Last winter, right when the cold set in, she'd complained that the jackets I bought were cheap brands that couldn't keep me warm. She'd thrown them all out without asking. The next day, she handed me a Canada Goose parka and told me that things were better now, that she'd never let me freeze again.
Lauren knew all of this perfectly well. She was doing it to humiliate me on purpose.
In that moment, regret hit me like a wall.
Regret for misjudging who she really was all those years ago.
One of the guests stepped in, trying to smooth things over. "Lauren, it's below zero out there. Laurence is barely wearing anything underneath. Without that coat, he'll freeze. It's supposed to be a happy occasion. Don't let it end on a sour note. Just swallow your pride and make up with your husband. There's no shame in that."
Lauren, of course, saw it differently.
Her lips twisted into a mocking smirk.
"We haven't even signed the papers. What kind of husband is he? I spoiled him too much, that's all. Now he thinks he can throw around words like 'break up' whenever he pleases. He should be grateful I'm not making him walk out naked."