At a party filled with my husband’s friends, I leaned in to kiss him while we were dancing. He pulled back, his mouth twisting into a smirk. “I’d rather kiss my dog than kiss you,” he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. Laughter broke out around us. Someone clapped. Someone else whistled. Caleb grinned, feeding off their reaction. “You don’t even meet my standards,” he added, even louder. “Stay away from me.” I smiled too—pretending the words didn’t hit like a punch to the chest. Pretending

At a party with my husband’s friends, I tried to kiss him while we danced. he pulled away and said, “I’d rather kiss my dog.” everyone laughed — until I smiled and replied. the next moment, the room went silent.... “Remember, just say you work at the hospital,” my husband, Caleb, coached me. “Don’t mention you run the cardiac unit. It makes people uncomfortable at parties.” He was rehearsing me again, scripting my responses to ensure I never outshone him. Five years ago, he’d bragged to everyone

At a party filled with my husband’s friends, I leaned in to kiss him while we were dancing. He pulled back, his mouth twisting into a smirk. “I’d rather kiss my dog than kiss you,” he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. Laughter broke out around us. Someone clapped. Someone else whistled. Caleb grinned, feeding off their reaction. “You don’t even meet my standards,” he added, even louder. “Stay away from me.” I smiled too—pretending the words didn’t hit like a punch to the chest. Pretending