I’m a 31-year-old man, and I’ve been with my wife, Lisa, since our college days. We are excitedly awaiting the arrival of our first child, as Lisa is now seven months pregnant.

Lisa has always had a witty sense of humor, often enjoying playing pranks on me. One of her favorite pastimes is trying to convince me of fake facts and stories, just to see if I’ll believe them. With her background in theater, she’s excellent at acting and making her tales believable. In the past, I was quite gullible and often fell for her tricks, but after being together for so long, I’ve become better at spotting her antics. That said, she’s still quite inventive and occasionally manages to catch me off guard with her jokes.

Today turned out to be quite a day. As soon as I reached home from work, I noticed Lisa was looking teary-eyed and anxious. Concerned, I immediately sat with her, trying to understand what was troubling her. It was hard to see her so distressed, and she seemed hesitant to talk about it, repeatedly stating how scared she was of the situation and worrying that I might leave her.

After I urged her multiple times to tell me what was wrong, she finally confessed, claiming she had an affair with her boss a few months ago and wasn’t certain if the baby was mine. Hearing this, my heart sank. This revelation left me reeling, and I was finding it hard to grapple with the shock of her words. I asked her if she was being serious, and she assured me she was, adding to my bewilderment and worry.

In a daze, I got up and started pacing around the room, trying to collect my thoughts. Just when I felt overwhelmed by the weight of what I had just heard, Lisa burst into laughter. She revealed it was all just a prank, leaving me stunned.

To say I was furious would be an understatement. I told her in no uncertain terms that joking about infidelity or questioning the paternity of our child was far from amusing. Lisa, however, seemed taken aback by my anger. She even expressed surprise that I believed this prank over some of the others she had attempted. Her laughter transitioned into tears as she questioned my trust in her, wondering why I believed she could cheat on me.

I countered her by asking how I could possibly trust her when she was capable of pulling such a heart-wrenching prank, complete with tears and keeping the act going despite my visible distress. Lisa maintained that it was a harmless joke, thinking I was making a mountain out of a molehill. She continued to question my trust, which only intensified my need for space.

Overwhelmed and needing time to process everything, I decided to temporarily distance myself. I went to a speakeasy for some respite and chose to stay away from the house for a while, even as Lisa tried to call me several times. Although I keep reminding myself it was just a prank, something about this particular joke went too far for me. The intensity of her tears and her insistence on the story until I bought it hit me hard, more so than any of her previous pranks.

Now, I’m left questioning whether I’m the one overreacting. A whirlwind of emotions and thoughts swirls in my mind as I contemplate my feelings. It’s tough because Lisa is heavily pregnant, and I am very aware of the need to avoid stressing her out unnecessarily. But right now, I feel I need some space to figure things out on my own terms.