When everyone else is bringing treats, why do you choose to arrive with this? As you may know, Gretchen is bringing three varieties of caviare. How come you would decide to make such a fool of yourself?” She enquired. She groaned and swept a dismissive hand over my meal.I could feel the wrath and embarrassment rising on my cheeks. “I couldn’t afford the things on your list,” I replied. “Your brother and I are doing the best we can.” She gave me a sly smile while crossing her arms. “Maybe you wouldn’t be in this predicament if you and Mark had handled your money more wisely. To be honest, Emily. This is really awkward. This is not what I can serve my guests. It’s preferable, in my opinion, that you go.” The things my sister-in-law said hurt. I’d never felt so ashamed of myself. I grabbed up my dish and exited the kitchen without another word.“Where are you going, Em?” I questioned my mother-in-law as I was about to leave the front door. “Home,” I said in response. “I’m not feeling well and it’s not fair that I get to be here without Mark.” My mother-in-law gave me a perfunctory glance as her eyes softened. She questioned, “Are you sure?” I was aware that she would not inquire more. Not in this particular context, anyhow. And all I wanted was for her to simply turn away. I knew I would immediately burst into tears if she said anything more, because I was about to cry. “All right,” she replied. “I’ll call to check up on you later.”The burden of the last year pressed down on me as I made my way to my car. The feeling of never being good enough for the family, the restless nights, and the ongoing concern. I drove home, disappointment weighing heavily on my heart. I whispered to myself, “Come on, Emily,” as I stepped into the shower. Before Mark got home, I was going to wash the day and all my feelings away. When my husband entered our bedroom, he said, “You’re home?” “I didn’t expect you to be in.” I sat up and told him everything while I observed his facial expression change with each emotion.He said, “I’ll give her a call in the morning.” “She will not speak to you like this again.” However, karma got ahead of her game. My phone buzzed the following morning when I was preparing pancakes for Mark and myself. “Em,” she exclaimed as soon as I responded, laughing heartily. “You won’t believe what happened last night!” “What is it?” I inquired, my interest peaked. “The potluck that Jessica hosted was a total bust. It seems that after cleaning the refrigerator, her assistant forgot to plug it in, causing all of the food she had prepared to perish. There was a distinct fragrance.”“Oh my god,” I let out a cry. “Everyone said it was the worst dinner they had ever had and departed early. It’s fair to her. But her dad was really pissed off. Her mother said, “Something you made is the only thing that could have saved the evening.” I couldn’t resist chuckling at Sarah. This was just plain old karma. Jessica’s rejection of my meal and her fixation on perfection had backfired horribly.How would you have responded in that situation?
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