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?

At that moment I realized that my actions had affected not only her, but also him — the one I most wanted to make happy.

And the thought kept spinning in my head that perhaps I had gone too far, and the lesson had been too harsh.