I Brought a Coworker as My Date to My Ex’s Wedding, and One Comment From Him Wiped the Smile Off My Ex’s Face

He stopped.

He looked Edward up and down. Slowly. From his shoes to his face. Then back down again.

And then he burst out laughing.

Not a little laugh. A big, loud, booming laugh. The kind he used at parties when he wanted everybody to look at him.

It worked.

All around the tent, people turned to look. Conversations stopped. The string quartet was between songs. In the quiet, Max’s laugh rang out over everything.

All one hundred and fifty of their guests turned to look at us.

I stood there in my green dress with my face burning.

“Max,” I said. “Why are you laughing?”

Still laughing, he wiped his eyes.

“Him?” he said, pointing at Edward with his drink. “Your boyfriend? I’ll never believe that!”

He laughed again. A few of his friends at the nearest table laughed with him. Derek. Max’s college roommate. A couple of guys

from his office.

“No one would ever date you,” Max said, loud enough for the whole tent to hear. “Especially someone like him. Come on, Hannah. Look at him. Then look at you.” He took a sip of his drink. “What, did you pay him to come with you?”

The tent went dead silent.

I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

I actually felt sick. Like I was going to throw up right there on the white tent floor. My face was on fire. My hands were shaking. Everyone was staring. Max’s mother, Linda, was standing by the cake table with her hand over her mouth, but I could see she was smiling behind it.

And then I saw Ava.

She was standing six feet away. Holding June’s hand.

She’d heard every word.

She was looking at her father. And then she was looking at me. And

I saw something in her face that I’ll never forget as long as I live.

She was waiting to see what I would do.

She was waiting to find out if this is what happens. If this is just what women get. If a man says you’re not good enough in front of a hundred and fifty people, you just stand there and take it.

I opened my mouth.

Nothing came out.

But then Edward smiled.

It wasn’t a big smile. It was calm. Friendly, even. He looked at Max the way you’d look at a student who just said something wrong in class.

“Well, Max,” Edward said. His voice was easy. Pleasant. Loud enough to carry. “I brought you a gift. I’ll go get it for you.”

Max blinked.

“A gift?”

“It’s a wedding,” said Edward. “People bring gifts.” He squeezed my hand. “Back in five minutes.”

And he