"I came here today to introduce you to my girlfriend, Ava," Mason announced, his voice a little too loud, shattering the comfortable hum of dinner conversation. The air in the opulent dining room, already thick with the scent of roasted lamb, suddenly became heavy, almost suffocating. An unsettling quiet descended, amplifying the clinking of silverware that, moments ago, had been barely noticeable. The awkwardness escalated exponentially when he blurted out the next words, "She's pregnant, so we're thinking about getting married."
A lump, the size of a golf ball, lodged itself in my throat, making it impossible to swallow. I'd had a nagging feeling all week that tonight's dinner, the one I'd been mentally preparing for, could go sideways. But this? This was a complete nosedive. My fork an
