My best friend, Karen, was the first to arrive. She immediately complimented my outfit, giving my self-esteem the boost it needed after Mike’s insult. The house filled with laughter and chatter as everyone else slowly arrived. I was in my element, greeting everyone and making sure they had drinks. But Mike, of course, had to put a damper on things. “Emma, do you really think you should be drinking that wine? Isn’t it past your bedtime?” he said loud enough for everyone to hear.A few people awkwardly chuckled, but mostly there was an uncomfortable silence. I clenched my jaw and smiled through it.
“I’ll manage, Mike.” The party went on, and I tried to ignore him, but he was relentless. “You’re going to eat that cake? Do you really want to be old and fat?” he said when I reached for a slice. It took everything in me not to scream at him. Mike’s comments got nastier as the night went on, each one like a little jab to my heart.“You’re too old to dance, Emma. You might break a hip,” he said as I swayed to the music. I could see the pity in my friends’ eyes, and it made my blood boil. “Cut it out!” I hissed at Mike. “Why are you being such a jerk?” Mike’s face turned red. “I’m giving you a reality check,” he yelled. “You’re too old to act this way, too old to be attractive, too old for me, Emma!
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