In the middle of dinner, my husband laughed and told our friends that no one else wanted me, so he married me out of pity.

When my husband said it, the entire table fell silent for half a second—just long enough for me to wonder if I had misheard.
Then everyone burst out laughing.

We were sitting in an upscale steakhouse in downtown Denver, the kind with dim amber lighting, leather booths, and a wine list so thick it felt like a hardcover novel. It …