Have you heard the one about the wealthy man, his secret affair, and the postcard that revealed everything? It’s a legendary joke that perfectly captures the moment a clever plan goes completely off the rails. Here’s how it goes: A wealthy married man was having an affair with an Italian woman. When she told him she was pregnant, he panicked. To keep his wife from finding out, he made a deal. He paid her a large amount of money to have the baby back in Italy, promising to send child support for the next 18 years. But they needed a way for her to tell him the baby was born without anyone else knowing.
So, he came up with what he thought was a genius secret code. “Just send me a postcard,” he said. “And on the back, all you have to write is ‘Spaghetti.’ That will be our signal.” She agreed and left. Months later, the man was at home when his wife handed him a postcard from Italy with a confused look. Trying to act casual, he took it, but his cool instantly vanished. He read the message and fainted right on the spot. Why? Because the postcard didn’t just say “Spaghetti.” It said: “Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. One without meatballs, two with them. Please send more sauce.” Instead of one secret baby, he was now on the hook for triplets! The moral of the story? Be careful what you wish for, and maybe don’t use food-based code words.
