Ruby stared, wide-eyed at the double pink lines on the pregnancy test strip in her trembling hand.
"I'm pregnant!"
Her mouth hung open forming a perfect O, frozen on a spot. Her mind blanked and her heart pounded inside her ears like a warning gong.
"How did this ooo....holy shit!"
Her widened eyes almost popped out of their sockets as memories of that steamy night with Mr Handsome, whose name she doesn't even know, played before her eyes.
It had been one wild unforgettable night of reckless abandon. She barely remembers most of what happened because she had been mostly under the influence of alcohol.
As a matter of fact, both of them had been caught up in a drinking challenge and were completely drunk by the time they made it to his hotel room.
"No...no....no..." She cupped her mouth, guilt washing over her as it suddenly dawned on her that she was pregnant with a complete stranger's child.
All she had wanted to do back then was get back at Derek for cheating on her with her cousin.
Pregnancy wasn't supposed to be a part of the revenge package.
A gentle knock on the door made Ruby flinch, her panicked eyes darting to the door.
"Ruby..." Came Elena's voice –Ruby's chief bridesmaid and best friend.
Ruby exhaled, relaxing. For a moment she told it was her mother or worse, Derek's mom.
"What is taking you so long, Missy? Are you giving birth in there?"
"Very funny." Ruby hissed inwardly. "I'm coming." She tossed the pregnancy strip into the toilet and flushed it down the drain.
Then she hurried to the mirror to check her face, which was looking paler than morning mist fading under the sun.
Splashing a little water on her face, she wiped it with a towel before opening the bathroom door.
She wore a calm expression on her face even though she was a wreck within.
"What in God's name was taking you so long ?" Elena craned her neck behind Ruby as if she could find the answers on the tiled floor. "You are supposed to be done with your hair and makeup by now."
"Relax.."
"Don't tell me that. Aunt Donna is going to shave my hair if she finds you like this." Elena grabbed her by the arm and led her to the vanity mirror where the makeup artist and hair stylist were waiting.
"Sit!" Elana pointed to the chair.
"Yes ma'am." Ruby sat down, plastering a sweet believable smile.
"I can tell you are having the wedding jitters." Elena signalled the hairstylist and makeup artist to begin their work. "But there's nothing to be scared of. Today is meant to be the happiest day of your life."
"Who said anything about wedding jitters?" Ruby playfully rolled her eyes while staring at her pale reflection.
"Then why have you been acting funny for the past hour, going in and out of the toilet? Or are you pregnant?"
Ruby froze, her mind instantly going blank.
Elena's eyes widened with shock.
"You are..."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Ruby cut her off feverishly. "You were correct the first time. I'm nervous. Does that make you happy?"
"Hmm..." Elena eyed her suspiciously. "If you say so." She crawled not believing her friend. "But like I said you earlier, you don't have to be scared. In less than two hours, you're going to be Mrs Ruby Bishop. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"
"Is it?".Ruby echoed in her thoughts, her heart twisting with guilt and betrayal. She was tempted to confide in her friend but decided this wasn't the perfect time.
Just then, Derek's mom, Donna, barged into the room, looking elegantly stunning in a chic lace dress made by Ruby.
"Where is my beautiful daughter....what!" Donna was shocked to see Ruby still dressed in her bathrobe.
"You are not ready yet! What is going on here?" Her accusing gaze flashed at Elena. "Have you been engaging the bride in frivolous gossip?"
"No..." Elena raised both her hands in the air, dramatically.
"You know what, go out there and make sure the bride's maids are not flirting with the groomsmen. I'll take care of my daughter."
"Okay, aunty." Elena winked playfully at her bestie before disappearing behind the door.
"Mom..." Ruby furrowed her brow.
"Don't stress yourself, honey." Donna cooed sweetly, pulling a chair close to Ruby. "Just relax and let us pamper you like the Queen that you are."
Ruby forced a smile, her chest heaving with guilt. The method of crushing Donna's heart with her pregnancy report, crippling her nerves.
"Mom... What if I didn't marry your son? Will you still love me?"
"What?! Donna gasped, and Ruby's chest tightened. "Where is that coming from, sweetheart? Are you and Derek fighting?!" She clutched her chest like someone about to have a cardiac arrest.
"Calm down, Mom. Derek and I didn't have a fight." Ruby assured Donna, while laughing feverishly. "It was just a harmless question."
"No Ruby. Please don't ask such a question. It could jinx your wedding. You are my son are destined to be together. And there is nothing in this world that could stop me from loving you like you were my own daughter."
Ruby smiled, batting her eye severally to push back her threatening tears. She took Donna's hand into hers and squeezed them tightly.
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you more, my angel." Donna stroked Ruby's hand tenderly, her eyes brimming with genuine love and affection.
An hour later, Ruby was transformed into a fairytale bride who left everyone in the room gushing over her.
The door to the room opened and Derek walked in, looking equally stunning in his custom-made white tuxedo, which hugged his body perfectly.
"Derek!" Ruby's expression turned sour. But thankfully her veil was covering her face and no one noticed the cold look in her eyes.
"Son, you shouldn't be here." Donna shot him a disapproving stare. "Don't you know it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?"
"I don't believe in such superstition, Mom. I just wanted to talk to my beautiful bride before we take our vows." Derek's disarming smile left his mother weakened and beaming proudly
"Listen to your mother Derek." Ruby scolded in a slightly trembling voice, afraid that she might call off the wedding with the slightest mistake from his end. "Whatever you want to see can wait till after the wedding."
"No it can't." Derek insisted, taking her trembling hands. "I just wanted to tell you how much I love you with every beat of my heart" he said smoothly.
"Aww!"
Everyone in the room gushed at the beautiful couple while Ruby held her breath as her stomach started churning again.
"Derek, you should go. We are already running late" Ruby manage to say, suck air into her lungs to stifle her nausea.
"I can't wait to tell the whole world that you are the only woman in my life." Derek brought her hand to his lips to kiss it but Ruby pulled it away.
"Derek!" She snapped.
"Son, a good husband listens to his wife. Go." Donna stepped in and Derek immediately left after blowing kisses to Ruby.
-
-
Thirty minutes later, Ruby was standing inside the holy cathedral before Derek and in the presence of both their families and friends–listening to the priest ask that terrifying but necessary question.
"If there is anyone who thinks this couple cannot be joined together in holy matrimony, please speak now or forever hold your peace."
Ruby's heart started pounding even louder. Every bit of her objected to this marriage. She wanted to scream out and call Derek out for being a backstabbing bastard.
But her loyalty to her family and her love for Derek's parents cats stopped her from saying anything.
Looking away from her cheating partner, her horrid gaze swept across the crowd of beaming faces. It narrowed on Bailey–who was to busy scowling at Derek to care.
But then, something...rather, someone caught Ruby's attention.
There he was, seated on the back row, looking like a dangerously handsome medieval prince in his charcoal black suit and smiling... no smirking devilishly at her.
It was the same man she had lost her virginity to. The man who had given her an unforgettable night of raw pleasure. The nameless father of the seed growing in her womb.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Ruby muttered under her breath.
Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the deafening silence, snapping everyone's attention.
"I object to this union."