Every time we went grocery shopping, like clockwork, my husband Jason would suddenly get a “super urgent work call” the moment we reached the checkout line.
“Babe, I gotta take this,” he’d say, casually walking off while I stood there with an overflowing cart and a total nearing $350.
The last time? $347.92.
Even the cashiers were onto him—giving me that “girl, really?” look.
I let it slide at first. But after months of being left holding the bag—literally—I’d had enough.
So I hatched a little plan.
The night before our next trip, while Jason snored away, I grabbed his phone.
No snooping—I wasn’t trying to dig into his messages. I was just preparing a little justice.
First, I blocked my number. Then I took it up a notch: I assigned a silent ringtone to every one of his contacts. That way, the next time he tried to fake a call? Silence.
The next day, we filled our cart as usual, and as we rolled up to the register, the performance began.
Jason pulled out his phone, held it to his ear, and said, “Oh, babe, I gotta take this. Big call. You’ve got this, right?”
But this time… no ring. No buzz. Nothing.
He froze.
I watched as he fumbled with his screen, tapped buttons, squinted. Still nothing.
I smiled. “Everything alright, sweetheart?”
He blinked. “Uh… yeah. My phone’s just… acting weird.”
“How awful,” I said, wide-eyed. “But hey, since there’s no call, you can stay and help pay, right?”
He looked like I’d asked him to donate a kidney. But with the cashier smirking and no escape route in sight, he slowly pulled out his wallet and paid the $289.74 total.
I almost felt bad. Almost.
Later that night, I confronted him.
“You really think I haven’t noticed?” I asked. “Every single time it’s your turn to pay, you ‘get a call’? You thought I wouldn’t catch on?”
He chuckled. “Come on, babe. It was just a joke. You’re better with money anyway.”
I folded my arms. “Jason, it’s not a joke. You’ve been doing this for months. Marriage isn’t about one person footing the bill while the other conveniently disappears.”
His smile faded. “You’re right. I didn’t realize how unfair I was being.”
I sighed. “It’s not about the money—it’s about feeling like we’re partners. I need to know you’re not just coasting.”
“I get it,” he said quietly. “No more disappearing. I’ll pull my weight.”
And to his credit? He did. The next trip, he paid. No calls, no drama.
Moral of the story: If someone keeps slipping out of responsibility, sometimes the best solution is to outsmart them—and give them a reality check.
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