Page 39 of My Ex-Fiance's Best Men
“Bottom line, Phoebe,” my mother cuts in. “You’re not going to find a better man than Matthew to marry you. Frankly, everyone thought he was too good for you, anyway.”
“Too good for me,” I mutter and give Dominic a brief, stunned look. “It’s like I’m dream walking through my worst nightmare. Are you hearing this?”
“Yeah, and I’m trying to figure out a way to stop it in a civilized manner,” he replies.
Mom is relentless. “Yes. For your sake, Phoebe, you should just lose the weight and ask him to come back to you. You don’t need to lose much. Maybe twenty pounds, plus the five you obviously brought back with you from Hawaii.”
“I told you she wouldn’t stay away from the beach churros,” Crystal tells Georgina with a cruel giggle.
“She didn’t skimp on the dips, either,” Georgina adds, causing Crystal to laugh out loud.
“It’s called a honeymoon puff, and it’s usually something actual brides return with,” Mom adds, smiling as she looks at me.
I stare at her in disbelief, trying to wrap my head around the abhorrent deluge I just heard. “Hold on. So let me get this straight. I’m to blame for Matthew dumping and humiliating me in public because I’m fat, and I should lose the weight, then beg him to take me back because nobody else will want me. Is that an accurate breakdown?”
“It’s the truth, whether you’re ready to accept it or not,” Mom says, looking content with herself.
August, on the other hand, is clenching his jaw to the point where I can see a muscle twitching furiously in his cheek. “Helen, is this why you invited us here tonight? To further hurt and humiliate your own daughter while we watch?” he calmly asks.
“We’re family,” Mom replies nonchalantly. “Honesty is key between us.”
“That’s not honesty. That’s malice and cruelty. Besides, you ladies seem to know a lot about what Phoebeshouldlook like, but none of you asked us what we think,” he replies.
Georgina clucks her tongue. “We know what you think. She’s the flavor of the month. A pity shag, at most.”
“Phoebe is one of the most beautiful and most intelligent women we’ve ever had the pleasure to meet,” Dominic swiftly steps in. “The fact thatyoudon’t like the way she looks, well, that’s your problem and yours alone. Most importantly, it’s not Phoebe’s, and it never should’ve been. And it most definitely is not ours.”
“We happen to like her curves,” August adds. “She’s different. And she’s better than any woman who tries to put her down because of her looks.”
The words reverberate with the kind of gravitas that my mother hasn’t heard in a long time. In fact, the last time someone stood up for me in such a way I was still a child. And the man who shut her down was my dad.
“Ah, so that’s what this is about. The three of you are screwing her,” Crystal sneers. “The rumors are true.”
“No, we’re loving the woman Matthew never deserved. Nor do any of you,” Theo announces and slaps his napkin against the table. A split second later, he gets up and comes over, offering me his hand.
“What are you doing?” I whisper, my eyes wide with shock but my heart bursting with emotions I didn’t expect to feel.
“Getting you the hell out of this place. They didn’t invite you here for dinner. They invited you here to humiliate you further,” he replies.
Slowly, I get up. Dominic and August join us.
Dominic looks at my mother. “We can’t spend a second longer in this place with any of you while you continue to treat your own family this way. It’s disgraceful.”
Mom sighs heavily while Crystal and Georgina mutter amongst themselves. As my men lead me toward the dining room doors, I realize I have never felt more powerful or more protected than in that moment.
“Phoebe,” Mom calls out just as we’re about to leave. “I didn’t call you here to question your eating habits or your mating preferences.”
“Oh really?”
“The goal was to give you one last chance to redeem yourself before I do the one thing I have dreaded doing since the news first broke about your Hawaiian shenanigans.”
I stop and turn on my heels to face her. She remains seated at the head of the table, the look on her face unsettling.
“Excuse me?”
“I plan to contest the annex in your father’s will,” she says.
The statement knocks the air out of my lungs and my jaw almost hits the floor. Crystal doesn’t seem at all surprised, and Georgina’s smile tells me she knew this was coming, as well. Both of them are enjoying every second of my astonishment.
