The room felt suddenly thin. For a fraction of a second, Veronica was back in her bedroom watching Max pack his bags, feeling small and utterly exposed.
The Unboxing of the Past
Before Veronica could react, Edward stepped forward. His tone was remarkably calm, his voice carrying no anger—only steady authority.
“Actually, Max, I brought you a wedding gift,” Edward said.
Walking out to his car, Edward returned carrying the large cardboard box. He placed it squarely on an empty table near the center of the room, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers.
“Open it,” Edward instructed quietly.
Max opened the box, his smirk instantly fading as he pulled out an enormous pair of oversized trousers. Confused, Max demanded to know what he was looking at.
“They’re mine,” Edward explained clearly. “I used to be much heavier.”
Edward turned to face the growing crowd and recounted a memory from three years prior in their office breakroom. Back then, before Edward had changed his lifestyle, someone had offered him a slice of birthday cake. Feeling insecure about his weight, Edward had refused, saying, “People who look like me don’t need cake.”
Veronica had been passing by, deeply hurting from Max’s daily comments. She had stopped and told Edward, “My husband talks about me like that. I hate hearing it from him, and I don’t like hearing it from you either.”
