“Come to my wedding with Claire and bring the girls. Your invitation includes a plus-one, but we both know you don’t have anyone.”That was Max, my ex-husband, in a single sentence. After thirteen years of marriage and two daughters, he had left me for Claire, his personal trainer, telling me I no longer looked the way he wanted. “Men are visual,” he had said. “Claire is perfect.” Those words stayed with me for months.

When his wedding invitation arrived, I decided to attend for my daughters. But that little plus-one invitation gave me an idea. I asked Edward, my handsome coworker and close friend, to pretend to be my boyfriend. He agreed almost immediately, though something in his smile made me wonder if he had another reason. I thought I was going to the wedding to prove Max wrong. I had no idea that one small decision would change the way I saw myself forever.