The words dropped like knives onto the table. His friend and his wife froze, their forks suspended mid-air. Silence swallowed the room.

I felt my chest tighten, but I forced my lips into a smile. Don’t cry here. Don’t give him the satisfaction.

“What are you doing?” his friend snapped. “Your wife has a gorgeous figure!”

“So what? Can’t a man speak the truth anymore?” my husband sneered, leaning back in his chair. “She’s put on weight. It’s embarrassing to go out with her!”

“She’s a beautiful woman,” his friend’s wife said firmly.

“Beautiful?” he barked a laugh. “Have you ever seen her without makeup? It’s terrifying! Every morning I wake up wondering why I married her.”