A Free Vacation Sounded Amazing Until I Found Out My Ex-Husband Was Coming Too — Story of the Day

A free vacation with a stranger sounded too good to be true—but the email didn’t ask for credit card details, or even personal information: just a ticket, a hotel, and a mystery companion. Intrigued, I boarded the plane, only to find out my “stranger” was someone I never wanted to see again.

It was a typical Friday evening, but my body felt like it had gone through a whole week’s worth of exhaustion.

I had barely kicked off my shoes before collapsing onto my sister Deborah’s couch, one arm draped over my face, the other lazily scrolling through my inbox on my laptop.

Across the room, Deborah was in her own world. She paraded around in front of the mirror, changing into outfit after outfit, twirling, striking poses like she was on a runway.

The crinkling of shopping bags and the rustle of fabric filled the air as she excitedly switched between clothes she had just bought.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

She did a quick spin and looked at me expectantly. “What do you think?”

I barely glanced up, giving her dress a lazy once-over before smirking. “Nice, Deb. But I don’t get why you need so many clothes.”

Deborah scoffed, hands on her hips. “Of course, you don’t. You weren’t the one stuck wearing hand-me-downs your entire childhood.”

She dramatically flipped her hair. “Consider this my therapy. I’m healing, Charlie.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

I shook my head. “Whatever you say…” My attention drifted back to my laptop, aimlessly clicking through emails.

Mostly junk. Bills. Newsletters I forgot to unsubscribe from.

Then, something made me pause.

I sat up straight, my eyes narrowing at the subject line of an email I didn’t remember signing up for.

“Congratulations! You’ve won a free two-day vacation with a mystery travel companion!”

Before I could process it, Deborah’s voice interrupted.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

“How about this one?” she asked, stepping into another dress.

I didn’t answer.

Silence stretched for a moment.

“Charlie?” She turned, raising an eyebrow. “Are you even listening?”

I snapped out of it. “Huh? Sorry, I just got some weird email…” I frowned, rereading it.

“It says I won a free two-day vacation with a stranger. Definitely a scam.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Deborah’s jaw dropped. “What!? A free trip? Let me guess—do they need your credit card info or social security number?”

“That’s the thing… they don’t.” I scrolled through the email again, expecting a scammer’s red flag.

“No banking details, no suspicious links. Just a confirmation with my name, flight itinerary, and a hotel reservation.”

Deborah practically lunged across the couch, leaning over my shoulder. “Let me see.”

I tilted my screen toward her. She scanned the email, her expression shifting from skepticism to shock.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

“No way… Charlie, this looks legit! There’s an actual reservation—flights, hotel, even travel insurance. It’s all here.”

I shook my head. “No, there’s got to be a catch. No one just hands out free vacations.”

Deborah’s eyes darted across the screen, clicking on links, cross-checking details. Finally, she leaned back, arms crossed.

“I can’t find anything suspicious.” She turned to me with a huge grin. “Charlie, you actually won this trip. Congrats, sis.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

I chewed my lip, unsure whether to feel excited or terrified.

“I can’t just go on a trip with some random person.”

Deborah waved a hand dismissively. “Why not? It’s free. And maybe, just maybe, this ‘stranger’ is a hot guy who’ll finally end your dry spell.”

I shot her a glare. “Deborah! I like being single, okay? That’s my choice.”

She smirked. “Sure… I’ve heard that after every ‘seasonal fling’ since your divorce.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

I grabbed a pillow and threw it at her head.

She dodged, laughing. “Hey! Just saying. Maybe it’s fate.”

Fate or not, something about this whole thing felt strange.

And yet, a small part of me wondered…

What if?

The next day, I stood at the airport terminal, gripping my suitcase so tightly my knuckles turned white. The ticket in my hand felt heavier than it should.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

I still couldn’t believe Deborah had convinced me to go.

This was completely insane.

Some strangers had sent me free tickets for a contest I didn’t even remember entering. And somehow, I had agreed to spend two days traveling with a mystery person.

The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed.

I exhaled sharply and turned toward the exit.

What am I doing?

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Every logical part of my brain screamed to leave before it was too late.

I swallowed, staring at the automatic doors. I’ve always been cautious. Always taken the safest route.

I can’t keep running from new experiences.

I let out a slow breath, forcing myself to turn around.

Business class felt surreal. The soft leather seats, the spacious legroom, the complimentary drinks—this was a world I had never stepped into before.

But none of it mattered.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

My focus was on the people boarding, scanning faces, wondering who my seatmate would be.

Would they be talkative? Annoying? Would we have anything in common?

Then, I reached my seat.

A man was already there, hunched forward, scrolling on his phone.

I took a hesitant step forward.

He turned slightly.

My stomach dropped.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

“…Luther?” My voice barely escaped my lips.

His head snapped up, eyes widening. The same piercing gaze I had once loved. The same face I had tried to forget.

“Charlotte?” He blinked. “What the hell are you doing here?”

I exhaled sharply, my heart slamming against my ribs. “Please don’t tell me you also got these tickets.”

Luther ran a hand through his hair, still looking as confused as I felt.

“…Through some contest email? Yeah. You too?”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

I groaned, every fiber of my being screaming at me to leave.

“Oh no. No, no, no. This is too much. I’m leaving.” I spun on my heel, ready to march straight off the plane.

But before I could take a step, a gentle but firm hand landed on my shoulder.

I turned to find a flight attendant offering a polite but unshakable smile.

“The plane is preparing for takeoff, ma’am. Please remain seated.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could, Luther spoke first.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

He turned to the attendant with that same damn charming smile I had seen a million times before.

“It’s okay, everything’s fine.” Then he reached for my hand, squeezing it lightly—just like he used to when he wanted me to calm down.

My body remembered before my mind did.

For a second, just a single second, my breath caught.

Then, I ripped my hand away.

No. Not again.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

“Charlotte, our marriage ended years ago,” Luther said, his voice softer now. “Please don’t ruin your free trip just because of me. I promise, I won’t bother you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “If I had a dollar for every time I heard that from you…”

Luther smirked. “Then you’d be rich. But seriously, let’s just coexist for two days.”

I hesitated, my entire body itching to refuse.

But what was I supposed to do?

The plane was boarding, and I wasn’t about to miss my first-ever business class flight just because of Luther.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

With a long, frustrated sigh, I dropped into my seat.

“Fine. Just don’t ruin this trip for me.”

Luther leaned back, grinning. “Only your best years of youth.”

I turned toward the window, ignoring him.

I never expected to see Luther again. And honestly? I had hoped I never would.

The moment we stepped into the oceanfront hotel, I felt my breath catch.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

The grand entrance, the towering glass windows reflecting the sea, the marble floors that seemed to stretch endlessly—everything about the place screamed luxury.

For the first time since this ridiculous trip started, I was almost glad I came.

And then Luther stepped up beside me.

“Nice place, huh?” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets.

I forced a tight smile. “Yeah. Not bad.”

“Reminds me of the hall where we had our wedding. Same décor.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

My stomach twisted. My jaw clenched.

“Oh, so now you’re reminiscing about our wedding?” I snapped. My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care.

Luther’s easygoing expression faltered. “Charlotte, let’s not—”

“No, let’s.” I folded my arms, my heart pounding with anger. “You suddenly want to relive the past? Let’s talk about how you destroyed everything.”

A muscle in his jaw tightened. He sighed, shaking his head before grabbing our bags and walking toward the elevator.

“Can we not do this in the lobby?” he muttered.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

I should’ve let it go. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.

But years of hurt, betrayal, and anger had been buried inside me for far too long.

And now?

I wasn’t about to let him walk away from it.

The moment we stepped into the hotel room, the door barely clicked shut before the words exploded out of me.

“Afraid someone will hear about what you did?”

Luther stiffened. He turned, facing me, his eyes shadowed with something I didn’t recognize.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

“Charlotte, please—”

“Don’t call me that!” My voice cracked. “You cheated on me, Luther!”

A heavy silence fell between us.

Luther ran a hand through his hair, exhaling like he was bracing himself for something painful.

For the first time since seeing him again, he actually looked ashamed.

“I know.” His voice was quiet. “And I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.”

A bitter laugh escaped me.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

“Well, congrats. You did. And I don’t care about your apology, or your excuses.” I stepped back, my voice turning cold. “You don’t get to ruin any more of my life. You hear me?”

I stormed across the room, grabbing one of the beds and dragging it to the opposite side.

“For the next two days, don’t talk to me. Don’t even look at me.”

Then I slammed the bathroom door behind me.

The first day flew by. I spent it by the pool, avoiding Luther at all costs.

But something nagged at me.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

He hadn’t left the room.

That night, when I returned, I heard coughing from the bathroom. Deep, dry, painful.

A tissue lay on the floor. It was stained with blood.

I froze.

Then the bathroom door opened, and Luther stepped out.

I stared at him. “What stage?”

His eyes softened. “Stage four.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

I swallowed hard. “When did you find out?”

“Six months ago.” He sighed. “It’s strange, living when you know you’re dying.”

I bit my lip. “I’m sorry.”

“This trip… it wasn’t a contest. I arranged everything,” he admitted.

My heart stopped.

“Why?”

“Because I needed to see you one last time,” he said. “To say I’m sorry. And to tell you… I never stopped loving you.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney

Tears blurred my vision.

“Is it too late?” I whispered.

Luther smiled sadly. “For me, yes. But for you? You have your whole life ahead of you, Charlotte. And I hope it’s a beautiful one.”

I squeezed his hand.

“Thank you, Luther.”

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13 Simple Tips of How to Spot Poor Quality Shoes Right On

Ideally, a new pair of shoes should be comfortable and fashionable. However, you may find a lot of options in footwear shops that meet these 2 criteria, but at the same time their quality is so bad that they won’t last long. We decided to find out what things you should pay attention to in order to choose a really high-quality pair.

Check the shoes for smudges and glue marks.

Manufacturers often use glue to stick together different parts of the shoe. If the glue is of high quality and the work is done properly, the pair will last a long time. However, small glue drips in the spots where parts meet or traces of glue on the surface indicate that you are looking at low-quality shoes and that there were issues during production.

When a part of the shoe, its sole or insole, comes off a bit, it means the shoemaker probably used bad or expired glue, and this pair will fall apart quickly.

Examine whether the pair is symmetrical.

Quality shoes in a pair should be symmetrical, and any differences between the right and left shoes most likely indicate a defect. To check this, you need to put the soles of both shoes together and see if they match in length and width.

It’s also worth putting the pair on the floor to understand whether the height and outline of the upper edge of the heel are symmetrical. If the soles are painted in different colors, check whether the paint is within the borders of the sole and whether the pattern matches. Gross irregularities in symmetry indicate that the manufacturer didn’t pay much attention to quality.

Check the seams carefully.

Any uneven or diverging seams make shoes look not that good. This happens if the manufacturer used too thin threads or the work was done poorly. As a result, such a pair will fall apart much faster. It’s also necessary to check the uniformity of stitches and the evenness of the seam itself.

If its line is curved or zigzag-looking, this means that the shoes you’re looking at are of poor quality and will lose their appearance in a couple of months. And zigzag-looking stitch is often used to hide the imperfections of the stitching.

Examine the heels.

The heel must be firmly attached to the sole and not wobble. It’s necessary to look at the shoes from the side. In good quality pumps, the high heels are positioned exactly under the center of the heel and touch the ground at a slight incline.

It’s worth looking carefully at the heels from behind – any deviation of the heels from the angle of 90⁰ indicates a defective product. Moreover, these shoes are simply dangerous to wear – this may lead to ankle injuries.

Loose eyelets are a bad sign.

Any metal or plastic parts on the shoe (especially those that come into contact with the skin) should be tightly fastened. Thus, it’s worth carefully examining the eyelets for laces. Although this defect is quite rare, it can lead to wearer’s injury.

You should also check how well any embellishments are attached to the shoe. If they fall off at one point, the pair won’t look good anymore.

Carefully inspect the inside of the shoe.

Some manufacturers save on the training of workers and don’t calibrate equipment before the production of a new product line. As a result, shoes, boots and sneakers may have seemingly insignificant defects such as wrinkles and creases. If these defects are small, they won’t cause much trouble to the wearer. But large creases can rub the skin while walking, which will lead to abrasions and blisters on the feet.

Examine the insoles.

Even if a shoe looks perfect from the outside, you need to scrutinize it from the inside too. If the insoles show small wrinkles and creases, this pair is likely to be uncomfortable to wear. In addition, you should carefully feel the insoles to make sure that there are no bubbles on them.

Another important thing is that there must be cushioning between the insole and the sole, especially in the toe and heel area. Otherwise, a long walk in these shoes will make not only your feet and legs sore, but also your back.

Check how the shoes smell.

Low-quality and cheap shoes often have a strong chemical odor. It’s best to refrain from buying this pair. But if shoes or boots exude the scent of leather, polish or wood, you’ve found the shoes of high quality.

Take a photo of the shoes.

Of course, shoes made of synthetic materials can also be of high quality, especially when it comes to sports models. But good shoes should ideally be made of leather. They are softer and fit better on the foot, which means they will be much more comfortable to wear.

However, the quality of leather also varies. Often, manufacturers don’t mention the type of leather they use to make shoes in order to keep costs down. To determine the quality of the product you are holding in your hands, you need to take a photo of the shoes and enlarge the image. If you can see pores on the leather, you can safely buy the shoes.

Bend the shoe a little bit.

You don’t need to knead your shoes too much, but you can bend the shoe slightly to see how flexible the sole is and whether it remains attached to the upper part when moved. In addition, it’s worth pressing the sides of the shoe a little bit. Throughout the day, our feet usually increase in size a little, so a quality pair should adapt to these changes.

Check how your shoes sound.

Most shoe shops have soft carpeting on the floor, so it’s a good idea to take a short walk on a harder surface before making a purchase. If the soles and heels make unpleasant clanking noises when you walk, you are likely to be wearing a low-quality pair. And platform or wedge shoes shouldn’t sound like there are voids inside the sole.

Examine the material of the sole and heel carefully.

Usually the sole of a really good quality pair is made of leather or good rubber. These shoes are comfortable to wear, and in addition, they almost don’t slip. At the same time, if the base of the sole is uneven, then these shoes will be uncomfortable.

In addition, it’s worth examining the material from which the heels are made. If the manufacturer used plastic or didn’t cover the heel with leather or fabric, then you are looking at a cheap product that is far from being perfect.

Rub the shoes with a cloth.

Sometimes manufacturers use poor quality leather dyes, which can leave marks on the skin or clothes. Therefore, before buying, you should carefully rub the shoes inside and outside, first with a dry cloth and then with a damp cloth. If there are no marks on the fabric, the shoes are okay.

And here’s a list of fashionable shoes that are not as cool as they look.

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