RUBY.
"Wait, are you seriously telling me that you had no clue about your husband's graduation party?" Sapphire asked, clearly perplexed.
"I honestly had no idea. He never tells me anything! I guess that means he doesn't want me there," I replied with a hint of bitterness.
"What! You better be joking! This could turn into a scandal on blogs and news sites like, 'Is there trouble in paradise? Toby Daniels throws a graduation party, but his wife refuses to attend. Are they headed for divorce?' Can you imagine the rumors that could come from this? People already have their doubts about your marriage, despite the interviews you've done," Sapphire ranted dramatically.
"Why didn't he think it was important to inform me then? Well, I'm not going anywhere, and that's final. I couldn't care less about those stupid scandals. They don't affect me anyway," I replied nonchalantly, earning an eye roll from Sapphire.
"Come on, we both know that it does affect you, so stop deceiving yourself," she responded calmly.
"Okay, let's say I decide to go. What if someone is there? What if he humiliates me? What if I embarrass myself? What if I don't look good enough to stand by his side? What if he doesn't even acknowledge me when I arrive, considering he didn't even bother to inform me about the party?" I voiced my insecurities, attempting to mask them but failing.
"Uh... Ruby, I've been telling you that you need to boost your confidence and let go of your insecurities. You're a celebrity now, and you should believe in yourself. You're beautiful, don't think otherwise. Or are you just scared of him? Wait, did he do something to you? Don't tell me that jerk threatened you!" Sapphire exclaimed, clenching her fists.
"Oh no! I'm just saying that we shouldn't aggravate him further or even his mother. He's still angry at me for everything, you know? He believes I ruined his life or something," I clarified.
"Ugh, he needs to stop acting like a jerk! When life gives you lemons, make lemonade," I chuckled, appreciating Sapphire's ability to lighten up a tense atmosphere.
After two hours, Sapphire succeeded in getting me to wear one of the beautiful and classy outfits from my extensive wardrobe. It was a stunning low-back gown that stopped at my mid-thigh, accentuating my skin tone and making me feel gorgeous. She expertly styled my hair, and I completed the look with a pair of elegant white heels and a small white bag. I didn't let her apply any makeup, but she assured me that I looked beautiful even without it.
We arrived at the venue in my sleek black Lexus, and to my surprise, there were no reporters in sight, only imposing security guards. It was clear that Toby wanted the freedom to do as he pleased. I suddenly felt the urge to retreat back to my car and drive away, but Sapphire was already practically dragging me towards the entrance.
I let out a sigh.
I did my best to match Sapphire's confident stride, attempting to exude sexiness in the process. Sapphire was a natural at this sort of thing and didn't break a sweat. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for me.
We gracefully entered the venue and immediately noticed that there were only a few people present, no more than ten. It was evident that they were Toby's closest friends and family members. I was surprised to see heads turn to look at us, but my low self-esteem convinced me that they were only staring at Sapphire.
"Of course, it's Sapphire! Who are you to be the center of attention, Beyoncé?" my inner voice taunted.
Two girls whom I recognized as Sapphire's acquaintances rushed towards us. One greeted me, while the other didn't even acknowledge my presence. And you know who else failed to acknowledge me? Toby. As soon as I entered, our eyes met, and we held each other's gaze for a few seconds before he turned back to laughing with his friends, with Yasmin in his arms.
Yasmin was dressed in a revealing blue gown that barely covered her rear, and she looked stunning. Her heels were higher than mine, yet she walked with grace, while I struggled to maintain my balance.
I found a seat beside Sapphire and her friends, and as they chatted away, I couldn't help but sneak glances at Toby amidst his group. He was dressed in simple jeans and a T-shirt, yet he oozed coolness and handsomeness effortlessly. What didn't suit that man? I wondered.
My sneaky staring was interrupted when I felt someone tapping me. "What are you thinking about? Let's go and greet the newly graduated," Sapphire said, dragging me towards Toby's group.
"This is where you should be, anyway," she whispered in my ear just before we reached them.
"Hey Toby! Hey, guys, and..." Sapphire greeted, pausing to glare at Yasmin, who clung to Toby without letting go. Sapphire decided not to greet her and made her displeasure evident.
"Hey, sweetie." Toby disentangled himself from Yasmin to hug my sister, while I stood there awkwardly, observing them.
"Oh, hi Ruby!" a handsome guy among them greeted, and I shyly waved at him.
"Come, sit beside me," the same guy said, pulling me towards the empty seat next to him, directly across from Toby and Yasmin.
"Um, I can't sit with you, though. My friends are over there. I just came to say hi and congratulate the graduate. Congratulations again, Toby," Sapphire said before leaving, ignoring my pleading eyes, begging her to stay and not leave me alone with these people.
There was a moment of silence before the only guy who had been kind to me spoke up again. "So, what's with the silence? We were discussing our high school days before you joined us. Care to contribute something?" he asked. I shook my head.
I couldn't help but notice that Toby's circle of friends had changed. The only remnants from his high school days were Yasmin and the guy talking to me, whose name I couldn't recall. In the past, they were best friends, though this guy rarely joined in when Toby bullied and teased me. I felt a sense of relief knowing that Toby had distanced himself from some of his former friends—those bullies from his old clique.
"Goody-two-shoes doesn't have anything to reminisce about. All she did was read and write!" Yasmin mockingly remarked, but to my surprise, no one laughed. Thank goodness.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with that. In fact, I find her kind of unique," the same guy defended me. I was starting to appreciate him for appreciating me. Thank you, Lord, at least not everyone hates me.
"I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Aiden, Toby's only cousin and his best buddy. If you have anything to share about him, you can come to me. Allow me to introduce the others too since this man lacks the initiative to do it for his wife. I think you already know Yasmin; she's, well, you know who. And that other guy who always seems lost is Joseph. We call him the dreamer!" Aiden introduced everyone with a touch of humor as Joseph playfully slapped his head.
"Hey, guys. Nice to meet you all," I greeted.
After a few minutes, we found ourselves deeply engrossed in the party, with Toby and most of his friends getting drunk. "Um... I feel so sorry for you," Aiden began as we reached the bar. I offered to help him get more drinks since he was the only one making an effort to have a conversation with me.
"Why do you say that?"
"I know this marriage is arranged, dear, and Toby despises you. He thinks we don't know, but does he think we're stupid? I mean, how could we not know? He's always with Yasmin, not the so-called 'love of his life' as he presents to the public. It's painfully obvious. He may be fooling the public, but he's definitely not fooling us," Aiden said, emphasizing the phrase 'love of his life,' and I couldn't help but laugh.
"So, you all know, but you've chosen to play along?" I asked.
"Of course. I'm his best buddy, and I know it's all arranged. He'll eventually let it all out to us. Sometimes he's secretive and keeps things to himself, but in the end, he bursts. But for now, it's fun to fool the fool who thinks he's fooling us," Aiden joked, and I laughed again. I was becoming so comfortable in his presence.
We made our way back to our spot, only to witness Toby and Yasmin engrossed in a passionate kiss as if their lives depended on it.