wanted, though, was to relax and enjoy some of his wife Kate’s famous fried chicken, something he’d been craving since the start of his trip.
As he passed by Kate’s diner, he saw a message on the billboard that nearly caused him to lose control of his car. The sign read: Nick, I know what you did. Don’t bother coming home. – Kate. Shocked and confused, Nick pulled over, wondering what on earth was going on. Had he done something wrong without realizing it? His heart pounded as he thought about how everyone in their small town had probably already seen the sign.
The situation wasn’t looking good, and Nick knew Kate wouldn’t risk her diner’s reputation for something trivial. He raced home, desperate for an explanation. When he arrived, he found Kate sitting at the kitchen table, arms crossed, with a cold expression on her face. This wasn’t the warm and welcoming wife he knew.
Nick immediately asked her what the sign was about. Kate, without saying a word, slid a piece of paper across the table and pointed to a bouquet of red roses on the counter. The paper was a handwritten note attached to a receipt for the roses. The note read: Thank you for a wonderful night, love. I can’t wait to see you again.
Completely baffled, Nick tried to explain he hadn’t sent the flowers. However, Kate was convinced he had been unfaithful while away. She was furious, accusing him of ruining their ten-year marriage for a fleeting affair. Nick was speechless. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but the evidence in front of Kate was damning.
As Nick tried to figure out what was happening, he noticed something strange on the receipt. The delivery address was incorrect—off by just a few digits. The flowers had been sent to 241 Maple Street, not 243, where they lived. Nick pointed this out to Kate, who was momentarily stunned. She checked the receipt, and her anger started to waver. Realizing her mistake, she was overcome with embarrassment.
Nick called the florist to confirm the mix-up, and it turned out that the flowers were meant for someone else down the street. Kate was mortified as the reality of her error sunk in. She had publicly accused her husband of cheating over a simple delivery mistake.
Kate apologized profusely, but Nick was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. He reminded her of the huge sign at the diner, which had already spread the misunderstanding throughout the town. Kate, realizing the full extent of her actions, promised to take it down and invited Nick to join her at the diner for dinner.
Later, when Nick arrived at the diner, the sign had been replaced with a new message: It’s Always A Good Time For Milkshakes, Now With Extra Apology Sprinkles! It was a lighthearted attempt to make things right, but the damage had already been done.
That night, Nick and Kate sat down to talk about everything. Kate apologized repeatedly, and while Nick accepted her apology, he made it clear how much her lack of trust had hurt him. It was a difficult conversation, but they both knew they needed to work through the pain if they wanted to save their marriage.
