I hate you dear husband of mine

Three

Gina felt a sob rise in her throat, but she swallowed it down.

This was the height of it all and there was nothing more she could do but to disappear.

It was at moments like these she wished the ground would open up and take her with it.

With as much dignity as she could muster, she turned and walked out of the room, the sound of their harsh words echoing in her ears.

She closed the door behind her, her mind still reeling from the confrontation with Marcus's family.

She sank onto the edge of the bed, tears stinging her eyes as she tried to process everything that had been said. She hadn't expected Marcus to follow her, let alone with anger in his eyes.

Before she could gather herself, the door swung open forcefully, and Marcus stormed into the room. His face was flushed with anger, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Gina looked up at him, her own eyes filled with hurt and confusion.

“What the hell Gina?!” He growled.

"Marcus," she started, her voice trembling slightly. "I just needed a moment..."

Marcus cut her off, his voice sharp and accusatory. "A moment? You disrespectfully left while my family was talking!"

Gina felt her temper flare. "Disrespectful? Did you even hear what they were saying to me?" she shot back, standing up to face him. “About my family?!”

Marcus's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. "Oh, I heard. I heard everything. But you could have handled it differently. You could have stayed and tried to make things right."

Gina shook her head in disbelief. "Make things right? Marcus, your family... they were attacking me. They don't want me here."

Marcus paced the room, his frustration rising. "You think it's easy for me? To see my family and my wife at odds like this?"

Gina felt a pang of guilt, but she couldn't let go of her own hurt. "Marcus, they called me names. They insulted me and our baby."

Marcus stopped pacing and faced her, his expression hardening. "And what do you expect me to do? They're my family. I can't just cut them out of my life."

Gina's eyes filled with tears again. "I'm not asking you to cut them out, Marcus. I just... I thought you would defend me, stand up for me. You just sat there without even looking at me while your family destroyed me.”

Marcus sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "It's complicated, Gina. You don't understand."

Frustration bubbled up inside her. "Then help me understand! Why are they here, Marcus? Why is your family here if they can't accept me?"

Marcus's gaze hardened, and for a moment, Gina saw something flicker in his eyes. "It's none of your business," he retorted sharply. “And besides, they are my family. They can come and go as they see fit.”

Gina recoiled, hurt piercing her heart. "None of my business? Marcus, I'm your wife. Our marriage, our family... it is my business."

Just then, muffled voices floated through the door. Gina strained to hear, recognizing the tones of Marcus's family. Her heart sank as she caught fragments of their conversation.

"...Emma, she's so much more suitable..."

"...better shape, better family background..."

“…unlike that stupid wench of a girl who should know her place…”

Gina's breath caught in her throat, her hands curling into fists at her sides. "Emma," she scoffed bitterly. "Your family prefers Emma over me? The mistress you cheated on me with and got her pregnant while you have a pregnant wife at home. That’s who they prefer over the legitimate wife."

Marcus's face darkened, his voice laced with frustration. "Gina, don't make this about Emma."

"But they are, Marcus! They're comparing me to your mistress!" Gina cried out, her voice cracking with emotion.

Marcus's eyes flashed with anger. "Watch your words, Gina."

"Why? Because it's true?" Gina challenged, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Is that what you want, Marcus? You want me to take a leaf from Emma's page?"

Marcus's expression hardened, his resolve firming. "Maybe you should. Maybe Emma knows how to handle herself better in this family."

Gina's breath caught in her throat, the pain of his words cutting deep. "So that's it then? You're choosing them over me?"

Marcus turned away, his fists clenching at his sides. "I'm not choosing anyone over anyone. But you need to figure out how to fit into this family, Gina. Because right now, it's not working."

She scoffed as he looked around. “And you better get ready because I want to know why you did what you did this morning.”

“I don’t do anything,” she sighed.

“We’ll see about that.”

With that, Marcus stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him with a resounding bang. Gina stood there, trembling with hurt and anger, feeling more alone than ever.

***

Gina collapsed onto the bed, her emotions swirling in turmoil. She buried her face in her hands, tears soaking her palms as she struggled to make sense of everything that had happened.

Her mind raced with questions, with doubts. Was this marriage worth fighting for if Marcus couldn't stand up for her? How could she ever fit into a family that saw her as nothing more than an outsider, unworthy of their respect?

Just then, she got a call from her sister.

“Hello,” she said over the phone.

“Gina,” her sister Maria sobbed over the phone. “It’s granny. She’s dying and she wants to see you.”

Just as the call cut, Marcus entered the room and went straight to his document case.

“My grandma is sick and I need to see her before she passes on,” Gina said to her feet.

“You’re not going,” he said with finality while looking for his document.

“Marcus, did you hear me? I said my grandma is sick…”

“And I said you’re not going.”

“My family is just as important…”

“As my family?!” He scolded as she scoffed. “You leave this house and you’ll have yourself to blame.”

With those words, he walked out as she fell back on the bed in shock.