John ended up in the spotlight, but not in a joyful way — he glanced embarrassedly between me and his mother, feeling uncomfortable.

Realizing this, my mother-in-law quietly stood up and left, as if she had realized that my prank had put her son in an awkward position. After the evening, my husband was clearly upset.

And doubts began to torment me: was it worth teaching my mother-in-law a lesson at the cost of my husband’s birthday?