For years, my husband made mocked my plump figure. I often used food to cope with our troubled marriage. One day, his jokes went too far—he compared me to a slim, beautiful woman in front of everyone. That was the moment I decided to take control. Soon, I shocked my husband and made him speechless. For the past few years, I struggled with my weight. No matter what I did, those extra pounds clung to me like a second skin. I had always dreamed of becoming a skilled pastry chef. The kitchen was my sanctuary, 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 piled on faster than I could have imagined. Each time I looked in the mirror, I felt like a stranger was staring back at me. And my husband, Bryce…

He didn’t make things any easier.“Maybe if you spent more time at the gym and less in the kitchen, you’d look better in that dress,” he’d say with a smirk.Those words cut deep. I’d hear him chuckling on the phone with his friends, making jokes about my weight, thinking I couldn’t hear. But I always heard. And it hurts.There was a time when I was always by Bryce’s side, his perfect, supportive wife. I’d attend all his work events with a smile on my face and a sparkle in my eye.But as the pounds piled on, my confidence plummeted. I stopped accompanying him altogether. I became a shadow of the woman I used to be, hiding away in the kitchen while Bryce continued to live his life without me. “Is this it? Is this all I’m meant 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 one I was catering as a chef. My desserts would be front and center, the highlight of the evening. This was a moment I had been dreaming of for months. Bryce was also attending since it was a party hosted by his business partner, Rowan. As we arrived at the party, I felt my palms getting clammy as I smoothed down my dress for the hundredth time. But as soon as we stepped inside, I noticed how Bryce’s attention kept drifting away from me, straight toward a slim, attractive woman across the room.Her name was Elise, and she seemed to captivate everyone with just a smile. I caught Bryce’s gaze lingering on her. “Now that’s how a woman should look in a dress,” Bryce said, his voice dripping with admiration as he nodded toward Elise. Then, with a glance at me, he added, “Maybe you should ask her for some tips, sunshine.” The words stung. I could feel my confidence crumbling with each passing moment.As the evening wore on, Bryce found every excuse to be near Elise—laughing at her jokes, complimenting her on every little thing, 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 wore a warm gaze. When he spoke, it was with a gentle humor that immediately put me at ease.“Not much for the crowd, huh?” “Not really. I guess I’m more comfortable behind the scenes.” “Well, you’ve certainly outdone yourself tonight,” Rowan said, his gaze shifting toward the dessert table. “Did you make all of those?” “Yes. It’s my first time catering an event like this.” “First time?” he raised an eyebrow. “You could’ve fooled me. These are exquisite.”His words lifted a small piece of the burden 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 for baking came up. Rowan listened with genuine interest. Then, something unexpected happened. Rowan told me about his boulangerie and suggested that I try to win the tender for developing the dessert menu for his restaurant.My heart leaped at the opportunity, but before I could respond, Bryce appeared out of nowhere. “Well, if it isn’t the star of the show,” Bryce said, his voice loud and brash. He turned to Rowan. “Thanks for the invitation, but we need to head home. Gotta drop Elise off as well, you know how it is.” “By the way, Rowan,” Bryce chuckled, a smug grin on his face, “you should consider Elise for your team. She’s got a real knack for culinary stuff. We had a great chat about it.”I could barely believe what I was hearing. My own husband recommended a woman he’d just met, while completely dismissing everything I’d worked so hard for. I forced a smile, though my voice trembled as I spoke, “Thank you for the conversation, Rowan. I really appreciate it.” Rowan nodded, but he didn’t press further.As soon as we got home, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Bryce, how could you do that? How could you suggest 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. “Oh, come on, sunshine. It was just a suggestion. Don’t take it so personally.” “Not take it personally? Do you have any idea how much this means to me!”He sighed, clearly tired of the conversation already. “Look, if you were good enough, you wouldn’t need me to speak up for you, right?” I stared at him, speechless. But inside, something shifted. A resolve I hadn’t felt in years started to burn. “I’ll show you,” I whispered to myself. “I’m going to prove that I’m worth something. You’ll see.” Bryce didn’t even hear me. He was already halfway out of the room, completely oblivious to the fire he had just ignited.I was deeply motivated to keep working and saw Rowan’s offer as the chance I had been waiting for. With a budget in hand and a team of assistants at my side, I dove headfirst into the task of developing the dessert menu. It wasn’t easy! There were long hours in the kitchen, but for the first time in years, I felt truly alive.I created a strict schedule for myself, not just for baking but for taking care of my health too. Mornings began with a run around the neighborhood. I was still too self-conscious to step foot in a gym, but that didn’t stop me from doing exercises at home. Each push-up, each sit-up, was a small victory, a step closer to reclaiming the confidence I had lost.Bryce watched me with that familiar smirk, never missing a chance to throw out some snide comment. “You think those leggings are doing you any favors?” or “All this work, and for what? You’re still the same, Clara.” Bryce only sneered when he saw my hands covered in dough, my hair a tangled mess of flour and jam. I didn’t tell him about my new opportunity with Rowan or the competition that loomed ahead. Not a word. I knew this was something I had to do for myself, no matter what.The day of the competition finally arrived. The event was set up like a culinary show, with stations for each chef to present their creations. Judges and guests would taste each dish and decide which one was the best. The winner would secure the contract and represent the restaurant. I looked around at the other chefs, all seasoned professionals.What if I’m not good enough? Suddenly, I saw Elise. She was even more stunning up close, with her perfect sleek figure. “Well, well, if it isn’t the pastry princess.” She looked me up and down. “Shouldn’t the buns be in the bakery, not hanging off the baker?”I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but the words wouldn’t come. My throat felt tight. Then she delivered the final blow. “At least my man is here to support me. Yours?” I followed her gaze and felt my world collapse around me. There was Bryce, chatting with some guests. But he wasn’t here for me. He was here for her—for Elise, his mistress!I felt humiliated, broken, and completely alone. How could I go on? Just as I was about to walk away, Rowan appeared by my side. “Clara, I have high hopes for your dessert,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine. “But if you’re too weak to continue, you should leave now. I need a strong team. If you can’t handle the pressure, there’s no place for you here.”His words were blunt, but they were exactly what I needed to hear. Something inside me reignited—a fire I thought I had lost. “I can do this,” I whispered to myself, and then louder, “I’ll do this.” I poured my heart into every detail of my desserts, blocking out everything else. The taste, the presentation, the experience—I made sure every element was perfect. By the end of the competition, I knew I had done my best.When the results were announced, I stood there in disbelief. I had won the contract! Me! The woman who had been belittled and mocked by her husband had won.I looked over at Bryce and saw him standing there, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, but not a single word could escape his lips. He was utterly speechless. But the surprises didn’t stop there. An unexpected reward came with the prize. It was an opportunity to study in Paris, the culinary capital of the world. When the announcement ended, his face twisted with anger.“What the hell, Clara?” Bryce hissed, pulling me aside. “You did all this behind my back? This nonsense? You need to stop this right now and come home where you belong.” I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Rowan stepped forward. “Bryce, Clara is a remarkable woman. From the first moment I met her, I knew there was something special about her. I’ve watched how you’ve treated her, how you’ve tried to break her spirit, and I’ve also seen how she’s changed over the past month. Her determination and hard work have yielded incredible results, and I’m more certain than ever that I’ve fallen in love with an extraordinary woman.”Bryce was stunned into silence. His eyes widened, and for once, he had nothing to say. Finally, I found my voice. “I am a free woman, Bryce,” I said, looking him directly in the eye. “I deserve more than to live in your shadow, and I will not let you control my life any longer. I want a divorce, and you can go to Elise if that’s what you want.”Bryce’s face flushed with anger, but he was speechless. At the same moment, Rowan gently handed me a beautiful bouquet. “Shall we?” he asked, inviting me to dinner. Rowan revealed another surprise. He told me that a pastry chef position was waiting for me in Paris, and after my training, I could stay there if I wished.“I hope that by then, you’ll have wrapped up your affairs here, and maybe you’ll want to start fresh in a new country. I’ll be there by your side, supporting whatever decision you make.” A wave of happiness washed over me, and it felt as though the whole world was at my feet, ready to offer me a new life filled with love and creativity.