It stung in a way that Ben couldn't have articulated that Melody had apologized to him for their elopement. She hadn't apologized to Ben for the embarrassment of following through with their elopement, pretending to everyone that this was just one more stupid and impulsive decision he had made. He'd lied to his friends and family to save her, tarnished his own reputation to protect hers as best he could, but — sure, apologize to this guy.
There was a sour taste in Ben's mouth and he tried to swallow it down. Once upon a time, Melody had found this man so odious that she had cornered Ben in a closet and asked to sleep with him mere days before her wedding. She'd given up her virginity strictly to prevent him from being able to take it. Part of Ben wished he could tell Black that. It wouldn't hurt his feelings (he obviously didn't care about Melody, and never had) but it might wound his pride.
But Melody probably didn't even remember that, so what was the point? Right now, she thought this American cad was a respectable gentleman who deserved an apology, and that Ben was a bad husband who had never made her happy. The past was dead.
Fuck, he hated his life. He wished he could pick up his glass of whiskey and throw it in the other man's face, but that would only give credence to his entirely ridiculous statement about the danger of them coming to blows at a ball somewhere (which was insulting enough in and of itself — did he think Ben was some sort of uncivilized brute with no tact? Honestly!)
"I have never spared a thought for your attendance at an event before accepting or rejecting an invitation," he said pointedly. "I don't care enough about you to even notice when you're in the room and I certainly would never quarrel with you at an event. If others have a different perception of our relationship, or lack of one, that seems to be their problem, not mine." He could have ended there — and probably should have — but he added with some underlying venom, "And I don't think it fair to force my wife into the company of someone she despised in order to remedy it."
There was a sour taste in Ben's mouth and he tried to swallow it down. Once upon a time, Melody had found this man so odious that she had cornered Ben in a closet and asked to sleep with him mere days before her wedding. She'd given up her virginity strictly to prevent him from being able to take it. Part of Ben wished he could tell Black that. It wouldn't hurt his feelings (he obviously didn't care about Melody, and never had) but it might wound his pride.
But Melody probably didn't even remember that, so what was the point? Right now, she thought this American cad was a respectable gentleman who deserved an apology, and that Ben was a bad husband who had never made her happy. The past was dead.
Fuck, he hated his life. He wished he could pick up his glass of whiskey and throw it in the other man's face, but that would only give credence to his entirely ridiculous statement about the danger of them coming to blows at a ball somewhere (which was insulting enough in and of itself — did he think Ben was some sort of uncivilized brute with no tact? Honestly!)
"I have never spared a thought for your attendance at an event before accepting or rejecting an invitation," he said pointedly. "I don't care enough about you to even notice when you're in the room and I certainly would never quarrel with you at an event. If others have a different perception of our relationship, or lack of one, that seems to be their problem, not mine." He could have ended there — and probably should have — but he added with some underlying venom, "And I don't think it fair to force my wife into the company of someone she despised in order to remedy it."
MJ made this <3