In "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall," how does the opening of the story present Granny as repeatedly "in denial"?

At the beginning of the story, Granny Weatherall seems to be in denial that her "jilting" by a man named George, who abandoned her at the altar sixty years ago, had not affected her. As the story continues, however, the reader begins to realize that that event, which occurred when Granny was 20 year old, was really a pivotal moment in her life. Even though she married another man, had his children, and convinced herself the pain was behind her, she had kept George's letters all her life. Now on her deathbed, the hurt and embarrassment of the incident still haunts her.