I found a mysterious note in my husband Denton’s old coat. Its cryptic message—”This is between us. No one else can know.”—sent a chill through me. It included a phone number I didn’t recognize. I dialed it the next day, and a woman instructed me to come to a seaside mansion at 2 PM.

Arriving at the mansion, I was greeted by a poised woman who led me to a room filled with elegant decor. I showed her a picture of Denton, desperate for answers. She smiled cryptically and told me, “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Suddenly, the door burst open, and confetti rained down. Family, friends, even my kids, Dylan and Ella, rushed in, laughing and celebrating. Denton appeared, tuxedoed and holding a bouquet of roses. “Happy 10th anniversary, darling,” he said.

I stood there, stunned. Denton had orchestrated a surprise anniversary celebration, complete with a scavenger hunt and the mysterious note to throw me off. “I wanted to remind you of where it all began,” he explained, referencing our first summer by the sea.

Dylan and Ella giggled, revealing they’d been in on it. The woman, Rebecca, worked for an event company Denton had hired to make this day unforgettable. I laughed, feeling the weight of my doubts lift. “I can’t believe I doubted you,” I said, as Denton pulled me close.