I wasn’t their first choice. I don’t think I would have been their second choice either, and they reminded me every time. I dreaded family gatherings and avoided them when I could, but this was a big one. Jeremy’s mother, my mother-in-law, was joining the Women’s Guild. She expected her son to be there, and there was to be a celebration afterwards.
“Babe, can I feign illness?” I asked him that morning.
“I know my sisters don’t make it easy for you, but they’ll come around eventually,” said Jeremy encouragingly.
We went to Jeremy’s parents’ home to check on the catering company that we’d hired. Jeremy was in charge of the party after the church ceremony. After ensuring everything was running smoothly, we joined the others. That’s when I saw her-Beatrice.
She was seated with Jeremy’s sisters. I felt someone reassuringly touch my arm. It was Jeremy. He directed me to sit behind his sisters. I couldn’t think of anything else besides Beatrice during the ceremony.
Beatrice was Jeremy’s ex-girlfriend. They had dated for three years before she cheated on Jeremy. His family loved her. She was friends with his sisters. They felt she was the right woman for their brother. She came from the right background. Jeremy wasn’t one to share intimate details of his relationship, so he didn’t tell them why they broke up. Beatrice eventually told them when she couldn’t convince Jeremy to forgive her.
Her confession was also motivated by the fact that she was pregnant. She wasn’t sure it was Jeremy’s at the time, but she hoped it was. She imagined it would be her ticket back into his good graces. Jeremy could hardly look at her. He insisted on a paternity test, which Beatrice agreed to months later. When it was confirmed the child was his, Beatrice denied him access to his son unless they got back together. It was messy. His mother and sisters begged him to fix his relationship with her, but her actions pushed him further away.
By the time I met Jeremy, they had resolved the matter legally, and he had provided financially for the kid. Maintaining a relationship with his son was difficult because it came with interference from Beatrice and his sisters. They never accepted me as his wife. Neither Jeremy nor I expected to find Beatrice here. She hadn’t shown up in a while, and we thought we were past that.
When the church ceremony was over, Beatrice went over to Jeremy’s mother with a huge bouquet of flowers.
“Oh, my daughter, you really know me well,” said Jeremy’s mother.
“Always, mum. I know how long you’ve been waiting for this,” said Beatrice.
Jeremy’s mother proudly introduced Beatrice as the mother of her first grandson. I waited for Jeremy in the car as I breastfed our five-month-old daughter. I initially thought attending the event with an infant would be a hassle, but it was a welcome buffer. I didn’t have to stand there and listen to them shower Beatrice with praise.
We left the church and headed home. We found a fire to put out. There was a delay in the food. Apparently, one of Jeremy’s sisters had decided to micromanage the catering company and made a last-minute change to the menu. The catering company employees were angry but obliged.
“Jeremy, where did you find such incompetent people? I’m sure your wife has something to do with this. Why didn’t you use the usual crew?” Asked Jeremy’s sister.
“What was wrong with the previous menu? I ran it by Mum last week, and she was okay with it,” Jeremy asked her.
“This is a big deal for Mum. We have to give her the very best,” argued the sister.
They had a heated argument before Jeremy’s mother stopped them. There was peace for a short while before one of Jeremy’s sisters stirred up trouble.
“Has Beatrice gotten food?” Asked one of the sisters.
“I think so,” replied another sister.
“We have to make sure the mother to our brother’s heir is well-fed,” the sister replied.
She made sure I heard the conversation. As if on cue, my child started crying, giving me an excuse to leave and attend to her. I only joined them again when Jeremy texted me, asking me to join him. He took the opportunity to introduce me as his ‘only’ wife and thanked me for coordinating the catering. The message was for both the guests and his family.
Later on, he had a conversation with his sisters. They defended their choice to invite her.
“In addition to being a family friend, she is still the mother of your son, Jeremy,” said one of the sisters.
“Where was my son if this was about family ties?” Jeremy asked.
They mumbled. I was tired of the circus. We left shortly after. Jeremy keeps threatening them that he will cut ties with them if they keep bringing Beatrice, but I am afraid that will only cause more problems. I only hope they’ll stop the drama before my child is older to understand what is going on.
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