At sixteen, I lost my parents and fell apart. I gained sixty pounds, and instead of supporting me, my boyfriend Jason told me to go to the gym because he was embarrassed to be seen with me.<\/p>\n
Then I discovered he was cheating with Katherine.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you looked at her and then yourself?\u201d he asked cruelly.<\/p>\n
I left for college and eventually rebuilt my life. Years later, I had a career I loved, my own home, and finally stopped hearing Jason\u2019s voice whenever I looked in the mirror.<\/p>\n
Then our 20-year reunion arrived.<\/p>\n
I spotted Jason immediately. He was bragging about his businesses, his five-bedroom house, and his brand-new Porsche.<\/p>\n
Later, he nearly walked into me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave we met?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I\u2019d remember you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then Katherine called him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour wife?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked back at me and said, \u201cShe used to be hotter. Three kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he asked to buy me a drink.<\/p>\n
He had no idea who I was.<\/p>\n
I went to the restroom and called my brother Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cJason is here. He doesn\u2019t recognize me\u2014and he\u2019s flirting with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel laughed. \u201cOh, this is excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked him to check something for me.<\/p>\n
Twenty-five minutes later, Daniel walked into the reunion.<\/p>\n
Jason saw him.<\/p>\n
And screamed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
My brother smiled. \u201cJason.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Jason. \u201cYou two know each other?\u201d<\/p>\n
Then Jason finally realized.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re Emily?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been Emily all evening.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face went pale.<\/p>\n
Katherine soon learned that her husband had been flirting with me, but that wasn’t the worst part.<\/p>\n
Jason had spent the night claiming he owned several businesses, a five-bedroom house, and a Porsche.<\/p>\n
The truth?<\/p>\n
He was a self-employed plumber. They rented a three-bedroom duplex. The Porsche was rented from my brother\u2019s company\u2014and Jason\u2019s payment had been declined.<\/p>\n
Katherine stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did you lie?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason had no answer.<\/p>\n
Then he looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is why I didn\u2019t recognize you. You always liked making me look bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwenty years ago, you made me believe my body was the reason you treated me badly. Now I realize it was never about my body.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pointed at his wedding ring.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou mocked a grieving sixteen-year-old, cheated on her, and twenty years later you\u2019re doing the same thing to your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went silent.<\/p>\n
Daniel held out his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason reluctantly handed over the Porsche keys.<\/p>\n
As Katherine arranged a ride home, I looked at Jason.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo how are you getting home? By bus, like in tenth grade?\u201d<\/p>\n
Even Katherine laughed.<\/p>\n
For years, part of me had still wondered what was wrong with that sixteen-year-old girl.<\/p>\n
That night, I finally knew the answer.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My High School Boyfriend Dumped Me Over My Weight\u201420 Years Later, He Didn\u2019t Recognize Me At sixteen, I lost my parents and fell apart. I gained sixty pounds, and instead of supporting me, my boyfriend Jason told me to go to the gym because he was embarrassed to be seen with me. Then I discovered…<\/p>\n