Maddie's POV
The anticipation hung thick in the air as I stood in front of the mirror, a kaleidoscope of emotions swirling within me. Tonight's function, a grand affair hosted by the elite, loomed on the horizon. The glitzy event had once promised excitement and revelry, but now it carried the burden of impending revelation, a storm waiting to break.
The dress, a shimmering cascade of fabric in hues of midnight blue, clung to my figure, accentuating the changes I had been trying to conceal. I took a deep breath, my hands instinctively grazing over the slight curve that betrayed my growing belly. Anxiety gripped me, and for a moment, the opulent surroundings of the room seemed to close in."I can do this," I whispered to myself. My hair was curled and pinned up, with a few loose strands fa
