Chapter 459: Chapter 459: MJ’s Family Meeting (3)

[Third Person Pov]

When Madeline returned from the bathroom, her face freshly washed and her eyes no longer red, she paused in the doorway of the dining room. The silence that greeted her was almost deafening. Everyone was already seated, the earlier shouting replaced by an awkward, heavy quiet. MJ and Gayle sat directly across from each other, both staring down at their empty plates as if they were the most fascinating things in the world. Neither daughter met their mother’s gaze.

Madeline slid into her seat at the head of the table, glancing around with visible confusion. Even Timothy, who had stayed completely out of the argument, looked stiff and uncomfortable, shifting in his chair and fiddling with his napkin. Peter, seated beside MJ, simply cleared his throat loudly, not saying a word afterwards but the message behind it was abundantly clear.

The quiet stretched for a few more seconds before MJ finally spoke, her voice subdued. "...I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to upset you."

"Yeah... I’m sorry too," Gayle added, the words sounding almost reluctant as they left her mouth.

Madeline turned her head toward Peter, who was wearing a quiet, satisfied little smile. She let out a faint scoff and shook her head in amusement, the tension in her shoulders visibly easing. With a soft sigh of relief, she said, "Thank you, all of you. I just want us to have a nice, pleasant meal together. I spent all afternoon in the kitchen preparing this, so let’s please put everything aside and enjoy it."

Everyone nodded in agreement, the collective murmur of assent breaking some of the ice. They began passing bowls and platters around the table—golden roasted chicken, creamy garlic mashed potatoes, buttered vegetables, and a fresh salad. The comforting clink of silverware against porcelain soon filled the room as they served themselves generous portions. The rich aromas should have made the moment warm and inviting, yet the atmosphere remained noticeably tense.

MJ kept her face mostly aimed downward at her plate, pushing her food around with her fork. Peter sat beside her, quietly observant, his hand occasionally brushing against hers under the table in silent support. Madeline, clearly determined not to let the dinner die in uncomfortable silence, cleared her throat gently.

"Ahem... so Gayle, how’s work been lately?"

"Fine," Gayle answered with a half-hearted shrug, not even looking up. "Nothing interesting to talk about."

Seeing that avenue close so quickly, Madeline smoothly shifted her attention to Timothy. "And how are your studies going, Timothy?"

This time the conversation flowed more easily. Timothy seemed grateful for the topic and began sharing details about his time at Law school. Madeline listened attentively, asking thoughtful follow-up questions, and slowly the rigid tension around the table began to thaw. Laughter even crept in once or twice as Timothy recounted a funny story about his experiences there.

Once everyone seemed more comfortable, Madeline turned toward her younger daughter with a warm, curious smile. "You know, MJ, you haven’t really told me much about how things are going with your internship at the Daily Bugle. How’s that been?"

MJ perked up immediately, her eyes brightening. "Oh, it’s great! I’m having tons of fun. Despite how he comes across, Mr. Jameson actually has his good moments. He’s been letting Eddie and me do real field reports, so we’re getting actual experience instead of just fetching coffee."

Timothy raised an eyebrow. "You’re working as a reporter for the Daily Bugle?"

"Yup!" MJ said, beaming with clear pride. "I was even on TV once—during Tony Stark’s big press conference."

"That’s right!" Timothy exclaimed, snapping his fingers as recognition hit. "You’re that chick who asked him if he wasn’t too old to be getting kidnapped all the time! You went kinda viral for that."

"MJ?!" Madeline said, eyes wide with disbelief and a hint of scandalized amusement.

"Ughhhh," MJ groaned, covering her face with both hands as her cheeks burned bright red. "Can we please not talk about that?"

Peter was chuckling warmly beside her, clearly enjoying her embarrassment. Gayle, on the other hand, simply rolled her eyes and took another bite of her chicken.

Peter nudged MJ lightly with his elbow, his voice gentle and encouraging. "Have you told her about the business contract you have going with the Bugle yet?"

"Ah—no, I suppose I forgot," MJ said, looking flustered but smiling faintly. She glanced at Peter and saw the unmistakable pride shining in his eyes. It made her heart flutter warmly in her chest seeing her so proud of her, he always took each of their achievements and made it something to brag about.

"Business contract?" Madeline asked, tilting her head in genuine confusion as she looked between her daughter and Peter. "What business contract, honey?"

Peter looked at MJ for permission. When she gave him a small nod and a soft smile, he turned back to Madeline, clearly excited to share the good news on her behalf.

"MJ here is the sole reason the Daily Bugle finally launched a proper online platform. She’s basically been promoted from intern to Digital Manager. She’s running the whole digital side of things now."

Madeline’s eyes widened in genuine shock. "Why am I only finding out about this *now*?!" she exclaimed, setting her fork down with a clatter.

"I may have... forgotten to mention it," MJ mumbled, taking a quick sip from her water glass to hide her sheepish smile.

Gayle let out a loud, bitter scoff. "How lucky for her," she muttered, rolling her eyes dramatically. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

MJ’s face tightened with irritation. She slowly lowered her glass, her knuckles whitening around it. "It wasn’t luck."

"Yeah, I’m sure it wasn’t," Gayle sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. The jab earned sharp, disapproving looks from everyone at the table—including her own mother and husband.

"What’s that supposed to mean?" MJ demanded, narrowing her striking emerald eyes into a fierce glare.

"You know exactly what it means," Gayle shot back. She leaned back in her chair and wiped her mouth with a napkin before tossing it onto her plate. "Let’s not pretend you accomplished all of this on your own. It certainly helps when you have connections in very high places, doesn’t it?"

Peter’s expression hardened, irritation flashing across his features. "I had nothing to do with it," he said firmly. "All of that was MJ’s own achievement. I didn’t use my name or Parker Industries to help her get any of it."

Timothy’s head snapped toward Peter so fast it was a wonder he didn’t pull a muscle. His eyes widened with sudden recognition as the pieces clicked into place, but no one paid him any attention. The focus remained locked on the escalating fight between the sisters.

"That’s bullshit and we both know it," Gayle insisted. "Everyone knows you two are friends—"

"Boyfriend," MJ corrected sharply, without a moment’s hesitation.

A stunned silence fell over the table.

"What?" Madeline and Gayle said almost in unison, turning to stare at her. Madeline of course knew about the secret relationship between MJ and Peter but didn’t think it had any label, so it took her by surprise.

"Peter isn’t just my friend," MJ stated clearly, lifting her chin. "He’s my boyfriend. Get it right."

Peter couldn’t stop the proud smirk that spread across his face, his eyes sparkling with affection as he glanced at MJ.

"I really didn’t help her land the position," he added, backing her up. "The only thing you could say I ’helped’ with was editing some of her articles and helping her write some pages when her hands were full. That’s normal when you care about someone."

"Finally!" Madeline cheered, clasping her hands together with pure delight. "You two have no idea how long I’ve been praying for this moment!"

Peter let out a soft snicker, clearly amused by her enthusiasm. MJ, however, was still glaring daggers at her sister, her patience completely exhausted.

"Just what are you even doing here, Gayle?" MJ asked, her voice sharp. "Did you just come to ruin everyone’s evening?"

"What?" Gayle asked, she was still momentarily stunned by the relationship reveal. She had watched MJ pine after Peter for years and knew exactly how deep her sister’s feelings ran.

"I’m asking if you only came over to shit on everything," MJ continued, her voice rising. "Is your life so miserable that you have to drag the rest of us down to your level?!"

"MJ—" Madeline began, trying to intervene.

"No, Mom!" MJ cut her off, pushing her chair back and nearly standing up. "Ever since we got here, she’s done nothing but throw shade and insults. I’m not going to sit here and keep taking it! If you’re just here to tear us down and make everyone else as unhappy as you are, then you can just leave!"

"Fine!" Gayle snapped. She threw her napkin onto the table and shot to her feet. "Let’s go, Tim."

"But—" Timothy started, looking visibly reluctant and embarrassed.

"I said let’s go!" Gayle barked, storming over to the couch to grab her handbag and coat. Timothy rose awkwardly, offering the rest of the family an apologetic glance before following his wife.

Gayle paused at the door, her hand on the knob, and delivered one final blow over her shoulder. "And for your information, I came here to tell you that Tim and I are expecting. I thought you might actually be happy for me. Clearly, that was a mistake."

The door slammed shut behind them with a deafening bang that echoed through the entire house. The sound reverberated off the walls, leaving the remaining three in stunned silence. The bomb Gayle had dropped hung heavy in the air, sucking all the oxygen out of the room.

Madeline sat frozen, one hand pressed to her chest. Peter and MJ exchanged wide-eyed glances, the weight of the revelation slowly sinking in. The once-warm aroma of dinner now felt distant and forgotten in the wake of the explosive exit.

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