“No,” I replied, and I was surprised by how calm my own voice sounded.

“I just finally understand.” I grabbed my purse from the back of the chair.

And Lauren, the birthday girl, let out a quiet, delighted little giggle.

“Some people have money,” she said, “but zero manners for polite company.”

I looked at her for a brief second.

I said nothing.

There was nothing to say that these people were capable of hearing, and I understood, finally, that trying to make them see me had been the great wasted labor of my marriage.

So I simply turned, and I walked out of Theresa’s dining room, and I got into my car, and I drove straight to my condo, a property I had purchased before I ever met Daniel and had paid off entirely, every dollar of it, with my own hard work.