Page 41 of The Best Man

Apparently on this, Penny and I agree.

“Honestly,” my mother-in-law says, so angry she’s practically boiling. “You are aguesthere. You come intomyhouse, tomydinner table and start insultingmyfamily? Who raised you?”

“I’m sorry, Mom. Things have clearly gotten out of hand, but—” Joey tries, but Lauren cuts him off.

“Donotapologize for me. I am not wrong.Theyare wrong. Everyone sitting at this fucking table of captors and victims is fucked in the head. You told me they all embrace your brother and his brainwashed wife despite what they did to you, but you didn’t tell me they were all backward-thinking psychopaths with no respect for women.”

“No respect for women,” Julia says, laughing. “Honey, you don’t have the first fucking clue what you’re talking about, so it might be a good idea for you to just leave. Clearly, you don’t belong here.”

“There is not a human on this planet more respected and appreciated than my brother’s ‘brainwashed bride,’” James states.

“He would stab someone in the throat for cutting her off in traffic,” Matt states.

Julia nods. “He would summon a global winter and risk the extinction of our species if the sun dared to burn her fair skin.”

Lauren is aghast. “Don’t tell meyoulike her.”

“I love her,” Julia states. “She’s like a sister to me, and you can rest assured that the only way you’re ever getting into this family is if you feel the same way.”

Penny puffs up. “In this family, we may not always agree with one another, but we alwaysloveone another.”

As his mother speaks, my husband grabs his water goblet and takes a sip. We’re all quiet enough to hear the thud as it’s placed down. “Not that this is relevant information to her,” he says, finally breaking his silence. “She will never be part of this family.” He pushes his chair back and stands, his gaze lockedon his youngest brother. “Joey, I understand that you’re still angry at me. I even understand that I’m not the easiest target, so you turn all your rage on Jess.” He squeezes my shoulder supportively as he passes behind me. “She’s an easy target, right? So sweet and well-meaning, she doesn’t even fight back when this viper you brought to our dinner table insults her right to her face.”

Lauren scoffs. “Yeah, she’s a doormat. What a surprise.”

Julia grimaces, and Marcus’ brown eyes flash dangerously. He smiles, but anyone who knows him would see the rapier edge to it. “My wife has a kind, forgiving heart and a gentle nature. She doesn’t have to scrap and fight and manipulate to get her share of attention or love. She earns that by simply existing. You wouldn’t understand that, though. You’re not lovable like she is. No one will ever treasure you.”

The smug look drops off Lauren’s face and she sucks in a breath as if the blow landed in her gut.

Which it likely did.

My husband pays much closer attention than most people. While he was quiet, he was observing her and collecting all the weapons he would need to destroy her.

“Damn,” Matt murmurs, leaning back in his chair.

“My family exaggerates my power,” Marcus continues, passing behind Julia’s chair. “I’m not quite capable of single-handedly summoning a global winter to punish the sun for shining on my wife too aggressively, but they’re right that I would if I could. You know whatisn’tbeyond my reach? You. And I understand that you’re a miserable little person with so many deep-seated insecurities that youneedto belittle others in order to make yourself seem better, but look around this table, Lauren.” He gestures around as he passes Jared’s empty seat.“There’s not an idiot among us. We can all see through your bullshit. Nobody’s fooled. No one’simpressedthat you hate some guileless sorority girl because she’s probably prettier than you, and, what, she likes pink? What a heinous crime to have committed. I believe I speak for all of us when I say that, without having even met her, we would havemuchpreferred he bring her to this dinner than you. But you already know that, don’t you? I’m sure you feel like everyone feels that way about you all the time. You know you’re nothing special. You know the only way you can convince anyone to waste their time on you is with bullshit behavior you pretend is superior. That’s why you’re mean. That’s why you have to shit on anyone you’re afraid might be better than you. Deep down, you know you tricked Joey into believing you were an upgrade, and you live in fear of him figuring that out and dumping your ass. I bet every night when he’s fucking you, he closes his eyes and pretends you’re someone else. Someone better. Maybe that sorority girl you tricked him into dumping, or at least someone like her. Perhaps even my wife, which is why you feel the need to fling your venom her way. You’re afraid she’s better than you, and you’re right. She is. I’m sure deep down, you know as well as we do that you are truly atrocious company, that no one couldbearto be in your presence if you didn’t work so hard to convince them of your value before they could see the lack of it for themselves.” He rocks his head to the side in consideration. “Maybe. Maybe youaren’taware of this, and you should seek therapy. Maybe then you can learn tobebetter instead of just pretending to be. It won’t make a difference here, but maybe the next time you meet someone’s family, you won’t be such an insecure mess, or such a joyless prude. In any case, your next relationship, your self-awareness—none of that is my concern. Whatismy concern is my wife.” Stopping when he finally gets to her, he plants his palm on the table by her plate so he can lean in close. “And Ipromise you, Lauren, that if you sayone moreunkind word about my wife, I will ruin your miserable fucking life.”

Lauren has lost several shades of color by this point. Her eyes are wide and fixed on him the way one might look at a tornado that touched down too close to them. No chance of escape even if they try to flee, so might as well take in its devastating beauty while they can.

Like most bullies, she was ill-prepared to be confronted. Ill-prepared to face my husband’s practiced calm as he leveled her with such devastating truths.

Her mouth eventually opens, of course, but Joey grabs her arm before she can speak.

“Don’t,” he says firmly, his voice resentful. “He’s serious.”

Marcus straightens and turns, shifting his attention to Joey. “And you, little brother. I wasn’t done with you. Clearly, you weren’t done with me, either, but why don’t we put this to bed right now? She married me, not you. I understand that’s a tough pill to swallow, but have you forgotten your part in all that? In your desperate attempt to paint yourself a victim, have you forgottenyouwere the one who cheated onher? What was done to her that night, I did to her.Iwas in control. That can’t be hard for you to believe. If you want to be angry at someone, be angry at me. But don’t let your bitterness compel you to date people you don’t even like because they are her opposite. It isn’t fun for any of us, but especially not for you. And if the company of the embittered woman you brought here tonight is what comforts you right now, that’s a pretty good indication of the way you’re framing all this. Misery loves company, doesn’t it? For your own good, you need to stop dwelling on it. Jessa’s mine now. She’s mine forever. We’re married, we’re having a baby.Move on. Find someone else whose company you enjoy and thenshow heryou feel that way about her. Don’t treat her the way you treated Jess so you can keep this one.”

Joey nods, his bitterness tugging at his mouth. “Unless you like her too, huh?”

Marcus levels his brother an unamused look. “There is no other woman alive who holds the least bit of interest to me. That’s the difference between us. When I find what I’ve been searching for, I stop looking. You could put a condom in my hand and a naked stripper right here on the dining table, and do you know what would happen? Nothing. I cannot be compelled to cheat on a woman I love, and neither could you. If you’re telling yourself a different story after the fact to avoid accountability, then that’s your problem. But it isn’t the truth, and the self-deception is not doing you any favors.”

Joey nods, but I can see he still isn’t ready to absorb Marcus’ words. “Since the truth is so goddamn important to you now, have you ever told Jessa who introduced me to Kelly?” Glancing past his brother, he looks down at me. “That’s the first woman I cheated on you with.”

“It’s ancient history,” Marcus states coolly.

“Is it?” Joey frowns. “Did you tell her how you talked Kelly up to me? How, once I took the bait, you planted the idea that Jess never had to find out, that it was just a night of harmless fun, blowing off steam—”

“That’s enough, Joey.”

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