Richard waited impatiently for her explanation. Emma finally smiled and said, “I put the dog in our backyard. Let’s see how THEY like it!” Richard stared at her in complete disbelief. He couldn’t decide whether to laugh, panic, or ask whether she had seriously brought their neighbor’s dog into their garden. Before he could respond, another loud bark echoed through the night. Emma simply pulled the blankets over herself and declared that everything was now fair. Richard buried his face in his pillow, realizing that his wife had somehow made their situation even more complicated.

But Emma wasn’t finished. She explained that the dog had been wandering near their garden gate, and she had decided to let the neighbors experience the same disturbance they had endured. Richard immediately warned her that this could create a serious argument in the morning. Emma shrugged and turned off the bedside lamp. “Then perhaps they’ll finally understand why we’ve been complaining.” Unfortunately, neither of them realized that the following morning would bring a much bigger surprise than an angry neighbor.