The roar of the airplane engines faded into the background as I stepped off the plane, two tired toddlers clinging to my legs. I scanned the crowd, expecting to see Tom, my husband, his familiar smile a welcome sight after a long flight. But he wasn’t there.
I called him, my heart sinking with each unanswered ring. Finally, he picked up, his voice casual, almost breezy. “Hey, honey! How was the flight?”
“Where are you?” I asked, my voice tight. “You were supposed to pick us up.”
“Oh, right!” he said, a hint of sheepishness in his tone. “Mike called. He’s in town, and we decided to grab a drink. Just for a few hours. You can manage, right?”
“Manage?” I repeated, my voice rising. “Tom, I have two toddlers, a stroller, and three heavy suitcases. I can’t ‘just manage’!”
“Come on, it’s just for a few hours. You can manage,” he replied again, dismissing my concerns with a wave of his voice.
I hung up, my anger a burning ember in my chest. He had abandoned me, his family, for a few hours of drinks with a friend. I felt a surge of resentment, a feeling that had been simmering for years, now boiling over.
The next few hours were a blur of chaos. I struggled to wrangle the kids, their tired whines echoing through the airport. I wrestled the stroller, a monstrous contraption designed to fold with the dexterity of a Rubik’s Cube, and lugged the suitcases, each one a testament to the sheer volume of “essential” items toddlers require.
By the time I finally made it home, I was exhausted, my body aching, my patience frayed. But as I collapsed onto the couch, a plan began to form in my mind. Tom had underestimated me. He had assumed I would simply accept his dismissive attitude, his blatant disregard for my time and effort. He was wrong.
The next day, I woke up with a renewed sense of purpose. I packed a small bag, kissed the kids goodbye, and left a note on the kitchen table.
“Gone to visit a friend. Will be back when I feel like it. You can manage, right?”
I drove to a nearby spa, a place I had always wanted to visit but never had the time or money for. I spent the day indulging in massages, facials, and manicures, reveling in the quiet solitude.
I turned off my phone, ignoring the barrage of calls and texts from Tom. I wanted him to experience what I had experienced: the feeling of being abandoned, of being taken for granted.
The next day, I went shopping, buying myself a new outfit, a pair of designer shoes, and a luxurious handbag. I spent the evening at a fancy restaurant, savoring a delicious meal and a glass of wine.
I returned home late that night, to find Tom pacing the living room, his face etched with worry. The kids were asleep, the house a mess.
“Where have you been?” he demanded, his voice laced with anxiety.
“Out,” I replied, my voice cool.
“Out? All day? All night?”
“Yes,” I said, “I needed some time to myself.”
“But… but the kids,” he stammered. “I didn’t know what to do.”
“You managed,” I said, a hint of sarcasm in my voice.
He looked at me, his eyes filled with confusion and a dawning realization. “You… you did this on purpose.”
“Yes, Tom,” I said, “I did. I wanted you to understand what it feels like to be left alone, to be taken for granted.”
He looked down at his feet, shamefaced. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t think…”
“That’s the problem, Tom,” I said, my voice soft but firm. “You didn’t think. You assumed I would always be there, always manage, no matter what.”
He nodded, his eyes filled with remorse. “I understand,” he said. “I won’t do it again.”
I looked at him, searching his eyes for sincerity. I saw genuine regret, a flicker of understanding.
“Good,” I said. “Because I won’t tolerate it again.”
From that day on, Tom was a changed man. He became more attentive, more considerate, more appreciative of my time and effort. He learned that partnership meant sharing the load, not dumping it all on one person.
And I learned that sometimes, a little bit of payback can go a long way in teaching a valuable lesson.
4 times Taylor Swift went makeup-free and looked flawless
Swifties, her devoted fan group, are well-known for her gorgeous makeup appearances in addition to her musical prowess and amorous exploits. Ever before her breakout single “Tim McGraw” reached the top of the Billboard charts in 2006, the singer has dabbled in a range of cosmetic appearances. In addition to lengthy lashes, Swift has also dabbled in pink tones, blue eyeliner, dark, smokey eyes, and cat eyes that are “sharp enough to kill a man.” Not to mention how flawlessly she’s worn every red lipstick. Have you ever pondered, though, how Taylor Swift looked by herself?
The star has openly admitted to have the reasonable but unwanted tendency of forgetting to remove her makeup, despite her appearing flawless beauty. In 2011, Swift told Allure, “I don’t always remember to remove my makeup. Alright, pretty much all the time.” The pop queen, though, appears just as stunning without makeup as she does when taking the stage at her sold-out gigs and appearing on TV.
paired with a grin
On January 22, 2019, Taylor Swift shared a carefree selfie wearing a denim jacket, lovely dirty blonde hair brushed to the side, and minimal makeup. She put a smile next to her “Cats” character, Bombalurina, with the proper hashtag, “Meow,” in the caption of the picture. Even without makeup, the celebrity had gorgeous eyes, full lips, and clear skin. With raised eyebrows and a slightly menacing appearance, this selfie radiates a dynamic feeling, which is enhanced by the absence of cosmetics.
Still, what can we say? You really are lovely.
On October 24, 2022, Taylor Swift demonstrated that makeup is not required to take a depressing photo, especially when she was announcing the release of her most current album. The musician, dressed in fairytale-inspired clothing, looked stunning without makeup, gazing off into the distance with her hair styled in a braided bun. The ad image’s description went on, “Midnight, such a famous and storied hour… This sparkling evening, I’ll be offering my personal interpretation of a well-known fable. Given the success of her “Midnights” album, this picture not only demonstrated Swift’s natural beauty but also her inner and outer brilliance.
True Swifties all know that Taylor Swift loves to look nice in sweaters, or should we say, cardigans. On October 24, 2018, the artist disclosed her love for turtlenecks—possibly more than her taste in makeup. The music diva flaunted her famous blond bangs and gorgeous blue eyes in a photo she took while sporting a black, form-fitting turtleneck. The post’s description joked, “Here we can observe an Australian swiftlet in her natural habitat, a turtleneck.” The subsequent images in the post showcase Swift experimenting in a natural Australian location, contributing to the grounded and organic vibe of the selfie.
Never go out of style
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, almost all active social media users posted at least one picture of themselves taken at home without makeup and captioned it with something about how bored they were. Following the trend, Taylor Swift shared a stunning makeup-free selfie on Instagram on April 27, 2020. She added, “Not a lot going on at the moment,” as the caption for the photo, her characteristic blond curls hanging just over her clavicle as she looked straight into the camera. Swift’s caption discussed the lockdown experience, but what really caught viewers off guard—or not—was how beautifully makeup-free Swift appeared.
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