My mother-in-law froze when she saw me. She gasped softly:
— What kind of outfit is that?!
I smiled calmly:
— Just as you said. Today John matters. Today is his day, not mine.

She raised her eyebrows slightly, clearly trying to understand:
— But… this is too much! I meant you shouldn’t be so eye-catching, not the brightest one, not… that you should put on a show!

— I understood, Mom — I replied gently. — Today the most important thing is that you see John is happy. You wanted him to be the center of attention? Then let it be so.

My husband looked at us in surprise, trying to understand who was at fault. I approached him, hugged him, kissed him on the cheek, and quietly said:
— Today everything is for you, my love.

My mother-in-law sank onto the chair, leaning on her hands. An awkward silence fell over the hall: my husband looked confused, the guests began whispering, and the festive atmosphere vanished.

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?

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.