The city lights twinkled beneath us like a sea of stars, the cool breeze ruffling my hair as I sat at the high-end rooftop bar, a proud smile on my face. Tonight was the night I would introduce my young boyfriend, Jake, to my group of successful and confident female friends.
"Ladies, may I present Jake," I said, gesturing to the handsome young man by my side. He gave a small wave, a blush creeping up his cheeks as the women exchanged polite greetings with him.
But I could see the wheels turning in their minds, the way their eyes sized him up and found him lacking. It was an age-old game, one I had played many times before. And yet, it still stung to see my loved ones being judged and belittled.
"So, Jake," said Veronica, the sharp-tongued lawyer of the group. "What do you do for a living?"
Jake stammered out that he was still in college, studying business. Veronica raised an eyebrow and said, "A boy toy, then. How... quaint." The women tittered behind their hands, and Jake's face fell.
I tried to intervene, but the women were relentless, implying that Jake was not a real man, that he was only with me for my money and connections. Jake started to look uncomfortable, then upset, and finally, he burst into tears.
The women stared at him in shock, then at me. My motherly instincts kicked in and I comforted Jake, leading him away from the group and scolding the women for their behavior.
"We were just having a bit of fun," they said, trying to defend themselves. But I wasn't having it. I told them they should be ashamed of themselves for treating Jake so poorly.
The women started to backtrack, apologizing half-heartedly. But Jake wasn't interested. He wanted to leave. I agreed and we made our exit, leaving the women to stew in their own toxicity.
As we walked away, Jake said, "I'm sorry, Felicity. I didn't mean to cause a scene."
I laughed and said, "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Those women are just jealous. They can't handle the fact that I've found someone who makes me happy, no matter his age."
Jake smiled, wiping away his tears. I would always have his back, no matter what. And together, we would face whatever challenges came our way, strong and unyielding.
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