The fake vase

"Wow but if it isn't my little brother-in-law! You are definitely the last wonder my grandfather left us before he died."

"I guess he was grandfather is a very wise man."

"That's right he was quite the altruist who lived by picking up little animals on the street."

Marc, felt uncomfortable when Melinda's older brother, he was aware that he had been picked up practically off the street but didn't think it was a reason to be ridiculed. Melinda gave him an apologetic look before Marc could respond.

"Don't worry, I don't want to bother you with my presence I just came to bring you a special gift for my grandmother," Marc said with a forced smile. "I found it in an antique store and thought it would be perfect for her."

"I'm sure it would," Melinda's older brother said with a sarcastic tone. "I hope she didn't spend too much on it."

Marc felt a mixture of anger and embarrassment, but decided not to respond. Instead, he turned to Melinda and handed her the gift. she took it gratefully and gave him a hug.

"Thank you, Marc. I know it will mean a lot to my grandmother," Melinda said with a smile.

As they walked toward the living room where Grandma was, Marc noticed that Melinda's older brother kept glaring at him. He felt annoyed at the way he was treating him, but he didn't want to ruin Grandma's birthday.

When they entered the living room, all eyes turned to them. Grandma was sitting in a wheelchair with a big smile on her face.

"Marc, it's so good to see you here!" grandma said excitedly. "It's so wonderful that you came to my birthday."

Marc, was relieved to see the happiness on Grandma's face. He walked over and gave her a hug.

"Happy birthday, Grandma. I hope you enjoy your present," Marc said with a smile.

Grandma opened the package and took out the carefully wrapped object. Her eyes lit up when she saw it.

"Thank you so much," Grandma said excitedly. "I really appreciate you coming today."

Melinda's older brother, John, continued to belittle Marc as he showed his gift to the Hamilton family. It was a very expensive and beautiful antique vase that he had purchased at auction.

"Look, this is what I call a birthday present," John said, frowning at Marc's modest gift.

Melinda noticed the tension in the air and tried to ease the situation. "Oh, thank you, John, that's a very nice gift," she said as she admired the vase.

But John didn't stop there. "Really, Marc, can't you afford anything better than that? Don't you think Grandma deserves something more impressive for her birthday?"

Marc felt uncomfortable at John's words and tried not to show it. "Well, this is the best I can afford right now," Marc said, trying to remain calm.

John scoffed. "Yeah, I guess it is. But don't worry, someday you'll be able to afford something better."

The conversation continued for a while longer, but Marc couldn't help but feel humiliated. Why did John always have to put him down? What could he do to show him that he, too, was capable of making a great gift?

Meanwhile, Melinda began to notice the tension between her husband and her older brother. She knew she would have to intervene before things got worse.

The atmosphere became uncomfortable and the dinner held in honor of Mrs. Hamilton's birthday, took place in a heavy silence. Everyone was thinking about the tension between Marc and John. The evening had been a disaster, but for Marc, the worst was yet to come.

After dinner was over, Melinda approached Marc and told him she needed to talk to him. 

"I know John made you feel bad tonight, but don't worry. I promise you'll find a way to show him that you're capable of giving a great gift," Melinda said as she hugged him.

But Marc knew he would have to do more than just find a great gift. He would have to show John that he was capable of competing with him in every aspect of life. And that was something that wasn't going to be easy.

John wasn't giving up, he was still teasing Marc, regardless of who was present. Melinda felt a knot in her stomach when her brother made fun of Marc and his gift. As always, he was trying to belittle her husband, and this time he had succeeded. But for the first time, Melinda spoke up for Marc.

"You don't have to make fun of him. He's my husband and I love him, so what does it matter if he's not rich like you?" she said bravely, despite her trembling voice.

Melinda's brother was silent for a few seconds, surprised that his sister was finally confronting him. But he soon regained his arrogance and mocked her as well.

"Poor Melinda, married to a loser. You become a loser too," he said as he laughed.

Melinda, speechless, her heart was pounding. She felt embarrassed and exposed in front of her brother, who had always been condescending to her and her husband.

Marc, went over to her and hugged her, whispering words of comfort in her ear. But the damage had already been done.

The tense atmosphere in the living room was palpable, and Melinda longed to get out of there. But she knew she couldn't let her brother defeat her.

She decided she was going to prove to him and to everyone that her love for Marc was stronger than any insult or slight.

With tears in her eyes, Melinda steeled herself and prepared to face whatever the future held for them.

Melinda became increasingly uncomfortable with her brother's behavior toward her husband, Marc. 

Despite her brother's disparaging comments about Marc, Melinda was determined to support her husband in public.

Marc began to look very closely at the vase John gave Grandma.

"It's an antique 19th century vase, valuable and expensive!" his brother boasted with a smirk.

Marc, frowned at the gift, which caused Melinda's brother to accuse him of not appreciating art, but instead of reacting, Marc looked intently at the vase.

"This vase is a fake," Marc suddenly said, startling everyone in the room.

Melinda's brother became furious. "That's impossible, I bought it at a reputable auction!"

Marc smiled calmly. "I'm sorry, but it's a fake. As an expert in art and antiques, I can see that this vase has been made recently and painted to look antique. It's not worth anything."

The room fell silent, and Melinda felt torn between hatred for Marc and loyalty to her husband. Suddenly, her brother turned to her and began to taunt her as well.

"Do you really think you can be the wife of a loser like him? You're a loser too, Melinda," he said with an evil grin.

Melinda blushed and felt humiliated. She couldn't find words to defend herself against her brother, and she realized how alone she was at that moment.

How will Melinda react to the situation? Will she remain fait

hful to her husband or will she join her brother against him? How will this affect her marriage?