On my 50th birthday, my husband Tom gave me a vacuum cleaner as a gift, which left me feeling humiliated. I had been excited for a special surprise, but instead, he presented a household item with no thought of what I actually wanted.
It was a sharp contrast to the elaborate gift I had given him on his last birthday. Disappointed, I decided to take matters into my own hands and booked a solo trip to Rome, leaving a note for Tom about how the vacuum would keep him busy.