The next day, Desmond had come back from work and was flipping through the channels on TV when Daniella, who was busy on her phone, suddenly spoke up.

"Honey, I need to talk to you about something important," Daniella said, and Desmond glanced up from the remote control, his brow furrowing slightly. "What is that?"

"My close friend, Julie, is hosting a birthday party tomorrow, and she really wants me to be there." Daniella explained. "It's going to be a big celebration, and I ...