Page 38 of My Ex-Fiance's Best Men
“Wait, what had to come from somewhere?” I ask, suddenly picking up on the jab. “I’m confused.”
“And that’s why we’re sitting here, having this conversation,” Crystal rolls her eyes at me. “Because you’re still confused.”
Mom clears her throat, demanding the room’s attention. “What Georgina and Crystal are trying to say is that we saw this coming.”
“Oh, you knew Matthew was going to humiliate me in public?” I ask tightly. Dominic’s grip on my knee tightens, though I’m past the point of that being helpful.
“I suspected it would boil over eventually,” Mom says.
“I didn’t know there was anything to boil over,” I reply.
Crystal scoffs. “Come on, Phoebe. Matthew suggested you lose those extra pounds more than once. And honestly, he was quite patient about it.”
“Patient,” I gasp. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“If a man wants to break off an engagement, he can do so in a decent manner. Not via text on a group, and certainly not by posting a screenshot of said text on social media,” Dominic says. “Then again, Matthew is anything but a man, which brings me back to my original point. Phoebe is better off without him.”
“If Matthew isn’t a man, then why were you such close friends with him?” Georgina questions, leaning back in her seat.
Theo scoffs. “We thought he was better than that, until he showed his true colors. It’s not the first time I’ve misread who someone really was,” he says. Clearly, Georgina takes those words personally.
“Oh, Theo, darling. Still moping over our breakup?”
Wait, what?
I’m pretty sure the entire table could hear my lungs deflating. Mom stares at me. Crystal raises an eyebrow. Georgina keeps her sights on Theo, who looks at me with a deep frown. Dominic and August briefly lower their gazes.
“Am I missing something here?” I ask, surprised by my own calm.
“Theo and Georgina were an item at one point,” Dominic mutters. “It didn’t last long. Nothing came of it.”
“Ancient history,” Theo adds.
Georgina laughs a little too loud. “Oh! You didn’t tell her! This is hilarious.” She gives me a cold grin. “Don’t worry, you’re not it for them, either.”
“You were never it to begin with,” Theo snaps. “I was the only one foolish enough to buy into your bullshit. Dominic and August saw right through you.”
Mom gasps, and it’s becoming clear that this dinner is devolving into something she definitely didn’t plan for. She claps her hands once, loud enough to bring the argument to an abrupt but decisive halt.
“I will have no such talk at my table. Gentlemen, Georgina, if we could air the dirty laundry at another date and in another place, I would appreciate it,” she says.
“Please accept my apology,” Theo is quick to reply.
“Sorry, Mama Helen,” Georgina mumbles, giving her a fake pout.
I wonder if I could hit her over the head with one of these fancy crystal glasses. Mom would throw a fit about ruining her fine dining set. I choose to take a deep breath and a generous gulp of wine instead. Maggie returns to refill my glass, and I offer a thankful nod. She winks at me then disappears again.
“It’s been a rough couple of weeks, I’m sure we can all agree,” Mom says. “The wedding cancellation complicated everything.”
“I just don’t get what I’m being blamed for here,” I reiterate, emboldened by the strength Dominic, August, and Theo returned to me. “That I didn’t lose enough weight?”
Mom shrugs lightly. “It’s always been a problem for you.”
“No, it’s always been a problem foryou. Matthew didn’t have any issues with my weight when he first approached me,” I reply. “Nor did he while he was courting me. All of this weight loss crap started shortly after he proposed, and I’m pretty sure it was his stupid problem, not mine.”
Crystal shakes her head. “Matthew might’ve thought you were good enough for a fling or a friends-with-benefits kind of thing, but the minute he proposed, it became serious. And that extra weight you carry is a problem for a man like him.”
“A man like him,” August scoffs. “I’m not sure we’re all speaking the same language here.”
