Trash Son-in-law is the Almighty Marshal

CHAPTER 6

Belinda shoved Marcus hard enough to make him stagger, and in the next second, her palm connected with his cheek.

“You revolting bastard!” she spat. “How dare you try to ruin my daughter’s most important day? Didn’t I tell you to stay with the servers?”

Marcus rubbed his cheek in confusion. “Mother, I only wanted to be here for my wife.”

“Would you shut your trap!” Belinda fired back. “Who asked for your irritating presence? Do you think my daughter needs you embarrassing her in front of all these important people?”

Jeremy suddenly approached the stage, scratching the back of his head. “Mom, I have to tell you something,” he started.

Belinda turned toward him.

“It’s my fault he got inside,” he admitted, feigning innocence. “I saw him outside with the guards. They were trying to throw him out, but I stupidly let him manipulate me into telling them to let him in.”

“Oh, Jeremy, don’t blame yourself.” Belinda’s face and voice softened immediately. “You were only trying to be kind and it was taken advantage of.”

She turned her furious eyes back to Marcus. “This fool doesn’t deserve kindness from anyone in this family. We’ve tolerated him for years, and I’ve had enough!”

Marcus looked toward Katie. “Katie, you have to believe me. I didn’t come here to cause trouble.”

Katie stared at him coldly. “That’s exactly why you’re here. Don’t try to act innocent.”

Marcus opened his mouth to reply, but Katie wasn’t finished.

“I’ve put up with your nonsense for long enough, and now I’ve had it!” she spat bitterly.

Marcus took a step closer. “Katie, please calm down. We can talk about this at home. Just—”

“Don’t you dare!” Katie pointed directly at his face. “Don’t you dare tell me to calm down when you’ve ruined my event already!”

Marcus’s eyes widened. “Katie—”

“I hate you, Marcus,” Katie seethed. “Heaven knows that I hate you so much! The mere sight of you makes me want to stab myself in the eye!”

“Damn.” Jeremy put his fist to his mouth. “That was hard.”

“If I were this man, I’d just disappear into the ground,” one of the guests added.

“That serves him right,” another scoffed.

Gerard couldn’t hide the smirk on his face as Katie’s brutality towards Marcus brought him satisfaction.

Marcus’s face went pale. “You really hate me that much?” His voice came out as a pained whisper.

“Yes, she does,” Belinda chimed in wickedly. “And I do too. Maybe even more than her.”

Katie’s eyes were blank. No warmth could be found in them. “I regret the day I ever had the misfortune of seeing you. I wish my father never saved you. I wish he left you to die!”

The whole room seemed to tilt on its axis for Marcus. The words, I wish he left you to die, kept ringing in his head. He stumbled backwards and struggled to get his vision to focus.

Katie didn’t seem to care about how much her words hurt him. She simply pulled the wedding ring from her finger and threw it straight at his chest.

It bounced off him and landed on the floor between them.

“We’re done, Marcus,” she declared. “I want a divorce.”

“Finally.” The comments immediately rushed in as the guests didn’t hesitate to milk the situation.

“About time she came to her senses.”

“She never should’ve married a loser like that.”

“Good for her. She deserves so much better.”

An overjoyed Belinda pulled Katie into a hug and stroked her back like she was comforting a child.

“Oh, my darling. I’m proud of you,” she cooed. “Should’ve thrown this burden out years ago, but better late than never.”

“I’m so glad I’ve done it, Mom.” Katie’s voice came out muffled as she buried her face in her mother’s shoulder.

“Proud of you too, sis,” Jeremy chimed in. “Time we booted this loser out for good.”

“Would you look at that,” Gerard mocked Marcus. “Your wife and dignity, all lost in one night. Must suck to be you.”

Marcus’s fists clenched together.

“Here’s some advice,” Gerard drawled. “You’ve already lost everything worth having. Do us all a favor and jump off this building. I could even escort you to the rooftop if you want.”

“Whoa, Gerard,” Jeremy grinned. “You’re on a roll today.

None of what was happening felt real to Marcus. He just stared at a spot on the floor as though wishing it could open up and swallow him whole.

Katie snapped her fingers in front of him. “Hello? Did you even hear me? I said I want a divorce. We’re done.”

That pulled him back, and he lifted his head, meeting her eyes squarely.

“If that’s what you want,” he sighed, “then fine.”

Katie’s brows furrowed. She hadn’t expected that. She’d braced for his begging, for him to fall apart at her feet. But this composure threw her off.

“Oh, so now you’re acting tough?” she snapped, her attempt to remain calm slipping by the second. “Trying to save face because everyone’s watching?”

“I’m hurt,” he admitted quietly. “I won’t pretend I’m not.”

He glanced at the ring on the floor, then back at her. “But I think I’ve known for a while now. This was never really a relationship. It was just me, loving you on my own, wallowing in my delusions that one day you’d look at me and see someone worth being by your side forever.”

His voice remained quiet. “I told myself if I waited long enough, you’d come around. I was wrong. You don’t want me. You never did. And I don’t want to be the reason you’re miserable anymore.”

He took a deep breath. “So if it’s a divorce you want, Katie, that’s what you’ll have.”

Katie’s mouth opened, then closed again. This was the last straw as her composure completely fell apart.

“How dare you.” She jabbed her finger at him. “How dare you stand there acting like the victim!”

“I’m not—”

“Don’t!” She was shaking, tears spilling freely, making her mascara run down her cheeks in dark streaks. “You dirty gaslighter! I’m the one who suffered here! Not you! Me!”

Gerard, sensing an opportunity, stepped forward and squared Marcus up with a look of pure disgust.

“You want to know what you are?” he began, loud enough for the whole hall to hear. “You’re a shameless leech. A parasite who latched onto a woman way out of his league and called it love. You’re not even a man, you are filth she has to scrub off before she can move on with her life.”

He leaned down to be face level with Marcus. “You think you’re so smart, huh? Acting all calm, all tough, like that’s going to make her feel guilty. It’s not going to work. Nobody in this room is buying it.”

Marcus stared at Gerard, his jaw twitching uncontrollably as he fought the urge to punch him in the face.

“That’s not what I’m doing, and you know it,” he gritted. “This is between me and Katie, so stop interfering.”

Gerard smirked. “I’ll interfere all I want, and there’s nothing you can ever do about it.”

As he said this, he turned back to Katie. Then he reached up and wiped the tear-streaked mascara from her cheeks with his thumb.

“Don’t waste another tear on him,” he murmured, still wiping her cheeks in a gentle motion. “A loser like that doesn’t deserve your precious tears. He’s a nobody, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s already a dead man.”

Katie sniffled, nodding as she looked up at him through tear-filled eyes. “Thank you, Gerard, for being here in this difficult time,” her lips quivered. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”

Gerard smiled, and without breaking eye contact with her, he went down on one knee.

“I’ll put that gorgeous smile he took from you back on your face,” he assured, then reached into the inner pocket of his suit and pulled out a small, black velvet box.

The hall remained silent as he opened it and held it out toward her. “Katie Johnson, will you marry me?”