“Come to my wedding with Claire and bring the girls. Your invitation includes a +1, but we both know you don’t have anyone.”

That was very Max. After thirteen years of marriage and two daughters, he left me for Claire, his personal trainer, because he said I no longer looked the way he wanted. “Men are visual,” he told me. “Claire is perfect.” His words stayed with me long after he left.

When Max announced his wedding, I decided to attend for our daughters. But seeing the +1 gave me an idea. I asked my coworker and close friend Edward to pretend to be my boyfriend. He was handsome, athletic, and exactly the kind of man Max would notice. Edward agreed, though his reaction suggested he had another reason.

At the wedding, Max stared when he saw us together. But instead of being impressed, he laughed. “Your boyfriend? No one would date you. Especially someone like him.” Then he asked whether I had paid Edward to come. My face burned, but Edward calmly told Max he had brought him a wedding gift.

Inside the box was an enormous pair of old trousers. Edward explained that they had once belonged to him when he was much heavier. Years earlier, he had refused birthday cake because he believed people like him didn’t deserve it. I had told him that my husband spoke about me the same way. That conversation had changed something in him.

Edward told Max that I never judged his body or told him he needed to change before he deserved happiness. “She didn’t fix me,” he said. “There was nothing wrong with me that needed fixing.”

Later, Edward admitted he had agreed to the fake relationship because he hoped I would realize I didn’t need to prove anything to Max. Then my daughter overheard Max’s cruel comment and asked why I had pretended Edward was my boyfriend. I finally told her the truth: I wanted her father to believe somebody wanted me. She hugged me and said, “But we wanted you here.”

That mattered more than anything.

As I left with my daughters, Max asked what would happen between Edward and me. I realized he still wanted my worth to depend on whether another man wanted me. I simply walked away.

In the car window, I saw my reflection. For once, I didn’t inspect my waist or wonder what Max would criticize. I just looked at myself. Then my youngest shouted, “Mom! Go!” I smiled, opened the door, and got in.