"Oh....I love you, Derek."
A woman's trembling echoed from the master bedroom.
"Bailey!" Ruby stood frozen in the doorway, eyes widened and mouth hanging open. Her heart clenched with such force that for a second, she thought she would collapse from cardiac arrest.
There on their bed, was Bailey, her cousin, arched beneath her fiancé, Derek, who was moving above her with a hunger Ruby had never seen in her life.
The way his hands gripped Bailey's waist with such desperate devotion, made Ruby's stomach twist violently.
But it wasn't just his actions that threw those fatal punches at her fragile heart. It was Derek's response to Bailey cries of pleasure.
His voice was ragged and breathless as he groaned. "God, I love you, baby..."
"More than you love her?" Bailey whispered breathlessly, catching sight of her cousin who was frozen by the door. Her smiles widened as she tightened her grip possessively around his neck.
"She is nothing compared to you." Derek replied breathlessly.
At those words, something inside Ruby snapped. She stumbled backwards, both hands clutching her chest as if trying to hold the cracked pieces of her heart together.
Burning tears stung her shimmering eyes as she tried to make sense of everything happening before her.
Derek wasn't just her fiancé and co-business partner, he was her childhood sweetheart and the only man she had ever loved.
They were supposed to tie the knot in five weeks and both their families were happily looking forward to this union.
'How could he do this to me?' She queried her thoughts. 'Where did I go wrong?'
She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. The room seemed to tilt as she struggled to stand on her feet.
Her lungs squeezed painfully as if someone had placed a boulder on her chest.
"Breathe… Ruby… please breathe…"
A tiny voice echoed from deep within. But air refused to enter her body.
Each attempt to inhale came in short, quivering gasps that scraped her throat painfully.
But despite her trauma, Derek didn't notice her presence. He was too busy, buried deep inside her cousin to see her choking for air.
After what felt like an eternity trapped in that suffocating room, Ruby slowly turned around and staggered out of the house, clutching her handbag like her only lifeline.
She didn't feel the cold night air hitting her face or hear the concerned voice of sympathetic passersby as she walked for a long time, letting her tears fall freely.
Finally, after hours of wandering with numb legs and trembling hands, she flagged down a taxi.
She slipped into the back seat like a ghost, eyes hollow and her breath uneven.
"Just… drive," She whispered.
"To where?" The driver asked gently, shaking his head in pity.
"Anywhere," Ruby murmured, staring blankly out the window as the city lights smeared into streaks.
After almost thirty minutes of driving around the city, Ruby's reddened eyes caught sight of a neon post that glowed like a taunt from fate itself.
It was the Good Fellas Elite Gentleman bar, the same place she had heard Derek talk so much about.
"Stop here." She said weakly and the taxi driver brought the car to a halt.
Ruby didn't hesitate for a second as she walked into the bar, looking completely out of place.
The warm light flooded her vision, accompanied by the soft hum of luxury and jazz.
The scent of expensive cologne mixed with cigar smoke and money hung in the air like an air freshener as she marched forward, unfazed.
Heads turned immediately, some bored and others inquisitive as she boldly made her way to the bar, like she had a million dollars in her pocket to throw around.
When she reached the bar counter, she slammed her palm onto the polished surface.
"Give me the strongest alcohol you have," she said hoarsely.
The bartender, a middle-aged man with kind eyes, assessed her calmly. She didn't look like someone who could afford the bills in such an expensive establishment. But her reddened, swollen eyes and trembling fingers spoke volumes of the pain she was trying to smother. It made him feel sorry for her.
"Miss, are you sure you want..."
"I said, give me your strongest whiskey."
Ruby's voice cracked like a whip, attracting more attention to herself.
"As you wish." He left and, within minutes, returned with her order.
Ruby didn't hesitate as she swallowed the liquid in one smooth, desperate gulp.
Fire tore down her throat, causing her to wince in pain.
"Good. Let it burn." She muttered under her breath. "Let it destroy everything." She looked up at the worried bartender.
"Keep it coming."
"Miss, maybe you should slow down. This isn't your regular..."
"Another," She snapped impatiently not caring who was looking or what would become of her.
The bartender obeyed, bringing in one shot after another while wondering how should react when the bill came.
Ruby downed the second shot and then the third, fourth, fifth and at some point lost count.
Behind her, whispers grew and some entertained rich men immediately took a fancy to her, some already placing bets on her head.
But Ruby ignored them all as she continued with her drink.
"Men..." She drawled after her eighth shot, slamming the glass down so hard it rattled. "They are all jerks. Every last one of them. Cheaters… liars… parasites in expensive suits."
A few men stiffened at her word.
But one man in particular straightened in annoyance at her harsh word.
Kai had been sitting at the far end of the bar, two seats from her, nursing his drink while waiting for a friend, when Ruby's outburst sliced through the air. He set his glass down and turned toward her. "Alright, that's enough, lady."
Ruby glared at the sharply dressed, handsome man with an annoyingly composed aura, scowling at her.
"And who the hell are you to tell me what to do?" She hissed, swaying slightly to the side.
"Someone who takes offence at being labelled a jerk without reason."
She scoffed. "Maybe because you're one."
Kai lifted a brow, amused and irritated at the same time. "Seriously?!"
"Yes." She hissed. "You and all your species."
"I'm guessing if you have a father, then that makes him a jerk too, right?"
Ruby's face twisted with rage, as she wagged her forefinger at him. "Don't you dare bring my father into this, you asshole."
Kai exhaled sharply. "Oh...now you're offended?"
"I won't waste my breath on you," Ruby hissed, waving at the bartender. "Another."
Kai grabbed the bottle before the bartender could pour her another drnk.
"Give it back." Ruby yelled.
"I'll make you a deal."
"Not interested."
"You don't have a choice." Kai raised the bottle above her head when she tried to snatch the bottle and Ruby almost slipped.
"You are so annoying."
"Let's settle this properly, in a drinking challenge." Kai said ignoring her outburst.
"You and me, glass for glass. Whoever loses eats back their words."
Ruby clenched her jaw. "Meaning?"
"If I lose… I'll admit all men are jerks." He paused holding her piercing gaze.
"But if you lose… you'll take back everything you just said and apologize to every male seated here."
Ruby's laugh was humourless and sharp. "Fine. But don't cry when I bury you."
Kai tapped the bottle. "We'll see."
He poured the first round and the game began.
-
-
By the following morning, Ruby awoke to a head-splitting migraine and an unfamiliar ache between her thighs.
She fluttered her eyes severely, trying to figure out where she was.
Then she felt a strong arm resting lazily but possessively around her waist. She turned her head slowly and came face to face with a godlike beauty sculpted in human form.
It was the annoying man from the previous night. He was sound asleep and half of his handsome face was buried inside the soft pillow.
"Oh God..." Ruby gently lifted the duvet and realized they were both naked. "...what have you done?"
She took in a deep breath and quietly slipped out of the bed without waking him up.
Picking up her dress from the floor, she quickly slipped into it.
Then she picked up all her belongings and quietly slipped out of the room without making a sound.
She kept her head lowered in shame as she hurriedly left the five-star hotel where she had spent the night.
Outside, she hailed a taxi and gave him the address to a motel in the suburbs of town.
Behind closed doors, she finally allowed herself to cry out her heart.
After a few minutes of self-admonishment, she thoroughly cleaned herself up and decided to carry on with her life like nothing happened.
*****
Five weeks later...
Ruby stared, wide-eyed at the double pink lines on the pregnancy test strip in her trembling hand.
"I'm pregnant?!"
"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.