Page 43 of A Different Husband

“I’m married to his cousin,” Courtney told the girl.

“So you’re a liar too?”

“No, I’m not. Babe. Look.” Each word was punctuated with a heavy pause as he tried to find the right words and failed. “We were engaged and then she married my cousin to help him get his inheritance.”

“Do you plan to get back with Beckett?” The girl asked my wife.

“God, no!” Courtney huffed. “Honestly, this whole conversation makes me want to vomit.” She ignored everyone’s open-mouthed stares and went to park her ass in the chair she dubbed, “the comfy one”. I heard her sigh in relief as she took a load off.

“You are unbelievable Beckett Robeson. I thought you were bringing me to family dinner to make our relationship official.”

“What relationship?” He asked her, and as sad it was, my cousin truly looked perplexed.

The woman slapped him again and then walked out. “Find your own ride home!” She yelled just before the door closed.

“How do you know it’s not my baby?” Beckett asked my wife, as if his date hadn’t just slapped him twice and left him.

Courtney rolled her eyes. “It’s not your baby. I would be six months or more along for it to be yours and I’m only four months. Even if it had been yours, I wouldn’t divorce Flynn or marry you. You’ve proven to be unreliable at best.”

“We are in love with each other,” He argued again.

“No, Beckett. Wewerein love. At least, I was. I’m not sure if you ever were. That love died the minute you tried to sell me off for a cabin and someone else filling our future children’s college funds, so you wouldn’t have to.”

“Beckett!” Aunt Gayle hissed. Clearly, she hadn’t known that he set everything in motion and basically tried to sell his fiancee in marriage to me for his own benefit. “Tell me that is not whyyou did this.” When he didn’t answer her, she fumed, but it was my uncle who spoke up next.

“I am truly disappointed in you, son. You deserve to see them happy and growing a family.”

“You have no room to talk, Martin!” His wife sniped.

“Not here,” Uncle Marty growled at her.

“Why not? Seems like the perfect time to air our dirty laundry.” She turned to the rest of the gathered family. “Martin and I are getting a divorce. He’s been cheating on me with…” She hesitated as her eyes glanced toward Courtney and then her cheeks heated. She must have realized how callous it would be to out the fact that Courtney’s mother was having an affair.

“It’s okay. I already know my mother is having an affair with him. My father told me this morning.” My wife gave me a pointed look that I said I was only sort-of in trouble for not telling her myself.

“What the fuck?” Dad asked. “Marty, tell me you aren’t that stupid. No offense, Courtney. It’s not about your mom.”

“None taken, even if it was,” My wife assured him.

The conversation devolved into a bunch of pointed fingers and accusations. Bea and Ky seemed to be enjoying the drama. Mina escaped without anyone else noticing. Mom grabbed a bottle of wine and mouthed “Sorry” to me. Dad looked ready to punch his brother, or his nephew, maybe both.

Finally, Courtney was the one to speak up as the voice of reason. “Okay, listen up!” She shouted above everyone else. “My husband and I have some amazing news to share with our family and we don’t need whatever drama you guys have making that impossible. Please, take your arguments somewhere else.”

“You can’t kick me out of my brother’s house,” Marty insisted.

“She can, with my permission, but if I need to make it clear to you - go home, Marty. Take your son with you. Gayle, if you need to stay and chat with Margaret, feel free.”

“You’re letting my wife stay, but not me?” Marty asked.

“She didn’t do anything wrong. She gets to stay. Now, brother, I asked you to leave. My daughter-in-law is pregnant and does not need all this added stress.”

“She was supposed to bemydaughter-in-law. That’s supposed to bemygrandchild!” Marty yelled.

“Maybe you should have taught our son to keep his dick in his pants where it belonged then,” Gayle snapped at him. “Oh, never mind, you never learned that lesson either, so it was hard to pass on the knowledge.”

“Gayle!” He cried out in shocked disbelief.

“Don’t Gayle me. You’ve been sleeping with Courtney’s mom for over a year! What if our son hadn’t abandoned her for a profit? What if that was our grandchild and here you have made a mess of our lives. I was heartbroken that Courtney wouldn’t be in our family as my daughter, but now I’m thankful. She doesn’t have to bring a child into this world who will one day learn that her grandparents were adulterous assholes who ruined everything for everyone.”

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