For many years, my husband mocked my plump figure. I often resorted to food to cope with our difficult marriage. Once, his jokes went too far — he compared me to a slim, beautiful woman in front of everyone. At that moment, I decided to take control of my life. Soon, I shocked my husband and left him speechless. For the past few years, I have been struggling with my weight. No matter what I did, the extra pounds stuck to me like a second skin.
I had always dreamed of becoming a skilled pastry chef. The kitchen was my refuge, my escape from reality. I spent countless hours there, perfecting my desserts and creating art from flour and sugar. But, of course, tasting everything was part of the job, right? The more I baked, the more I ate, and soon the weight started to pile on faster than I could have imagined. Every time I looked in the mirror, I felt like I was looking at a stranger. And my husband, Bryce…
‘Maybe if you spent more time at the gym and less time in the kitchen, you’d look better in that dress,’ he would say with a smirk.
Those words cut deep. I heard him giggling on the phone with his mates, making fun of my weight, thinking I couldn’t hear. But I always heard. And it hurt. There was a time when I was always by Bryce’s side, his perfect, supportive wife. I attended all his work events with a smile on my face and a sparkle in my eyes. But as the pounds piled on, my confidence plummeted. I stopped accompanying him.
I became a shadow of the woman I used to be, hiding in the kitchen while Bryce continued to live his life without me. “Is this all there is? Is this all I’m supposed to be? I was lost, drowning in a sea of self-doubt and loneliness, with no lifeline in sight. One day, I had to attend an important event. It was the first event where I was acting as a chef. My desserts were supposed to be the centre of attention, the highlight of the evening. I had been dreaming about this moment for several months.
Bryce was also at the party, which was hosted by his business partner Rowan. When we arrived at the party, I felt my palms tingle as I smoothed my dress for the hundredth time. But as soon as we walked in, I noticed that Bryce’s attention kept shifting from me to a slender, attractive woman on the other side of the room. Her name was Eliza, and she seemed to charm everyone with just a smile. I noticed Bryce lingering on her. ‘That’s how a woman should look in a dress,’ Bryce said, nodding towards Eliza, his voice full of admiration.
Then, glancing at me, he added, ‘Maybe you should ask her for some advice, sweetheart?’ Those words hurt deeply. With each passing moment, I felt my confidence crumble. As the evening wore on, Bryce found every excuse to be near Eliza — laughing at her jokes, complimenting her on everything — while I stood in the background, feeling more invisible than ever. I wanted to melt into the walls and become part of the wallpaper, so I hid in the corner of the room. That’s when I met Rowan. He was standing in the same corner, seemingly unnoticed by the crowd. But unlike me, he looked at me with a warm gaze. When he spoke, it was with a gentle humour that immediately put me at ease.
‘Not too many people, huh?’ ‘Not really. I think I’m more comfortable behind the scenes.’ ‘Well, you’ve really outdone yourself today,’ said Rowan, glancing at the dessert table. ‘Did you make all this?’ ‘Yes. This is my first time organising an event like this.’ ‘Your first time?’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘You could have fooled me. These are exquisite dishes.’ His words lifted the weight I had been carrying all night. Rowan didn’t seem to notice my flaws; instead, he saw me. We started talking, and somehow the topic of my love of baking came up. Rowan listened with genuine interest.
Then something unexpected happened. Rowan told me about his bakery and suggested I try to win the tender to develop a dessert menu for his restaurant. My heart leapt at the opportunity, but before I could answer, Bryce appeared out of nowhere. ‘Well, if it isn’t the star of the show,’ Bryce said, his voice loud and cocky. He turned to Rowan. “Thanks for the invitation, but we have to get home. We still have to drop Elise off, you know how it is.‘ ’By the way, Rowan,‘ Bryce smiled, a smug grin appearing on his face, ’you should hire Elise for your team. She has a real talent for cooking. We had a great chat.” I could hardly believe what I was hearing. My own husband was recommending a woman he had just met, completely dismissing everything I had worked so hard for.
I forced myself to smile, even though my voice was shaking: ‘Thanks for talking to me, Rowan. I really appreciate it.’ Rowan nodded, but didn’t say anything else. As soon as we got home, I couldn’t hold back any longer.
‘Bryce, how could you do that? How could you propose to Elise, of all people, to Rowan? What about me? Don’t you think I’m capable?’ Bryce shrugged, not even looking at me as he loosened his tie.