27. Amara
27
The morning of my wedding day dawns bright and clear, a perfect azure sky stretching out above the bustling city streets. I wake with a flutter of excitement in my stomach, a giddy, dizzy feeling that only intensifies as the hours tick by.
"I can't believe it's finally here," I whisper to my maid of honor, Sarah, as we sit in the bridal suite of the luxurious hotel where the ceremony will take place.
I hardly recognize the vision in white in the mirror before me. Her elegant hair, pin curled with the tiniest pearls. Her gown, one of a thousand she tried on, but the perfect one for her on this day. I’m almost jealous to be me right now, standing here, reading to take vows with a man I’ve been dreaming of all my life.
“Oh Sarah!,” I exclaim, the excitement jittering inside me. "I've dreamed of this day for so long, and now...now it's really happening."
Sarah grins, her eyes sparkling with joy and mischief. "You'd better believe it, babe. In just a few short hours, you'll be Mrs. Grayson Winthrop, wife of the most eligible bachelor in the city."
I laugh, feeling a rush of love and happiness wash over me. "I don't care about his money or his status, Sar. I love Grayson for who he is, for the incredible, kind, compassionate man he's shown himself to be."
She nods, her expression softening. "I know, Amara. And that's why I know this marriage is going to be one for the ages. You two...you're the kind of love that most people only dream of."
I'm about to respond when there's a sudden, sharp knock at the door, a sound that sends a jolt of unease through my veins.
"Were we expecting anyone else?" I ask, glancing at Sarah with a furrowed brow.
She shakes her head, looking equally confused. "Not that I know of. Maybe it's just one of the vendors, or a lost guest?"
I nod, feeling a flicker of relief at her logical explanation. "You're probably right. Can you see who it is, while I finish getting ready?"
Sarah nods, rising from her chair and crossing to the door. But as she opens it, her posture goes rigid, a sharp intake of breath hissing through her teeth.
"What are you doing here?" she demands, her voice low and angry. "You have no right, no reason to be anywhere near this wedding."
I feel my stomach drop, a cold sense of dread washing over me. "Sarah? Who is it? What's going on?"
She turns to me, her face pale and stricken. "Amara...it's Sophia. Grayson's crazy ex-girlfriend."
My heart stops, my blood running cold in my veins. What could she possibly want, here and now, on the day I'm set to marry the love of my life?
I rise from my chair, my legs trembling beneath me as I cross the room to stand beside Sarah. "Sophia," I say, my voice carefully neutral. "This is...a surprise."
She smiles, a cold, cruel twist of her lips that sends a shiver down my spine. "Oh, I'm sure it is, darling. But trust me...you'll want to hear what I have to say."
I glance at Sarah, seeing the same mix of fear and anger in her eyes that I'm sure is reflected in my own. "Whatever it is, I'm not interested. This is my wedding day, and I won't let you ruin it with your games and manipulations."
But she just laughs, a harsh, grating sound that flares up my annoyance. "Oh, but you see...it's not just my news to share. It's Grayson's news, too. Or should I say...our news."
I feel my breath catch in my throat, my heart pounding so hard I'm sure she must be able to hear it. "What...what are you talking about?"
Sophia's smile widens, a look of pure, malicious triumph on her face. "I'm pregnant, Amara. And the baby...it's Grayson's."
For a moment, the world stands still, the air sucked from my lungs as if by a vacuum.
This can't be happening.
It can't be true.
"You're lying," I whisper, my voice trembling with a mixture of shock and denial. "Grayson would never...he would never cheat on me. He loves me, he...he wants to marry me."
But Sophia just shakes her head, a look of mock sympathy on her face. "Oh, you poor, naive girl. Do you really think a man like Grayson Winthrop could ever be satisfied with someone like you? He needs a woman who understands his world, his needs...a woman like me. Just like I said, he always comes crawling back to me."
I feel tears streaming down my face, hot and stinging as they mix with the carefully applied makeup I'd been so excited to put on just hours before.
"When?" I choke out, my voice barely above a whisper. "When did this...this alleged affair happen?"
Sophia examines her perfectly manicured nails, a bored expression on her face. "Oh, a few months ago. We ran into each other at a bar, had a few drinks...one thing led to another, and, well...here we are."
I feel like I'm going to be sick, my stomach churning with a noxious mixture of betrayal and heartbreak.
This can't be happening.
It can't be real.
"I don't believe you," I say, my voice stronger now, fueled by a desperate, clawing hope. "I don't believe Grayson would ever do something like this, to me or to anyone else."
She shrugs, a look of cool indifference on her face. "Believe what you want, darling. But the proof is right here."
She reaches into her purse, pulling out a sheaf of papers and thrusting them into my hands. "Ultrasound images, doctor's reports, blood tests...it's all there. Grayson Winthrop is the father of my child, and there's nothing you or anyone else can do to change that."
I stare down at the papers in my hands, the words and images blurring together as my vision swims with tears. This can't be real. It has to be a mistake, a cruel joke, a...a nightmare.
But as I flip through the pages, seeing the undeniable evidence of her condition, of the life growing inside her...I feel something inside me break, a fundamental shift in the fabric of my reality.
"I...I need to talk to Grayson," I whisper, my voice hoarse and ragged. "I need to hear this from him, to...to know the truth."
She smiles, a look of pure, unadulterated triumph on her face. "But of course, darling. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to explain everything to you. Just...don't be surprised if it's not the fairy tale ending you were hoping for."
With that, she turns on her heel and walks away, leaving me standing there in my wedding gown, my world shattered into a million glittering pieces.
"Amara..." Sarah whispers, her voice thick with tears and sympathy. "I...I don't know what to say. I'm so, so sorry."
But I barely hear her, my mind reeling with the implications of Sophia’s revelation. How could Grayson do this to me? How could he betray me like this, on the day we were supposed to start our lives together?
I need answers. I need the truth.
And I won't rest until I have them, no matter how much it may break my heart in the process.
With a shaking hand, I reach for my phone, dialing the number I know by heart. The number of the man I thought I would spend the rest of my life with.
"Grayson," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "We need to talk. Now."
And as I wait for his response, my heart pounding in my chest and my world crumbling around me...
I can only pray that the truth, when it comes...
Will not destroy me completely.