Modern Family

Chapter Thirteen : Breaking Point

Chapter Thirteen | Breaking Point

It took everything in me not to hit Marcus in the face when he came back to the hospital, looking as smug as ever, and opened his mouth to ask that question. Of all the things he could've said, he had the nerve to ask, "When is Tookie getting discharged so she can get back to work promoting her album?"

I stared at him for a moment, not sure whether to laugh or scream. He couldn't be serious. Was he seriously asking when a pregnant woman—with triplets, no less—would be discharged so she could work on her album? The absolute gall.

"What does she have a team for?" I bit back, my voice dangerously low. "Are you really in here asking when a pregnant woman with triplets, by the way, will be discharged so she can promote a damn album? Are you sick?" I didn't even recognize the anger in my own voice, but at that point, I couldn't help it. I was beyond furious.

Marcus had always rubbed me the wrong way, but today, he was something else. His lack of empathy, his complete disregard for Tookie's health, all of it—he was like a walking, talking reminder of how much he cared about the business and not about the people involved.

He didn't see her as a person. He saw her as a product. A tool to get him ahead, and the thought of her being sidelined for her own well-being was just too much for him to handle. It was sickening.

Marcus, ever the calm, collected jerk, just shrugged as if my words didn't even faze him. "You and your husband think y'all know Tookie better than me," he said with a smirk that made me want to slap it off his face. "That girl is a workaholic, this is the schedule she made, so we're keeping it."

I rolled my eyes so hard I thought I might hurt myself. Of course, he was going to pull the workaholic card, as if that somehow justified what he was saying. I wasn't an idiot; I knew Tookie worked hard, but I also knew that there had to be a line, and that line was her health and the health of the babies. It didn't matter if she had planned her schedule months ago, things had changed now.

I could feel the heat in my chest rise to my throat. How could he stand there, cold and unbothered, and talk about schedules like Tookie's health didn't matter? Did he not see the monitors, the IVs, and the worried expressions on her face every time the doctor came in? Did he not know what a strain it was to carry one baby, let alone three? And he was concerned about a damn album?

"No, Marcus. Things have changed," I bit back, trying to keep my voice steady but failing. "We're not risking Tookie and the babies' health for this. Get her team to promote the damn album without her. People do it all the time. It's called delegation. Ever heard of it?"

My hands were trembling now, and I was seconds away from throwing the first punch, but I knew that wouldn't help anyone—not Tookie, not the babies, and certainly not me. Marcus was lucky Jonathan wasn't here. If he had been, I'm sure Marcus would have been knocked out cold by now.

Jonathan was never afraid to speak his mind, but when it came to stuff like this, it would have escalated into something ugly, and I wasn't sure Tookie would've appreciated that either. Still, the way Marcus was acting, so cold and insensitive, was pushing me to my limits.

Marcus smirked. Of course, he smirked. He was one of those guys who was always so sure of himself, as if the world revolved around him and his plans. "You think Tookie wants you or your husband running her life? She doesn't share, Trinity. She doesn't need you to step in and make decisions for her."

I froze for a moment, the words stinging more than they should have. I didn't need this from him. I wasn't here to play games with his ego, and I certainly wasn't going to let him get under my skin, but damn. The way he said it, like he knew Tookie better than anyone, made me want to scream.

Before I could respond, Reeva appeared, stepping between us and blocking my view of Marcus. She wasn't the type to let things slide either, and I was grateful for that. I took a breath and let her handle it. Maybe she had a way of defusing situations with Marcus that I didn't.

"Enough, Marcus," Reeva said, her voice sharp. "We all know you have a crush on Tookie, but take a damn hint. She didn't want you then, and she doesn't want you now. Be professional, have some empathy for a pregnant woman in the hospital, and do your job, or I'll make sure Tookie fires you."

Marcus glared at Reeva like she had just slapped him across the face. For a moment, I thought he might say something back, but Reeva wasn't one to back down, and her words clearly struck a nerve. He had no answer for her. His ego was bruised, and that was the only thing that mattered to him.

Reeva crossed her arms over her chest, giving him a look that said everything. "Glare all you want, Marcus, but you know I'm right. If you can't show basic respect, then maybe you need a different job."

Marcus didn't say anything more. He just turned and stormed off, leaving us standing there. The silence that followed was both a relief and a reminder of how tense things had been. I felt my body start to relax, but I was still pissed off. Who did he think he was?

I looked at Reeva and let out a sigh of relief. "Is he always like that?" I asked, still trying to calm myself down.

"Sometimes worse," Reeva said with a grimace. "But he's been Tookie's manager for years. She doesn't see the trouble he really is."

I could tell she was frustrated too. I couldn't have asked for a better ally. She got it. She understood how dangerous it was for Marcus to push Tookie like that, especially with her pregnancy complications. Reeva had always been protective of Tookie, and she wasn't about to let someone like Marcus jeopardize anything—especially not now.

"Right," I said, nodding.

Reeva's expression softened a bit, but there was still a hint of worry in her eyes. "So, how is she? How are the babies?"

"Better, but they're worried she may have preeclampsia." I couldn't help the small sigh of relief that escaped me.

At least Tookie was getting better—at least, for now. But hearing the word preeclampsia was still terrifying. It was one of the last things any pregnant woman wanted to hear, especially when there were three babies in the picture.

It didn't help that Tookie had been under so much stress lately, trying to juggle everything at once. If she had been in a better mental and physical state, maybe the pregnancy wouldn't have been as complicated. But now, all we could do was wait and see.

"Oh, fuck," Reeva muttered, her brow furrowing as she processed the news. "Okay, yeah, I'll go get Papa Phil to fire Marcus and have Kayla temporarily take over as Tookie's manager. We'll get the album stuff done without her. It's not a big deal."

I blinked, taken aback. "You guys can do that?"

Reeva smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Oh, yeah. Phil is our legal guardian and power of attorney. He has control of everything in case of emergencies. And, honey, this is an emergency."

I didn't realize how much control Phil had over their lives, but hearing it now made me feel a lot better. I had always known he was a tough guy—Tookie's rock, the person who always had her back—but to know he could step in like that and take charge of the situation? That was huge.

I smiled, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "I never thought I'd say this, but Papa Phil is the best."

Reeva laughed, the sound warm and familiar. "He's gonna be so happy to hear that. He hates Marcus. Always has."

I shook my head, trying not to laugh at the thought. "I think we all hate Marcus."

Reeva grinned, nodding in agreement. "Exactly."

Just like that, the tension in the room started to dissipate. There was still a long road ahead of us, and we weren't out of the woods yet. But with Reeva on my side, and Papa Phil ready to take charge, I felt like we had a fighting chance. And no matter what Marcus thought, no matter how hard he pushed, I knew we were going to make sure Tookie and her babies came first.

At the end of the day, that's all that mattered.