“Amelia, be serious,” he said, his voice rising. “You can’t have a second husband. That’s not how things work!”

“Well, Jack, if you want to live in a ‘traditional’ way, then I guess I’ll embrace some traditions of my own,” I said with a shrug. “But let me be clear. You can’t have a second wife unless I get a second husband. That’s my rule. Take it or leave it.”

He stared at me with eyes wide open. I knew he wanted to scream at me, but even he knew he was the one being unreasonable.

Then, without another word, he turned to Claire. “Go home. We’ll figure this out later.”

Claire didn’t argue. She grabbed her purse and practically ran out the door without even saying goodbye to the man she thought would marry her.

That night, Jack tried everything to convince me I was being unreasonable. “You don’t mean this,” he said, pacing the living room. “You’re just trying to prove a point. Let’s talk about this like adults.”

“We are talking,” I said coolly. “I’ve made my position clear. If you want Claire, I want another husband. Fair’s fair, Jack.”

By morning, his tune had changed. He entered the kitchen with his gaze lowered.