Father Willard paused for two seconds, probably waiting for the laughter that would follow such a prank. a long moment after, the priest realized that this was no joke at all. Someone was actually interrupting the ceremony.
"...Speak up, my daughter…But beware that any objection has to have a legal reason behind it."
Cynthia looked at the priest with innocent eyes, "Oh? What a shame... I only came here to deliver this envelope to the groom, father, by all means, don't mind me!"
Cynthia's laugh rang softly like a bell, she took one step further placing the envelope in her ex's still frozen hand, she took one step back to allow her ex husband to process, her eyes drifted to the best man who kept waving at her, his eyes were on her pregnant belly.
"Wow... Cynthia, congratulations... I had no ide-…"
"Fredric Russo!" Sally said her brother's name between gritted teeth as she stomped on the floor.
The best man and the bride's brother who had always crushed on Cynthia hard was awestruck by her beauty, he wanted to congratulate her as an excuse to initiate a conversation with the woman that had suddenly disappeared from high society months ago. But his sister managed to shut him up before he could get an answer out of the vision in front of him, he knew better than to upset his sister at a time like this.
Cynthia winked playfully at him, and he snorted awkwardly when he meant to laugh and wink back at her.
Her ex-husband's eyes were on her pregnant belly too. He suddenly looked up at Cynthia with two dark brown eyes that burnt with his fury, his nostrils flared, and his fisted hand shook violently next to him.
"Who's the father, Cynthia," Henry said in a low menacing tone, it came more like an accusation than a question.
Cynthia moved her wavy hair back, "The answer is within the palm of your hand, captain obvious."
The crowd started murmuring, and the bride's mother wept softly over the shoulder of the bride's father who didn't even want to come to the celebration in the first place.
Cynthia turned around and faced the gathered guests.
"Oh, I'm not here to ruin the wedding! I really just wanted to share a wedding gift with the happy couple before they tie the knot!" She laughed sweetly, trying to dismiss it as a joke after all. When she turned back to face her ex husband and her ex best friend, the bride's eyes narrowed as she glared daggers at Cynthia.
She ignored her and looked at the priest, "I swear to God, father! I only came to give the groom that envelope!" Her beautiful green eyes glistened as if she was about to cry.
The priest frowned, "...I believe you, my child, now go sit somewhere so we can move on with the ceremony." he sounded exasperated.
'Thanks, but no thanks!' She thought.
Cynthia turned around again and started walking towards the door, a man dressed as a butler came out of nowhere and gestured for her to place her arm in his, looking a bit smug while he was at it. She couldn't help but laugh as both of them walked out. This was her first step on the road of revenge, after all.
Once she got out, her ex-husband's voice came roaring from behind her.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!"
She suddenly lost all her joy.
Dimitri leaned closer to her, "Go wait in the car, I'll be right there," he whispered softly in her ear.
"This is my show, Dimitri, and you're too close," Cynthia pushed the detective away with all her strength, it felt like a caress over the huge guy's torso.
Her ex was outside the door in a matter of three seconds and blocked Cynthia's way to the car.
"Is this your lover?" Henry accused as he grabbed the detective by the collar with one hand, that same hand was squeezing against the unopened envelope.
"Why, would that be easier on you?" The detective replied instead of Cynthia as he pushed her ex away, but an angry Henry didn't even budge.
"...Cynthia, is it okay for me to hit your ex?" The detective snarled.
Cynthia knew Dimitri wouldn't go too far so she took the chance to sound like the ice diva she planned to be, "Yeah, feel free to do whatever you want to," she said dismissively.
Dimitri pushed Henry harder this time, and the groom stumbled, almost falling on his behind.
Cynthia continued to walk towards the car.
"STOP FUC*ING AROUND WITH ME CYNTHIA!" Henry hurried to block her way again.
The detective was about to interfere when she raised her left hand up, stopping him. She narrowed her eyes at her ex-husband, "I thought I stopped doing that with you eight months ago. In two words... good riddance,"
That was a lie. Anything physical was always so good between Cynthia and Henry. She missed him in her bed terribly.
As she shook her head to get the thought out of her system, her ex shook all over. His face slowly but surely was becoming purple.
"IS HE THE FATHER CYNTHIA! HOW FAR ALONG ARE YOU? WERE YOU CHEATING ON ME WHILE YOU WERE MY WIFE!"
Cynthia laughed without humor this time.
"You have no idea how much I wish everything you said now was true!"
They glared at each other, and the detective scratched his head, suddenly feeling a bit awkward.
"Don't be so full of yourself Dimitri. You're too young for my taste," she said without breaking eye contact with her ex husband. It was time for her to finally give him a piece of her mind.
"I'm your age by the wa-..." Dimitri murmured but Cynthia was already back to snapping at her ex.
"You... when did you become such a loser? hah? Or are you too much of a chicken to see the truth that you want to refuse so much?" She looked at the envelope in his hand meaningfully. It contained the paternal test that affirmed the identity of the father.
"NOW YOU DECIDED TO TALK?! TODAY OF ALL DAYS!?" He shouted and shook.
Henry had tried to see her repeatedly for months, but the staff wouldn't let him in the mansion. The butler threatened to issue a restraining order if Henry kept on coming. Henry who was determined to marry Sally decided that Cynthia would come out when she was ready to. He thought they can talk as two civilized adults then.
He never saw this coming.
It was unbelievable.
Her baby was his... It was a miracle.
Henry swallowed the lump in his throat, his heart was stinging now. It was either a severe panic attack like the ones he got as a child, or it was the real thing this time.
He looked at her belly longingly, "Can I touch it…"
He knew the answer to that.
"Hell no,"
He would've laughed if his left hand had not gone numb by now, "…Did you forget how we used to be? How long we waited for this?"
Cynthia could not believe her ears and the audacity of her ex!
"When exactly was that?" She took a step further and looked up at him with two ice cold eyes, "When we ate mud pies together by the swings? When you became my college sweetheart?" Her traitorous eyes were filling up with tears. But she was on a roll, "When you promised to be the mother and father I never had? OR WHEN YOU WENT AND SCREWED MY BEST FRIEND BEHIND MY BACK?"
*Snap!*
*Snap!*
*Snap! Snap!*
Paparazzi started arriving at the scene and taking photos, the last thing Cynthia wanted for her baby was to look back on the family history and see her in this fiasco. She turned away from a tortured looking ex-husband and started leaving.
"CYNTHIA!" He shouted with his hand pressed against his left shoulder.
She spoke without looking back at him, "See you next Friday during the board meeting... If you dare to come, that is..."
The last few words were too low for him to hear.
"…What? Are you going to attend those from now on?" He asked with an incredulous tone.
'Oh yes,' She thought with a smile. That was her grand finale, or at least, that was what she thought.
*Thud!*