A woman who recently finalised her divorce chose to celebrate the occasion by setting fire to her wedding dress and telling her ex-husband she is "the best he will ever have".
Lauren Brooke, 31, had been married to her former spouse for a decade after they tied the knot in October 2012, and after separating in September 2021, they finally finished divorce proceedings in January this year.
And to mark the occasion, Lauren enlisted the help of her mum, 58-year-old Felicia Bowman, and her best friend to put on an "empowering" photoshoot that saw her set her wedding dress on fire.
Lauren, from North Carolina, USA, said: "The intent was to show the fact that divorce is hard, ugly and painful for all parties involved. There were days when every morning I would wake up and cry. There were times when I thought my life wouldn't improve, but it has.
"We are getting divorced but we have to work with each other for the rest of our lives to bring up our children.
"I survived it, I came out onto the other side. I don't cry in the morning when I wake up anymore. I am in a better place."
The mum-of-two said the photoshoot helped her get her life back after her divorce, and insisted that rather than feeling "sad" during the shoot, she actually felt "empowered".
She added: "There were lots of laughs that day. I am terrified of fire and they are lighting the dress on fire with me in it.
"I felt empowered. I was worried that there might be a moment when I was sad. It is the end of the marriage that I thought I would have forever. You are grieving the loss of the relationship, but I didn't, it was fun."
The banker believed "life was over" for her when her ex-husband filed for divorce in October 2022, a year after they had separated due to a law in parts of the US that means couples must be separated for a year and a day before they can begin divorce proceedings.
"Life happens," she explained, "People make choices and sometimes people have to live with no consequences.
"My intent with the separation was that I wanted to work it out, but that did not happen. I said, 'If this does not work out if I am in pain, I will make light of it' and we did."
And now, Lauren is happier than ever - and she wants other women to know they don't need to feel "ashamed" when it comes to divorce.
She said: "I am very happy now. The only reason where I am today is because of my faith. You will get through the other side.
"A lot of women are shamed for divorce but men seem to be congratulated for it. We are told that no matter what we are supposed to stay and keep our family together, but many women struggle with it. We should not be made to feel ashamed."
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