Chapter 3 The Pain Of Truth

• As I slowly regained consciousness, I found myself still in my wedding dress, lying in a hospital bed. Vivian was sitting next to me, her face filled with concern. She quickly called the doctor, who examined me and advised rest.
• I closed my eyes, trying to make sense of the events that had led me here. Lucas had called off the wedding, publicly humiliating me. And Amy, my best friend, had betrayed me in the most unimaginable way.
• Tears streamed down my face as the pain and betrayal washed over me.
• "Naina, you have to stop crying," Vivian said softly, patting my hand. "Lucas had no right to do what he did, and Amy...I can't even begin to understand why she would do such a thing."
• "Just forget about it, Naina" she added, her voice filled with anger and frustration.
• Forget? How could I forget? Amy had been my best friend since middle school. We had been through everything together, practically like sisters. When her mom passed away, I had been there for her, just as she had been there for me when I had no one else. We had shared everything, our joys, our sorrows, our secrets.
• And Lucas, when I met him in college, Amy had told me she didn't like him. She had never shown any interest in him, even when I told her we were dating. She had only said she was happy for me. I had never suspected that her feelings were anything but genuine.
• This was not how I had imagined my wedding day. What was supposed to be a day filled with happiness and love had turned into a nightmare of betrayal and humiliation.
• Suddenly, Vivian gasped as she looked at her phone. She glanced at me, her expression filled with concern, before quickly taking my phone and confiscating it.
• "What's wrong?" I asked weakly, but she just reassured me that everything was fine, though I could tell she was lying. Something was definitely going on.
• Her phone started ringing, and she excused herself to take the call. Feeling restless, I removed the drip from my hand and left the room. I wandered around the lounge area, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.
• My eyes drifted to the large TV screen where other patients were watching. There, in bold letters, was a picture of me with the description: "Wedding cancelled due to fiance's infidelity."
• I felt a lump form in my throat as the reality of the situation sank in. People started pointing and whispering, their words like daggers aimed at my heart. Unable to bear the humiliation, I ran outside the hospital.
• My once beautiful wedding dress was now dirty and torn, a symbol of the shattered dreams and broken promises that lay in its wake. I could feel the eyes of the people on the street as they stared at me, their judgmental gazes burning into my skin.
• If someone had told me that something like this would happen to me, I would have called them a liar. But here I was, living a nightmare I never thought possible.
• Despite everything, I knew I had to find Lucas and explain things to him. He would understand, I was sure of it. Lucas wasn't the type of person to betray someone he loved. Amy must have been manipulating him, using him for her own twisted purposes.
• With renewed determination, I set off to find Lucas, hoping against hope that he would listen to me, that he would see the truth behind the lies.
• I hailed a cab and gave the driver Lucas's address. As we approached his house, I realized I had no money to pay the fare. The driver looked at me sympathetically before driving off, leaving me standing in front of Lucas's house, my heart pounding with anticipation and dread.
• I knew the password to the door and let myself in. The house was eerily silent, but I heard faint chuckling coming from upstairs. It was a sound I knew all too well, and my heart sank as I ascended the stairs, preparing myself for whatever I might find.
• As I reached the top of the stairs, I heard Amy's voice coming from a room. I pushed open the door and found her alone, lounging on the bed with a drink in hand.
• "Looking for something you lost?" she taunted, her words dripping with malice.
• "Where is Lucas?" I demanded, my voice trembling with anger and hurt.
• Amy's expression darkened.
• She then proceeded to mock me, reminding me of the day she had picked out my wedding dress, the day she had orchestrated my humiliation.
• But her next words cut me to the core. "Remember the day you were seriously sick three years ago? It was that day I and Lucas had our first kiss," she revealed, her tone smug and victorious.
• I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. Three years. They had been betraying me for three years, and I had been oblivious to it all.
• I was speechless, my mind reeling from the betrayal. "Three years," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the roaring in my ears.
• But the final blow came when Lucas entered the room. He looked surprised to see me, but instead of coming to me, he allowed Amy to wrap her arms around him.
• "It isn't true, right ?" I asked, my voice breaking with emotion. "Tell me this isn't happening, tell me it isn't true."
• But Lucas remained silent, and I knew then that everything Amy had said was true. I turned and walked out of the room, the pain and betrayal too much to bear.
• As I stepped outside, the rain began to pour, drenching me to the bone. But I didn't care. I collapsed to the ground, the weight of the betrayal crushing me as I sobbed uncontrollably, my heart shattered into a million pieces.
• ~~~
• Weeks later, after the events of that fateful day, I found myself stuck in Vivian's house, unable to face the world outside. The shame and humiliation weighed heavily on me, and everywhere I turned, I was met with disdain and judgment.
• Vivian had been my lifeline, defending me against the cruel words of others. But even her support couldn't erase the pain of what had happened.
• To make matters worse, I lost my job. The company cited a drop in profits due to the scandal, and I was let go. I had been a respected artist there for five years, loved by my colleagues and clients alike. But now, everything I had worked so hard for had crumbled to dust.
• I spent days in a haze, unable to muster the strength to face the world. Vivian had urged me to see a doctor, concerned for my well-being. I knew there was nothing physically wrong with me, but the emotional toll was overwhelming.
• One day, when I was alone in the house, I found myself staring at a bottle of pills. The thought of ending it all crossed my mind. The pain was too much to bear, and I felt like I had no other way out.
• But then, my phone beeped, breaking through the haze of despair. It was a message from the hospital. I hesitated at first, unsure if I wanted to know what it said. But curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the message.
• My eyes widened in shock as I read the words on the screen. " pregnant."
• The news hit me like a ton of bricks. A life growing inside me??