For Better or Worse

From The Haunted Wordsmith is the Opposites Attract Challenge #11.

For this challenge, I provide one word and a list of its antonyms. The challenge is to use the prompt word AND one (or more) of its antonyms in some form of writing (or creative work). Explore the word and its opposite … challenge your creative side
Today’s word: glorify
Antonyms: abase, degrade, demean, humble, humiliate

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For Better or Worse

My husband. His name is Gus and he’s a bastard.

He degrades me at home. Criticizes my cooking, my housecleaning, my haircut, how I dress the kids. Humiliates me – and I shouldn’t even be telling you this – in the bedroom. Humbles me by contradicting my opinions when we’re out with friends or family. But get a few beers in him and he’ll glorify me with an arm around my shoulder and a smile and a kiss on the cheek. “My trophy,” he says to me and others.

His trophy.

Rinse and repeat, and I let it continue while I continue to abase myself day after day.

Week after week.

Year after year.

I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be venting to you.

Why do I stay? I used to tell myself I could change him, but I realized years ago that would never happen. No, he’s not easy to live with, but what am I supposed to do, pack a suitcase for me and the kids and just walk out? It’s not so simple to up and leave and there aren’t a lot of alternatives, you know? Plus he’s good to the kids. And I… well, even though it’s been a long time since he hit me, I don’t know what he’d do if I took the kids and left.

For better or worse, right?

Me and Gus.

For better or worse.

Lately he’s been taking to criticizing my garden. He tries to humble me by commenting on the lack of color. “No roses?” he says. “Don’t gals like roses?” He says, the white plants are boring and why don’t I cut back their huge leaves.

The “white plants” are my favorite but I don’t tell him that.

And the “huge leaves”, I don’t tell him why I don’t prune those back.

You see, his “white plants” have a name. I don’t tell him the plants are called conium maculatum because he’d just shake his head, laugh and walk away. I don’t tell him that funny named plant is actually Hemlock.

And I don’t tell him that the dinner he’ll be eating tonight will be filled with the seeds and leaves of that white plant.

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