Before my wedding, I clearly warned my soon-to-be husband that if he ever smashed cake into my face, I would leave because it was something I absolutely hated. But during our reception, he deliberately shoved a handful of cake into my face while laughing as our guests joined in.
I stood frozen in my white wedding dress until my six-year-old niece approached me and quietly said, “That was mean.” In that moment, I looked at my husband still laughing and realized that a little child understood respect better than the man I had just married. I removed my veil, picked up my niece, and walked out of my own wedding reception. That Monday, I filed for an annulment. My niece still asks if I’m okay, and I always tell her that she was the reason I found the courage to choose myself.
