“And of course,” she said, smiling toward me, “we have my new sister-in-law, Grace Parker. A sad single mother who still believes showing up alone counts as confidence.”
The room burst out laughing.
Heat rushed into my face so fiercely I thought I might pass out.
I looked toward my brother, Caleb, waiting for him to put an end to it. He did not. He looked down into his champagne glass with a tight smile, pretending it was all harmless. Brotherrelationship advice
Then my mother raised her voice from the head table.
“Well,” she said, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Grace has always been like a clearance item with a torn tag. Still on the shelf, but nobody wants the trouble.”
The laughter swelled. Funnyjoke book
My fork slid out of my hand and clattered against the plate. My ears rang. Beneath the tablecloth, my hands started to tremble.
