"Is that my daughter?! Is Ruby finally home?" Agnes's sleeping robe swayed wildly behind her as she hurried out of the house, her heart pounding.
"Oh God....please let it be her..." Agnes's sister, Grace hurried after her, eyes brimming with anticipation.
Elena and the rest of the extended Angelo family followed closely behind the anxious parents, each one mumbling a silent prayer.
Jonathan was the first to get out of the house, just as the car pulled to a halt by the driveway.
"It's Derek's best man's car." Agnes clapped her hands for joy, thinking her daughter was seated behind those tinted glass windows.
"Did he succeed in finding her?" Elena echoed in disbelief, knowing Ruby would be the last person to hitch a ride with Derek after everything.
"Of course he did." Agnes flashed the young lady a vicious stare which clearly said, 'Keep your negative thoughts to yourself.'
"Sorry aunty." Elena smiled feverishly, her gaze flickering to the car as the front passenger door opened.
A completely exhausted and fatigued-looking Raymond slowly stepped out of the car, his disappointed gaze meeting Jonathan, who was already standing beside the car.
"You didn't find her?" Jonathan's voice cracked slightly as he read the heartbreaking truth on Raymond's face.
"I'm sorry Uncle Jonathan, we searched for her everywhere. We even drove down to the city but...."
"Noooooo...." Agnes' broken voice rose like a church bell, cutting Raymond off. "My baby...my only child... Derek has killed me." She broke down in tears falling into her slightly trembling husband's open arms.
"Agnes, pull yourself together." Jonathan chided softly, his own heart threatening to collapse at Raymond's words. But he tried to remain stoic as the head of the family.
"Sister, please don't cry, Ruby will return to us. I believe she's in safe hands." Grace stood beside her elder sister stroking her back.
"I think we have to go to the police. We have to report a case of a missing person." Another of Ruby's aunts suggested, but the oldest family member in their midst– Mama Diana, Ruby's paternal grandmother – cut her off, striking her walking cane on the floor.
"Don't be silly. My granddaughter is not missing." Mama Diana hissed before tilting her reassuring gaze to her son. "Don't worry, Joe. Ruby may be heartbroken but she is not stupid or reckless. She will come back home."
"And where is that lousy man who put my poor niece in this condition?" Jonathan's elder sister, Felicia narrowed her gaze at the car, fury burning in her eyes.
"I'm sure the shameless womaniser must have run back to his parents." Courtney, Felicia's oldest daughter, hissed, hand akimbo.
Just then, the driver's door slowly opened, and Derek climbed out of the car, looking utterly dishevelled and broken. His once pristine tuxedo was looking rumpled, and dark circles rimmed his bloodshot eyes from an endless night of searching.
Instantly, every angry eye outside the Angelo house flickered to him, their expression anything but sympathetic.
"You shameless he-goat!" Agnes flared up her eyes shooting daggers at Derek. She tried to go over to him but her husband quickly restrained her. "Have you seen what you've done to my daughter?"
"Mom, I'm very..."
"Don't you dare call me your mother," Agnes yelled, picking up her slippers and throwing them at him.
Raymond quickly dodged as the flying slippers missed him by an inch before bouncing off the car.
"Forgive me." Derek pleaded in a trembling voice, ignoring the animosity directed at him as he vowed. "I promise, I'll bring her back home. I just wanted to give you an update."
"There is no need for that." Jonathan cut him off, his anger rising in his tone. "Go back home to your parents and wait for my call. Ruby will come back home when she's ready."
"But dad..."
"Are you deaf?" Courtney lashed out angrily, barely containing her fury. "Uncle Jonathan said you should leave. We do not want to see right now."
"Everyone, silent." Mama Diana's voice rose above the tension, calming the spiked nerves. She turned to the dishevelled young man standing a few meters away from her.
"I trusted you, Derek. You were one of my favourite future son-in-laws. How could you do this to my granddaughter? If you stopped loving her, why didn't you say so, than putting her through this pain?"
"I've never stopped loving her for one day, Grandma. Ruby is my world. I admit I was very stupid and blinded by lust." Derek fell on his knees, both hands clasped. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to win her back."
"You are so pathetic." Elena spat out, her fist clenched by her side and her darkened gaze spewing invisible fiery darts at Derek.
Derek ignored Elena's outburst as he continued to plead with the matriarch of the family.
"I'm very sorry, Grandma. Please forgive me."
"You are sorry!" Agnes screamed at the top of her voice, and Mama Diana shook her head in disappointment before walking back into the house, leaving her first son to deal with the madness.
"Are you?!" Agnes continued. "You not only cheated on my daughter for three long years with her cousin, but you also got her pregnant five times.
"What?!" Derek's jaw dropped, his eyes widening in shock. "N.....ooo. It was..."
"Shut up, Derek!" Felicia's voice lashed like a whip. "Are you going to deny that you didn't have four abortions with Bailey and a fifth pregnant, which is by the way seven weeks old?"
"What?! Bailey lied to me!" Derek muttered under his breath.
All this while he was having his fun time with her, he never knew she was pregnant again. If he did, she would have aborted it immediately. He had no plans of being a father, nor was he ready for the distraction of parenting.
"Seriously Derek! You're going to pretend like you don't know Bailey is pregnant for you again?" Courtney snapped angrily at Derek's stunned expression.
"I...I... I swear! I don't." Derek stuttered and Raymond felt like going over to him and punching him in the face.
"Get out of my house." Agnes shrieked, unable to stand her favourite son-in-law at the moment.
"Derek I think you should leave right now." Jonathan's steely voice boomed, his narrowed gaze shooting lasers.
"We are leaving, uncle." Raymond hurried to where Derek was kneeling and begging. He forcefully pulled him up to his feet and pushed him towards the car while the rest of the family hurled insults at him.
With Derek finally inside the car, Raymond quickly got into the driver's seat and sped off towards Derek's parents' house, where another chaotic drama was awaiting them.