TOBY.
I woke up with a pounding headache and intense body pain. It was clear that consuming excessive alcohol and engaging in too much sex had taken its toll on me. I reached for my phone and discovered thirty-four missed calls and twenty-one messages. It was already past 12 PM? I had slept through the entire morning.
What on earth was going on with all the messages and phone calls? I decided to check the messages first, and that turned out to be a big mistake.
Dad.
'TOBY!!! PICK UP MY CALLS THIS INSTANT!'
9:29 AM
Dad.
'YOU ARE NO LONGER MY SON!!!'
9:40 AM
Best Mom Ever.
Baby, where are you? You're not at home. We've already checked on you. Please answer your calls. Your dad is threatening to cut you off. Just pick up and apologize to him.' 10:34 AM
Aiden.
'Hey, man! Have you seen the news?'
10:47 AM
Aiden.
'Pick up your calls! Your mom won't stop blowing up my phone. She thinks you're with me!'
11:01 AM
Aiden.
'Please, don't tell me you already ran away with Yasmin!'
11:22 AM
In an instant, my previously groggy eyes widened with clarity. I hurriedly navigated through my apps, launching Safari and searching for news articles. I entered my name in the search and what appeared on the screen made me curse the media for blowing a small issue out of proportion.
"Newly married Toby Daniels caught kissing actress Yasmin Blake, rumored to be a close friend, right in front of his wife weeks after their wedding." I scoffed. "Where's the evidence, you idiots!"
But I spoke too soon. Just below the news headline, there was a blurry photo of me passionately French kissing Yasmin while Ruby stood watching. Who the hell took this? I specifically made it a press-free event!
I nudged Yasmin, who was still peacefully snoring beside me. "Good morning, honey bunny. Did you sleep well?" she asked, stretching lazily.
"No! Have you seen this crap?!" I snapped, handing her the phone.
"Oh my God! Shit! This is bad, really bad! It's going to ruin my reputation! They'll label me a home wrecker! Oh my God!" She exclaimed, rushing off the bed to get dressed.
"This is bad for you?! Do you have any idea how disastrous it is for me? For my family?! Are you kidding me? You're an actress; your life revolves around stupid scandals like this. It won't even affect you."
"Really? Seriously, Toby? You know what? I don't have time for your insensitivity this morning! My manager has been calling."
~•~
RUBY.
I skimmed through the comments under the popular blog post about Toby's scandal. To my dismay, I came across comments I hadn't anticipated. Surprisingly, there were still people, mostly women, who supported him. I felt incredibly disappointed.
"Well, all men cheat, even the ugliest and poorest ones. How do you expect a handsome and wealthy guy like him not to do it?"
"I don't blame him. Yasmin is such a sexy woman! Her attractive body can drive any man crazy."
"If I were married to a worthless person, I would definitely want a side chick too." Ouch.
"Yasmin Blake is a home wrecker, a bitch, and a gold digger. That's all there is to it!"
"Honestly, why do men get praised for cheating while women get blamed for their partner's infidelity? Are you kidding me?"
"He's rich and handsome. Such a man isn't meant for just one woman. Ten women can share him, and I wouldn't mind joining in."
"I'm sure he's already tired of his wife. I always suspected something fishy about that so-called marriage."
"I think this Ruby is the home wrecker. She came out of nowhere and snatched Toby away from Yasmin. Let's not pretend those two weren't in love with each other for years. Ruby is the third wheel, if you ask me. She should deal with it."
When they say women are their own worst enemies, they aren't wrong. Look at this! Praising a cheating man and castigating his wife? I'm so done with this society, I'm done with the whole world.
"Where is that useless boy!" Mr. Daniels' voice boomed at the entrance. I stood up, trembling in fear. He entered the room, dressed in his customary white suit and a red bead on his wrist signifying his chieftaincy title. His wife, Mrs. Clara Daniels, followed behind, attempting to calm her husband.
"Ruby! Where is your husband?" He snapped at me, causing my anxiety to intensify.
"He... he's not here yet, sir." I stuttered.
"So, he didn't even spend the night in this house?! Clara, have you seen the fool you gave birth to? Does that boy want to ruin me? And he knows about my grand ambitions! Where did you get that illegitimate son from?!" I tried not to reveal my irritation at him berating his wife.
Toby rushed in at that precise moment. The next thing I heard was a resounding slap that landed on Toby's cheek, causing him to stagger from the impact.
I fought the urge to laugh. Why would I find humor in such a crucial situation? Toby glared at me as if I were the one who had slapped him, while I simply shrugged and avoided his gaze.
"Do you remember all the warnings I gave you? Do you think they were jokes? I'll disown you if you don't behave as I expect you to! What is wrong with you? Why have you decided to make my life a living hell? Why do you continue to associate with that lowlife actress? Drama follows them everywhere, and they drag anyone involved into their mess. Don't you understand? When will you use your brain? Aren't you smart enough? Even if you want another woman, can't you be discreet about it?!"
"Bankole, he's sorry," Mrs. Daniels pleaded, kneeling down as she clutched her husband's leg.
"Shut up, woman! Let me talk to my son!" He kicked her away, and I winced in sympathy for her. None of the men in this family respect their women. None! Like father, like son. I wasn't sure whether I should beg on Toby's behalf or simply remain seated and keep my mouth shut, as I had been doing. I didn't want to be on the receiving end of a thunderous slap either.
And why was Toby suddenly so docile and submissive in his father's presence? This heirship must be of paramount importance to him, causing him to avoid jeopardizing it in any way.
"I had planned on retiring and appointing you as the new Chairman of the conglomerate, but thank you for once again proving how irresponsible and incapable you are! I'll give the position to your cousin instead, you coward!" Mr. Daniels threatened, his anger palpable.
In response, Toby dropped to his knees, causing me to gasp in surprise. "Daddy, I'm sorry! It won't happen again, I promise to behave better from now on. Please, don't give my rightful position to that dimwit. What does he even know about business? He studied something related to dietetics in school; he's not fit for it at all."
"Shut up! He knows more about the business than you'll ever know! Listen, you all have to be cautious. I have political ambitions, and I won't let any of you ruin them for me! Be careful and clean up this mess!" With that final warning, Mr. Daniels stormed out of our house, slamming the door with great force.
"Toby, my son, don't be so reckless. You know your father doesn't make empty threats. If he hands over the company to your cousin, we're finished. The humiliation and consequences will be unbearable," his mom said calmly, trying not to provoke her son.
"And you! Why couldn't you join us in pleading for your husband? Do you think you're too proud to beg?" She directed her words at me.
"Plead for him? He told me to mind my own business and never cross his path. I was simply following his wishes," I replied as politely as possible. She looked at me with disbelief before reluctantly leaving, with Toby trailing behind her.
I wondered why her maids and bodyguards didn't follow her this time. Just then, my phone chimed, indicating a new message.
"Self-respect, self-worth, and self-love all start with self. Stop seeking your value from others. From A."
I was confused. Whose number was this? I searched through my contacts, but I couldn't find anyone with a name starting with A. I didn't have many contacts anyway. Footsteps approached, and I knew it could only be Toby.
"What was that melodramatic act you pulled today?" I heard him ask calmly as he stood over me.
"What do you mean?"
"What do you think I mean? Oh! You think I don't know your tactics? You arranged for a journalist to be at my party, captured a perfect shot of you watching me kiss another woman, and then spread it all by yourself. Is that your way of getting back at me? Is that it?" he accused, while I stared at him in confusion.
"Why would I even do that? What makes you think I'd do such a thing? Journalists can sneak into anywhere, you should know that."
"Are you saying I'm stupid?"
"Did you hear me call you stupid? Toby, if you think that accusation fits you, then you should probably own it. Why did you think that simply because you invited a few people to your party, you could do whatever you pleased? Did you think that all those people actually liked you? This is what I mean when I say you have an inflated ego. Please, just leave me alone," I said, attempting to leave and go to my room, but he blocked my path.
"Oh, so you think you're smarter than me? Ruby, whose fault is all of this, huh? All of this could have been avoided if you hadn't agreed to this ridiculous charade of a marriage. I would be free to be with whoever I wanted, as a single man. But now, people expect certain responsibilities from me just because I'm married. Married to a woman I don't even want!"
"Stop shouting in my face, Toby. I don't think I should be the one you're shouting at. Your father just left—why didn't you shout at him when he was talking to you, huh? Oh, you only have the courage to shout at me and not at him? Are you such a coward? Why do you transfer all your aggression onto me? I'm not the one who threatened to disown you, am I? Oh, please!" I responded, and as he continued to stare at me, I continued.
"Oh, and I believe we need to establish some boundaries between us. We're only married in public and in front of the camera, not in private, as we both know. So, of course, you have the right to do as you please, just use common sense. No one is stopping your childish behavior. In private, you don't even have to speak to me; we can simply be housemates leading separate lives, and no one needs to concern themselves with the other's private life. So please, let this be the last time you invade my personal space like this. You're encroaching on my privacy!" I concluded before walking away from him.
As soon as I reached the comfort of my room, I slid down against the closed door and buried my head in my hands. "What kind of nonsensical marriage have we gotten ourselves into?"