Dating in your thirties is hard, but this time Irene was sure she had met \u201cthe one.\u201d Wanting to impress Michael, she decided to surprise him with his favorite dish, so she asked her friend to cook it for her. But this small lie would turn out to be a big mistake.\n

Irene lay sprawled across her bed, her fingers dancing over her phone screen, her heart fluttering with every message.\n

She hadn’t felt this way in years\u2014certainly not since high school, when the thrill of a crush had been the most exciting thing in her life.\n

Now, at thirty-two, she found herself giggling at her phone like a teenager. Michael, the charming man she’d recently started chatting with, had that effect on her.
\n
\nWhen his latest message popped up, her face lit up with a grin so big she could feel her cheeks hurting.\n

“I\u2019ve listened to it a million times. I love Christmas songs,” he had replied. Irene\u2019s fingers were quick to type back, and she couldn’t help but add a playful challenge.\n

“We have so much in common! Tell me, what’s your favorite dish?” she texted, already feeling her heartbeat speed up as she waited for his reply.\n

Moments later, his response came:\n

“Count to three, and let\u2019s type it at the same time \ud83d\ude0a.” Irene felt her excitement building. She counted down out loud, “One, two, three!” and hit send, typing her answer with a flourish: “Cherry pie!”\n

Her phone dinged with his response almost instantly. “Cherry pie, or anything without peanuts.”\n

Irene sat up, her mouth dropping open in delight.\n

“No way! Michael, isn\u2019t this fate? \ud83e\udd70 How about a cherry pie dinner tomorrow at seven?” She couldn’t believe she\u2019d typed it so confidently, hardly pausing to think.\n

“Agreed! I can\u2019t wait to try the pie you make!” he replied.\n

Her smile faltered, her excitement turning into a sudden wave of panic. She hadn\u2019t even considered that he would expect her to bake the pie herself. Baking? Her culinary skills were nearly non-existent.\n

She usually relied on microwavable meals and take-out, not desserts from scratch. What had she done?\n

Trying to calm her racing thoughts, Irene realized she couldn’t let him down. She didn’t want to ruin the magic of their conversation.\n

She needed a way out, and there was only one person she could think of who could save her: Vanessa, her best friend and a master in the kitchen.\n

Without wasting a second, she hit the call button.\n

\u201cHey, Vanessa!\u201d she blurted out as soon as her friend picked up.\n

\u201cI need a huge favor. You have to save me!\u201d
\n
\nVanessa\u2019s laughter crackled over the phone. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on, Irene?\u201d\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Michael! You remember the guy I told you about?\u201d\n

\u201cMichael? The one whose photo you showed me last week?\u201d Vanessa\u2019s voice shifted, sounding oddly tense.\n

Irene remembered the way Vanessa had gone pale when she saw his picture, but it had slipped her mind in the whirlwind of excitement.\n

\u201cYes! You looked so shocked when you saw his photo. You never told me why!\u201d\n

Vanessa paused briefly before replying, \u201cYeah, yeah, I remember. So, what\u2019s up?\u201d\n

Irene\u2019s nerves returned as she explained, \u201cI panicked and promised him a homemade cherry pie! But you know I can\u2019t bake! You\u2019re a great cook\u2014can you help me out?\u201d\n

There was a brief silence before Vanessa sighed dramatically.\n

\u201cBake a pie for you? Irene, I can\u2019t be your chef forever, you know.\u201d\n

\u201cJust this once! Please, Vanessa!\u201d Irene begged, her voice pleading.\n

\u201cFirst impressions matter! Once he falls for me, I swear, I\u2019ll handle the rest myself.\u201d\n

Vanessa let out another sigh, but Irene could sense her friend\u2019s resolve weakening. Finally, Vanessa relented.\n

\u201cAlright, alright, don\u2019t worry. I\u2019ll bring a pie to your place at five tomorrow.\u201d
\n
\nRelief washed over Irene, and she could barely contain her excitement.\n

\u201cThank you! You\u2019re a lifesaver!\u201d\n

“Yeah, yeah,” Vanessa replied with a hint of something unspoken in her voice, but Irene was too wrapped up in her plans to notice.\n

Around five o’clock, the doorbell rang, jolting her from her final round of straightening the cushions on the couch.\n

Heart pounding, she hurried to open the door, finding Vanessa on the other side, a glass pie dish in her hands.\n

The cherry pie inside was beautiful, its golden crust gleaming and tiny rivulets of red filling peeking through perfectly cut slits on top.\n

\u201cOh my gosh, thank you!\u201d Irene gasped, taking the dish carefully from her friend. \u201cYou saved my life!\u201d\n

But as she reached for the pie, Irene finally noticed that Vanessa looked\u2026 off. There was a strange tightness in her smile, a stiffness in her posture that she hadn\u2019t noticed when she\u2019d first opened the door.\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the best, Vanessa!\u201d Irene continued, trying to fill the awkward pause. \u201cIt looks amazing, really! Vanessa forced a smile, but her tone was curt, clipped.\n

\u201cEnjoy it,\u201d she said, already turning to leave without much of a goodbye.\n

Irene quickly brushed it aside, too focused on the evening ahead. Tonight was about Michael and making things perfect.
\n
\nAs evening settled in, Irene heard another knock at her door.\n

When she opened it, he stood there, a bouquet of flowers in hand, his smile warm and genuine.\n

\u201cMichael! You\u2019re finally here! I\u2019ve been so excited!\u201d Irene\u2019s face lit up, and she wrapped him in a quick hug.\n

Michael laughed, returning the embrace.\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been looking forward to this all day, Irene.\u201d
\n
\nShe led him inside, took his coat, and guided him to the kitchen. There, she gestured proudly to the cherry pie resting on the table.\n

\u201cWow!\u201d Michael\u2019s eyes widened as he leaned over the pie, taking in its delicious aroma. \u201cIt looks delicious and smells fantastic!\u201d\n

Irene felt a surge of relief and pride.\n

\u201cThank you! I really put in the effort!\u201d she replied, carefully sidestepping the whole truth.\n

They sat down, slicing into the pie and savoring each bite. Irene couldn\u2019t help but feel a sense of triumph as she watched Michael enjoy the dessert.\n

Each bite seemed perfect\u2014until suddenly, he began to cough.\n

\u201cMichael! What\u2019s wrong? Are you okay?\u201d Panic surged through her voice as she reached for him, trying to understand what was happening.\n

\u201cMedicine\u2026 in my coat\u2026 quick!\u201d he gasped, barely able to get the words out.
\n
\nHeart racing, Irene rushed to grab his coat, fumbling through the pockets until she found a small bottle.\n

She quickly read the label. It was a medication for allergy.\n

With shaky hands, she handed him the pills, watching anxiously as he took them, his breathing gradually calming, though his face remained red and swollen.\n

\u201cHold on, Michael,\u201d she whispered, a wave of guilt and worry crashing over her. \u201cThe ambulance is coming.\u201d
\n
\nAs the sirens wailed in the distance, Irene\u2019s mind spun. She remembered him mentioning his peanut allergy but was certain there couldn\u2019t have been any peanuts in the pie.\n

Could there?\n

As Michael climbed into the ambulance, Irene reached out, trying to hold his hand, but he pulled it away, his face unreadable.\n

The rejection stung, adding to the guilt and worry already weighing her down.
\n
\n\u201cMichael, I\u2019m so sorry,\u201d she managed, her voice barely a whisper. \u201cI never meant for this to happen!\u201d\n

He didn\u2019t respond, just looked away as the ambulance doors closed, leaving Irene standing alone, her heart pounding with worry\u2014and anger. She knew exactly who she needed to confront.\n

Without a second thought, she drove to Vanessa\u2019s house, the betrayal burning inside her.\n

\u201cVanessa! Open up!\u201d she shouted, her voice sharp with anger.\n

The door creaked open, revealing Vanessa, who stood there with a smug expression. Irene felt her stomach twist; this wasn\u2019t the friend she thought she knew.\n

\u201cWhat did you put in that pie?!\u201d Irene demanded, her voice trembling. \u201cMichael just left in an ambulance!\u201d\n

Vanessa\u2019s smile didn\u2019t falter.\n

\u201cServes you right for stealing someone else\u2019s man.\u201d\n

Irene\u2019s eyes widened in shock.\n

\u201cWhat? What are you talking about?\u201d\n

Vanessa crossed her arms, her gaze icy. \u201cMichael is my ex! Can you imagine how I felt when my own friend asked me to bake a pie to impress him?\u201d\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s why you looked so shocked when you saw his photo!\u201d\n

\u201cBut why would you do this? Do you really hate him that much?\u201d\n

Vanessa scoffed, shaking her head.\n

\u201cHate him? I still love him! But you, my so-called friend, thought you could just take him from me? Good luck explaining why you made him a pie that nearly killed him. He\u2019ll see how crazy other women are and come back to me.\u201d\n

With that, Vanessa slammed the door, leaving Irene standing there, tears pooling in her eyes. She felt lost and betrayed.\n

Trying to steady herself, she headed to the hospital, determined to make things right with Michael.\n

At the hospital, she felt her heart race as she approached the front desk.\n

She\u2019d already argued with two nurses who tried to keep her from seeing Michael, but she wasn\u2019t leaving until she spoke to him.\n

Finally, after much pleading, one nurse relented, sighing as she led her down the hallway.
\n
\nWhen she entered his room, her breath caught. Michael lay on the bed, his neck swollen and his face a mixture of sadness and irritation. He looked up, his gaze sharp.\n

\u201cMichael, I have to tell you the truth!\u201d Irene blurted, unable to hold back any longer.\n

Michael glanced at the nurse, then gave a slight nod, signaling her to leave them alone.\n

She hesitated but eventually stepped out, giving them privacy.\n

Irene took a deep breath. \u201cI didn\u2019t bake that pie. It was your ex-girlfriend, Vanessa. She wanted to make you hate me.\u201d\n

Michael\u2019s eyebrow shot up, his face hard to read.\n

\u201cThat\u2019s quite a story,\u201d he said, his tone skeptical. \u201cTook you a while to come up with it?\u201d\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the truth!\u201d Irene\u2019s voice wavered, her eyes filling with tears. \u201cI swear, Michael.\u201d\n

He crossed his arms. \u201cThen how did Vanessa\u2019s pie end up at your place?\u201d\n

Irene swallowed hard, feeling embarrassed.\n

\u201cI asked her to make it\u2026 because I can\u2019t bake. I wanted to impress you, and I thought\u2014\u201d She hesitated, feeling silly. \u201cI thought maybe it\u2019d help us connect. I didn\u2019t know she was your ex! She never told me.\u201d\n

Michael studied her face, his expression softening as he took in her genuine distress. Finally, a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.\n

\u201cThis is honestly the most unbelievable story I\u2019ve ever heard,\u201d he said, chuckling softly. \u201cBut you know what? It\u2019s so crazy, it might just be true.\u201d\n

Irene\u2019s shoulders relaxed as relief washed over her.\n

\u201cI know\u2026 I can\u2019t believe it myself.\u201d\n

Michael nodded. \u201cAlright, I believe you.\u201d\n

As the nurse returned, gently urging her to leave, Irene looked back at him, her voice hopeful.\n

\u201cSo\u2026 will I see you again?\u201d\n

Michael chuckled, shaking his head. \u201cJust tell me the truth next time, okay? I\u2019d prefer to avoid allergic reactions in the future.\u201d\n

\u201cThank you!\u201d Irene whispered, a grateful smile spreading across her face.\n

In that moment, Irene knew she\u2019d learned something important. Honesty really was the best policy.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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