Ruby's Revenge

Five days to the wedding. Ruby “stand tall dear. Slouching is embarrassing” Elizabeth reprimanded with one of those her stuff smiles that were so fake, China couldn’t even make something that fake. But I obeyed. Of course I obeyed. I didn’t want to have issues with my soon to be new mother in law. It was bad enough that she already picked apart every inch of me. The best I could do was bear it with a smile. It had to stop one day. She couldn’t keep on tearing me apart every day of my life. Henry Meyer came from a super wealthy family. His father had gone from the CEO Of a multi-million company to become an American senator. His mother was a professor and the Dean of Harvard university. Before that she had been on the board of the family company for years. My family had come from a completely different background. My mother knitted and sold blankets and sweaters on eBay when she had lost hundred percent use of her legs and had had to start staying at home. My father was a biology teacher at a public school. With four children in the family, growing up had been a real struggle, but somehow we had survived. Meeting Henry had been like a miracle. I’d met him on my way back from class one day. I’d missed my bus and had been waiting for the second one when it suddenly started raining. It was the sort of rain that just came with vengeance. The sky had darkened in what seemed like one minute and then the heavy downpour had begun. In less than a minute I was drenched. A black SUV had pulled up in front of me. The passenger window rolled down and the most handsome man I’d ever seen had smiled at me from the driver’s seat. “get in” he’d said Even though I knew I was likely getting sick, I’d refused. Entering strange men’s car was something ingrained in me from childhood. The man had come down from his car with an umbrella, walked up to me and covered us both. “okay then. I will stand out here with you till you can get a car” And true to his word, he had stood there with me under the pouring rain till my bus arrived. “I’m Henry.” He said as I climbed up into the bus. “Ruby.” I had replied. “can I get your number?” I had readily given him my contact. “be safe.” He had stepped back and the bus pulled away. I stared at him through the glass window till he was out of view. I was twenty one, but I’d never met anyone who ticked all the boxes on my potential partner check list. In the short time I’d been with Henry, he had ticked most of them. Handsome, tall, well mannered, gentle, kind and of course, I had to admit that his good job was a huge plus. Two years from that day and I was wearing his ring on my hand and was this close to being his wife. Unfortunately, the thought of being his wife didn’t fill me with as much joy as it used to. Henry was still all of the things he had been the first time we met. The evil mother in law and the father in law that looked at me with lust in his eyes were only half the reason I was having second thoughts. But second thoughts or not, I knew I was going to go through with this marriage. My mother loved Henry. So did my father. My three siblings had already been placed on scholarships with Henry’s help and connections. My dad had become a principal of a private school owned by Henry’s uncle. My whole family had already been dug deep into the Meyer well. I couldn’t be so selfish as to try to destroy their happiness. And as my friends always pointed out. Henry was a catch. I couldn’t do better than that. “I wish I could be you.” My best friend Anita always said. The Meyers were a royal brand of their own. Their name was synonymous with wealth and power. Marrying Henry meant I didn’t have to work a day of my life. I could go ahead and burn my accounting degree to the ground. My kids would be set for life. “ smile dear. You look ill.” Elizabeth hissed at me. I looked up, remembering where I was. Henry’s Uncle’s birthday. I looked around for my fiancé. I needed to escape Elizabeth. I didn’t have any ounce of strength to bear her snide comments today. I hated being put in this uncomfortable dinner gowns and paraded for the whole Meyer clan. “Hey sweetheart” Henry’s hand went around my waist “it’s time to get seated” with that, he led me to a table. I was seated between him and his aunt Talia. Oh God. Save me. I had barely sat down before she turned to me “Ruby. You are not taking care of yourself anymore. You are too skinny. How are you going to bear children with this teenager’s body you insist on keeping? Your physical appearance reflects on Henry, don’t you know that? Do you want to embarrass him?” “O-of course not-“ I stammered out. “it’s these girls that were born on the streets. You don’t know the rules of the highborn. You have a lot to learn.” I gritted my teeth and swallowed my retort. She ran her eyes over me “that lipstick color! My God. Who let you leave the house wearing that?” “I-“ “don’t interrupt me” I squeezed Henry’s hand in plea. I needed him to speak up for me. “I-I’m s-sorry.” I had turned into a stammerer apparently. “all these street girls. You’re lucky Henry rescued you from that life of thievery and prostitution” “I wasn’t a thief, neither was I a prostitute.” I blurted out. “you better not go back to those things” she continued, ignoring my interruption. “You should be grateful to him” “I am.” I said. How wouldn’t I be? When I had never been allowed to forget where I came from and all the things Henry had done for me. I was glad that at that moment the caterers arrived at the table. “thank you.” I smiled at the caterer. “we just talked about this, Ruby. Is that how you behave? Right under your husband’s nose you’re flirting with another man.” Talia snapped. “I’m no-“ “shut up. I knew nothing good could come out of you. Once a street girl, always a street girl. That looseness is still in you” “B-but-“, by now we were already garnering attention. “Please reduce your voice. Everyone’s staring at us.” I pleaded. “So you think I’m uncultured.” I turned to Henry “I-“ He was staring at me coldly “are you crazy? How dare you talk back to my aunt. Why must you always be such an attention seeker.” He barked at me. I was so shocked that for a moment I couldn’t see or feel or hear anything. My eyes filled with tears. I stood up to leave. “sit down, Ruby. If you leave this place and embarrass me, we are done.” He said through a clenched jaw. With my head bowed and my body reeling in shame, I sat back down. “now keep quiet and eat your food” when I looked over at Talia, she was wearing a smug smile. The other members of the table looked proud of Henry. He had set the stupid ,lesser girl in her place. I wanted to cry but I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of knowing they’d hurt me. I kept quiet for the rest of the night. I’d lost my appetite too. In the car on our way home, Henry reached for my hand. “I love you.” He said. “I love you too.” That was the first time I realized that I didn’t. And I didn’t even feel guilty about it. He leaned over the console and kissed my cheek. I mustered a smile then turned and stared out the window and cried in my heart for the duration of the journey.