Every time the cashier totals their groceries, Jason's phone rings right on cue. "Oh, babe, I gotta take this!" And poof — he's gone, leaving Lauren to pay. But not this time. She's got a plan that’ll make Jason wish he'd just swiped his card instead.
My husband, Jason, is hardworking, funny, and remembers our anniversary without phone reminders. But he has this one habit that's been driving me absolutely insane.
A frustrated woman sitting in a car | Source: Midjourney
Every time we go grocery shopping together, my husband Jason suddenly gets a "very important work call" the second we hit checkout. Like clockwork. It's almost impressive how consistent it is.
"Oh, babe, I gotta take this," he says, leaving me alone with a full cart and a hefty total.
The first few times, I barely noticed. Marriage is about give and take, right?
A woman glancing over her shoulder in a grocery store | Source: Midjourney
But after the tenth consecutive call coinciding perfectly with checkout time, I started to see the pattern.
"Who was that?" I asked one day after he reappeared precisely when I was pushing our loaded cart toward the car.
"Oh, just work stuff," he said vaguely. "Thanks for handling checkout. I'll get it next time."
Spoiler alert: He never got it next time.
A couple in a grocery store parking lot | Source: Midjourney
Last Saturday was the final straw.
We needed to stock up on basically everything: cleaning supplies, food for the week, that fancy coffee he insisted on.
As we approached the checkout, I started counting down in my head. Three... two... one...
RING. RING.
A cell phone in a man's denim jean pocket | Source: Gemini
Jason's hand flew to his pocket so fast you'd think someone had shocked him.
"Jason…" I started, but he spoke right over me.
"Oh, babe, I gotta take this — it's work."
I watched him stroll to the store entrance, nodding along like he was handling some critical business negotiation. Meanwhile, I started unloading our mountain of groceries onto the belt.
Groceries in a shopping cart | Source: Pexels
The cashier, an older woman with kind eyes, glanced from me to Jason, and gave me the look — you know, the "girl, I see what he's doing" kind of look.
Was it that obvious? Had she been watching this pathetic routine play out week after week?
My face burned with embarrassment, but that quickly turned to outrage when I saw the $347.92 total.
A woman staring in surprise | Source: Midjourney
The cashier gave me a sympathetic smile as she handed me the receipt.
That night, I couldn't sleep.
The more I thought about Jason's behavior, the more my irritation turned into determination. Jason snored peacefully beside me, completely unaware of the gears turning in my head.
So, I came up with a brilliant plan to stop this once and for all.
A woman lying awake | Source: Midjourney
The night before our next shopping trip, while Jason was fast asleep, I grabbed his phone.
I wasn't interested in snooping. We trust each other, despite his checkout shenanigans. No, I had a different mission.
I navigated to his contacts and found my name.
A woman scrolling on a cell phone | Source: Pexels
With a few taps, I changed it to "Bank Fraud Department."
Then I set his phone back exactly where it had been. I crawled back into bed with a smile playing on my lips.
The trap was set, and Jason was soon going to learn a lesson he'd never forget!
A woman falling asleep with a smile | Source: Midjourney
The next morning, we went through our usual routine: Saturday morning lie-in, breakfast, then get ready for the weekly grocery shop.
We went through the store picking out essentials and some nice-to-have items like snacks, ice cream, and wholewheat pasta.
The cart filled up quickly, and soon we were heading toward the checkout.
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