MY STEP BROTHERS’ SECRET BABY.

AUDREY POV. “Do you, Ambrose Dean, take her to be your wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, cherish her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?” “I do,” Ambrose whispered, his eyes firm and steady. Failing to hold back my tears, I let them slowly run down my cheeks as I tried to hold my breath, trying to hold myself together but failing miserably. It was really happening.He had really chosen her. He was marrying Michelle a day before our wedding. Pushing my hands to my mouth, I let small whimpers escape my throat while I sobbed. My body shook violently as I watched them and what was supposed to be my wedding, my moment. My Ambrose was vowing his life to my older sister, smiling down at her like he was so much in love with her. Gasping for air, I leaned my back against the church door where I was watching from, trying to make sense of this. Should I confront them? Make them feel the same way they were making me feel pathetic and stupid. But it was no use, they were already together now. When my maid of honor called me to tell me that the priest and venue we had arranged for the wedding tomorrow were suddenly shifted to today, my gut immediately felt something was off. I rushed here to see the issue but instead found them. Getting married in secret with no guests invited. Unable to hold it in any longer, I took slow steps, backing away from the entrance and toward my car. I tried to open my small Picanto but failed miserably because my hands couldn’t stop shaking.With one final breath, I slipped my key in and the door unlocked. Failing to find the right words to tell myself, I let the tears run freely down my face as I stepped on the gas and sped off, images of what I just witnessed flashing through my eyes over and over again, like the universe was laughing in my face too. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have not seen what was really going on?When I got pregnant for my stepbrother, I knew everyone at home would cast me out. I knew Mum would disown me, so I left. I asked Ambrose, who was my boyfriend then, to elope with me and he was very excited, but he didn't know about the pregnancy. He doesn’t up to now. But Michelle did know, and she did everything in her power to help me, to make sure our parents never found out, not even our stepbrother. She promised everything would be okay, but I guess she took that promise back. I knew my connection with Ambrose hadn’t been that good for the past six years, but I thought marriage would change things between us. I thought working three jobs for us would lift that financial burden off him, I thought joining accounts with him and letting him spend all my savings would make him love me more. But it didn’t. It just drove him into her arms. I didn’t know how long I was driving or how I made it to our apartment complex, but I did. Putting the car into park, I took the stairs two at a time, desperate to get to our floor and to my baby. As soon as I opened the door, Chloe shouted. “Mummy!” She was now five years old and able to yell as she called from her bedroom. I had left her asleep and forgot to call the nanny over as I rushed out earlier. “Hi, baby,” I cooed, wiping my eyes before scooping her up into my arms. I couldn’t hold my tears back any longer as I looked at her blue eyes, reminding me of the gravest mistake I ever made in my life.I have been so compliant to Ambrose, but not anymore. Taking Chloe to the living room, I gave her my iPad as a distraction and started packing all our belongings as fast as I could.I didn’t know where we were going or who to call, but I knew one thing, I wouldn’t keep it together if I stayed in this house, with all these wedding cards and stuff staring back at me. I threw her socks and onesies that I had folded earlier into her bags before pulling all our packed stuff to the front door while whispering to myself, trying to convince myself that this was okay. This was what I should have done all those years ago when I found him with a prostitute in our bed, or when he gave our home as collateral at the bank for his loan and I struggled to pay it off for a year. This had to be the right thing, even if it left my baby vulnerable without him, or a dad for that matter. Packing a few more bags left, I cleared out the small cash I had left at the bottom of our mattress while looking at the phone every passing second for the Uber I ordered. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. My heart dropped to my stomach as I started to panic, but I opened the door anyway. It was Abby, my maid of honor. “Hey…” she started, and that was enough to make me lose it all over again. “Shh… it’s okay, it’s okay,” she cooed, trying to sound convincing, but even she knew it wasn’t okay. “I need to leave now,” I whispered. “Then let’s go. And after this, I guess setting this damned house on fire will be such a good idea,” she added, and I thought she was joking, but the spark in her eyes said otherwise. Rushing to the living room, I found Chloe asleep, her small body curled around her blanket. I carefully picked her up, letting her head rest on my shoulder as Abby helped carry the suitcases out of the house to her car. “You can come and stay with me for a couple of days,” she offered. “That’s sweet, Abby, but no. I don’t think Matt will appreciate extra company,” I smiled, remembering how close her husband and Ambrose are. He would definitely tell on me. “Can you drive me to the airport?” I asked, trying to sound sure about what I was doing or where I was going. “Oh,” is all she said before getting into the car and starting up the engine. The drive to the airport was filled with Abby’s questions and suggestions, along with her yelling at every slow driver in front of her, but after an hour, I made it to the airport in one piece. Kissing her goodbye, I adjusted sleeping Chloe on my shoulder and headed in to check in. “I would like to purchase two tickets, please,” I said to the lady sitting behind the large desk, wearing an airport uniform .“Where to, Miss?”I paused, completely unaware of where I was actually going, and this made me feel like I was stuck, stuck between my past while in the present, but at the same time trying to figure out the future. Smiling weakly, I said the only place that I could think of. “Seattle.” “Alright. Just a second.”I don’t know why I said that, but I did, and that made me even more scared.I was going to him, after six years. I didn’t know what to expect or how he would react to my presence, but I didn’t really care either because I was desperate, and he was the only person that I knew would never hesitate to help me. But one thing I was certain of was that he could never find out about Chloe. He could never find out that we had a child together and yet I hid it.