My Husband Invited 75 Guests To Stay In Our 2-bedroom Apartment For A Month. He Expected Me To Pay $12,000 For His Mother’s Birthday. So I Drained The Joint Account And Caught A Flight Out Of His Life.

The Bombshell Dinner and the Escape

Now in the early morning, sitting in the kitchen, she drank her tea and thought there was something suspicious about her husband’s behavior.

It was clear he was up to something, but he hadn’t dared to tell her yet. Hannah knew Liam well.

In eight years, she had learned all his habits. When he wanted to say something he knew she wouldn’t like at all, he acted exactly like this.

He would delay the moment, beat around the bush, try to create a favorable atmosphere. So today or tomorrow, he would drop another surprise on her.

Hannah was prepared. She finished her tea, rinsed the cup, and left it in the sink.

She got up and went to take a shower. The hot water washed away the last traces of sleep and tension.

In the shower she closed her eyes and under the stream of water she thought about the day ahead. A 10:00 a.m. client meeting, then a team meeting, and work on a new project.

A normal day. Half an hour later she was ready to leave.

Liam was still sleeping. He usually got up at 8:00.

He started work at 10:00 and his office was nearby. Hannah put on a smart pants suit, grabbed her laptop bag, and left the apartment.

She closed the door carefully so as not to wake her husband. It was cool outside.

It smelled of spring and damp earth. The sky was overcast and it looked like it might rain.

She turned up her coat collar, walked to the main road, and ordered an Uber with an app. She sat in the back seat.

The driver greeted her. She nodded and asked him to take her to the office.

The car pulled away. The workday passed as usual, busy.

The client meeting went long. They discussed the concept for a new advertising campaign.

The client was demanding and asked for half the presentation to be changed. Hannah argued, defending her point of view.

In the end, they reached a compromise. The team meeting was quick.

They divided up the week’s tasks and discussed deadlines. Then she worked on the new project.

She made charts, wrote copy, coordinated mock-ups with the designers. At lunchtime, she went to a cafe across the street.

She bought a Greek salad and a flat white and ate quickly while reading the news on her phone. She went back to the office and continued working.

The day flew by. At 6:00 p.m. she finished and prepared to go home.

She turned off her computer, put the papers in a drawer, grabbed her bag, said goodbye to her colleagues, and left.

It wasn’t raining, but the wind had picked up, blowing leaves across the pavement. She took out her phone to order an Uber and at that moment she received a message from Liam.

“I’ve made dinner. Come home soon,” it read.

Hannah was surprised. Liam had barely cooked in their entire married life, maybe three times at most.

This usually meant one of two things: either he was about to ask for something serious, or he wanted to apologize for something. She replied, “On my way. Be there in 20 minutes.”

She ordered the Uber and left. At home, it indeed smelled of food.

It wasn’t a complicated dish, but the effort was clear. On the stove top was a large pot of pasta with tomato sauce.

On the table, a prepackaged salad, sliced ham from the supermarket, and heated pesto from a jar. Liam had definitely made an effort.

He was wearing a clean shirt and was sitting at the table smiling. “You’re here, honey! Sit down. Let’s have dinner. I left work early today to surprise you,” he said.

Hannah greeted him, sat opposite, and put her bag on the floor. They began to eat.

Liam was unusually talkative. He told her about work, that they had started a new project with an important client, that his boss had praised him.

He joked and laughed. Hannah responded with monosyllables.

She listened, but inside she was tense. She felt that something important was coming.

This dinner was no coincidence. When they finished, Liam leaned back in his chair, took a deep breath, and rubbed his hands together like someone preparing for something important and said, “Hey, I’ve been thinking. It’s only 10 days until mom’s birthday. She’s put so much effort into preparing everything. It would be great if the party was truly special and unforgettable.”

Hannah nodded. “Yes, the restaurant is booked. The cake too. Everything will go well,” she said.

Liam, still smiling, continued. “You know, it’s been a long time since the family got together. The last time was at Uncle Barry’s wedding, and that was 7 years ago. We haven’t seen some of them for over 10 years and mom is really looking forward to seeing everyone. It’s her 60th, you understand?” he asked.

Hannah nodded again, guessing what was coming next. Her heart started beating a little faster.

Her instinct warned her that something big was about to drop. Liam took another deep breath, smiled even wider, and blurted it out almost in one rushed breath.

“75 guests are coming for my mom’s birthday and they’re all staying at our house for a month,” he said.

Hannah froze with her fork in her hand. For a few seconds, she just stared at her husband.

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was trying to process the words: 75 guests for a month in their two-bedroom, 70-square-meter apartment.

Liam was still smiling. He clearly expected her to clap with joy and say, “How wonderful!”

He must have imagined she would be thrilled with the idea. “What do you think?” he asked, not losing his smile.

“Isn’t it great?” he added.

“Mom has already planned everything in detail. Everyone’s coming, even Grandma who’s 85 but still full of beans. Uncle Barry’s family, four people; Auntie Carol and her husband, two; cousin Mark’s family, five; cousin Sophie’s family, the cousins and distant relatives I don’t even know. Mom’s friends, her relatives, colleagues from the school where she worked, and the neighbors from Napier. Mom gets on with everyone on her street. Anyway, a whole crowd of people,” he spoke breathlessly, gesticulating.

“We’re going to celebrate in a big way. Mom has already prepared a detailed schedule for the whole month. First day, the official party at the restaurant. Speeches, congratulations, dancing. Second day, a tour of Auckland. Mom wants to show everyone the city, the Sky Tower, the waterfront. Third day, an outdoor picnic in Cornwall Park with a barbecue. Fourth day, to the theater. Mom has already chosen a ballet performance. Fifth day, a visit to a museum. She wants to show them the Auckland Museum. Sixth day, a trip to the Waitakere Ranges. A friend of hers lives there, and so on for the whole month. Something new and interesting every day. It will be unforgettable,” he said.

Hannah continued to look at him in silence. Inside she felt not anger, but an icy calm that was taking over.