One morning, you wake up to find a message from your darling husband carelessly taped to the refrigerator. It reads like a seemingly emotional letter, but it has a twist that will make you hurl up your coffee. That is exactly how our story begins, with a wife finding a letter from her husband. It says something like this: “You will definitely know, my lovely wife, that at 57, you are incapable of meeting all of my needs. You are a fantastic wife, and I am really pleased with you.”

“After reading this letter, I hope you don’t get the impression that I’ll be spending the evening at the Comfort Inn hotel with my 19-year-old secretary. I’ll be home by midnight, so don’t be offended.” Oh, the bravery! You won’t believe the counterpunch that our intelligent 57-year-old throws. As he walks home that evening, Mr. Smooth Operator is probably feeling quite good about himself. This time, he finds another note on the dining table, which reads:

“My loving spouse, I appreciate your openness about my age (57), and I received your mail. This is my chance to inform you that you are also fifty-seven years old.” “You are aware that I work as a math instructor at our local institution. As you read this, I’ll be at the Hotel Fiesta with one of my students, Michael, who is also the assistant tennis coach. He is nineteen years old, youthful, and gorgeous, much like your secretary.

The story becomes increasingly convoluted! Our funny and astute spouse adds, “You will see that we are in the same position as a successful businessman with outstanding arithmetic skills, with the exception that 19 goes into 57 more often than 57 goes into 19. I won’t be home until tomorrow as a result!” Mic snatch! Could we just take a moment to appreciate this mathematical clapback’s brilliance? If this beautiful story teaches us anything, it is to never underestimate a math teacher. The mental gymnastics required to design a scheme like this would make anyone’s head spin.