As a kid, I once pretended to have a stomachache to skip school. I wasn’t a great liar, and my grandma, who was watching me that day, could tell something was off. Instead of calling my bluff, she calmly said, “Alright, if you’re too sick for school,
we’ll just go to the doctor and get you checked out.” I panicked a little but stuck to the act, thinking I’d just get a free day at home. Three hours later, I found myself being rushed to the emergency room. Turns out,
my “fake” stomachache was a case of acute appendicitis. The doctors said if I’d waited even a few more hours, my appendix would’ve burst — and things could’ve gone very badly. I hadn’t even felt that bad earlier,
just a mild ache that I exaggerated to get out of math class. In the strangest twist of fate, pretending to be sick ended up saving my life.