A few weeks after getting married, my wife found a napkin in my pocket with what looked like lipstick on it. She was certain it wasn’t her shade, and despite my repeated explanations, I had no idea how the stain got there. To her, it looked like undeniable proof that I had been unfaithful.

For months, the mysterious napkin became a source of arguments and suspicion. I insisted I had never cheated, but without an explanation for the stain, it was difficult to convince her. The “evidence” lingered in our relationship long after the napkin was gone.

One day, while eating a sandwich and drinking a red Gatorade, I wiped my mouth with a napkin and noticed the exact same reddish mark. Suddenly, everything made sense—the stain that had caused so much trouble wasn’t lipstick at all, but the sports drink.

Now, 26 years later, our marriage is stronger than ever, and we often laugh about the misunderstanding. Still, whenever I bring up the story, I can’t help feeling that a small part of my wife isn’t completely convinced that the mystery was solved.