Dating Wayne was one thing. Being married to him was another thing altogether.

Up until a year ago, I thought I had married the love of my life. Wayne and I met just as he had gotten out of a particularly toxic relationship.

“Are you sure you’re ready for me?” I asked.

“Yes, of course, Jane,” he said. “Nicole is a part of the past now. I’m ready to move on and settle down and just be happy, you know?”

At first, I was worried about being a rebound—it happened more often than not. But I also figured that I had nothing to lose.

We were together for almost two years when Wayne proposed to me.

“Let’s make it forever, Jane,” he said.

Of course, I said yes. In the time we had been together, Wayne had shown me that I was more than just a rebound.

We had just returned from a dreamy honeymoon, filled with laughter, affection, and promises of a future together. Life seemed perfect, but the façade shattered one ordinary day.

I was about to take our dog, Bolt, for a walk, when I saw that Wayne was chatting with his friends on a video call.

“Hey, Jane!” my husband called from the living room. “Come and say ‘hey’ to the guys.”

I popped my head into the frame for a minute before heading out.

When Bolt saw the leash and harness, he licked my face, excited to get away from our garden. But the sky looked ominous, hinting at rain.

So, I ran back inside to grab my raincoat.

The house was filled with laughter from Wayne’s video call. I slipped upstairs to get my raincoat—not wanting to make myself known because I was certain that Wayne would call me back to talk to them.

Little did I know that an innocent eavesdropper to a conversation would unravel the tapestry of our relationship.

“Dude, are you still hung up on how Jane looks?” one of his friends chuckled.

My heart skipped a beat.

What? I thought.

Maybe it was just a joke and Wayne was going to come to my rescue.

“Well, at least she cooks better than Nicole,” Wayne said. “And she doesn’t bother me much. I think she took Bolt for a walk now too, something that Nicole would definitely have made me do. But it does feel like a bit of a downgrade compared to Nicole.”

“What are you going to do about it?” another voice chimed in.

“Listen, I think I’d change my mind if Jane lost a little bit of weight.”

Their laughter rang loudly through the house.

I stood frozen in utter disbelief.

Wayne had never expressed such shallow concerns to me. Instead, he used to reassure me of his unconditional love—especially following his relationship with Nicole.

Yet, here he was, sitting with a beer in the living room, mocking me.

I turned around and left the house. Bolt needed a walk, and I needed to get away from Wayne.

An internal battle followed me after that. I couldn’t figure out what to do. I knew that marriage would be difficult, especially because I was so stubborn about everything in my life. But I hadn’t expected it to feel so bad so soon.

Wayne and I were only three weeks into our marriage, and he was already comparing me to his ex-girlfriend who had broken up with him over text.

I could have divorced Wayne on the spot. But that would have almost been too easy. I needed more.

I couldn’t sleep. My mind raced uncontrollably.

“What do you want to do?” my mother asked when I told her the story the following day.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I want to hurt him, I think.”

Ever since I overheard what Wayne had said, I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror without flinching.

Everything looked and felt wrong. I wanted to be covered up. I didn’t want anyone to see me.

My hair looked dull, my teeth seemed too yellow from all the tea I drank. The hips that I loved seemed too big. And my smile felt all wrong.

My mother poured me some tea and gave me a slice of pie.

“Hurt him now?” she asked.

“I haven’t thought that far ahead,” I admitted.

“Why don’t you just want to get a divorce and move on? Aren’t you just wasting your time?” she asked.

I did feel like I was wasting time—but at the same time, I just wanted some form of revenge. I needed it.

“What about the prenup?” my mother asked.

“What?” I asked.

“Didn’t you and Wayne sign a prenuptial contract? If you get divorced now, would that mean anything?”

I went home and found my copy of the contract—it was straightforward. I just needed to stick it out for a year, and then I was entitled to half of everything Wayne owned.

I could wait.

The following months were a blur of transformation for me. I was fueled by a resolve to confront him in a manner he would never forget.

I embarked on a journey of self-improvement, not for him, but as a statement of my worth.

I signed up for the gym, and I began eating better. I went to the dentist regularly for cleaning. I ensured that my hair was trimmed every few months.

I began to feel better in my own skin.

Wayne, on the other hand, thought that I was doing it all for him.

He started to buy me new clothes and shoes.

“I just thought you’d look amazing in this,” he would say, waiting for me to strip down and try it in front of him.

Which I never did. But Wayne kept them coming, and I kept stacking them in my closet. Soon, I’d begin a new life, and I’d wear them all.

By our first anniversary, I had transformed myself into the very image of societal perfection that my husband and his friends idolized.

I suggested that we do a big dinner with all of our friends—which was actually a stage set for the final act of my long-contrived plan.

The moment they saw me—using one of my new dresses, their astonishment was palpable, a mirror to my husband’s dazzled admiration.

Wayne and his friends sat around drinking beers, while I set the table, ready for dinner. Thanks to the beers, Wayne and his friends were in a great mood.

“Wayne, you didn’t tell us that Jane looks that good,” one of the guys said.

“I told you guys that she was working out more. And she’s been making us eat better now.”

“So you’re into your wife again?” someone laughed.

“Yeah!” Wayne said. “Did you see how she looks in that dress?”

I had never felt more objectified in my entire life.

I joined the ‘wives’ and listened to them talk about the importance of collagen for skin. When dinner was ready, we sat down.

As we raised our glasses for a toast, I seized the moment of silence to unveil my true intentions.

“I’m filing for divorce because I don’t want to ever feel downgraded again, compared to an ex or anyone else,” I said.

“What?” Wayne demanded, putting his beer down firmly on the table.

“Wayne once shared with you guys, when he thought I wasn’t around to hear, that being with me felt like a downgrade. That I wasn’t Nicole. That maybe, if I lost weight, and changed how I looked, he might change his mind.”

A collective gasp rippled through the dining room—my husband’s face drained of color, his eyes widening in shock and realization.

“But here’s the thing,” I continued, everyone hanging onto my every word. “I did not transform myself for him—I did it for myself because overhearing that conversation wrecked my self-esteem. Nobody should ever feel the need to change for someone’s shallow affection.”

My husband’s pleas for forgiveness and claims of change fell on deaf ears.

“Come on, Jane,” he said. “We can talk about this later.”

“No, we don’t really have anything to talk about now,” I said.

“Jane, please. I was a fool,” he said. “That was a year ago. I don’t believe any of that now. Can’t you see how much I love you?”

I shook my head, a sad smile playing on my lips.

“Why did you wait a year?” Wayne’s friend, Ross, asked me.

“Because, Wayne. Remember the prenup you insisted on? The one that generously compensates the ‘downgraded party’ in the event of a divorce initiated by dissatisfaction within the first five years?”

The silence was deafening as the implication of my words sank in. My husband sank back into his chair, the fight draining out of him.

“I don’t want your money,” I said, my voice softening. “But I will take enough to start a new life.”

I picked up my fork and continued to eat my dinner. I planned on packing my things and moving out as soon as possible.

In the past few weeks, I had already secured an apartment, signing the lease so that it was ready for me.

“Just like that?” Wayne asked a few days later as I packed all my books into a box.

“Yes, just like that,” I said. “You started this. You ruined this marriage before you really gave it a chance. So, I’m good now.”

“You really think I’m that shallow?” he asked.

I looked at Wayne for a moment, wondering if there was any remorse lying beneath his mask. But there wasn’t.

And even if, deep down, there was—it was just too late.

What would you have done?