"Ruby, please wait up," Derek called out to her as she hurried out through the hospital exit door.
"Can you please stop following us?" Elena cast him a side glare while blocking him from getting close to her best friend.
"Get out of my way, Elena. I wasn't talking to you." Derek wagged a finger threateningly at her.
"Make me." Elena sneered.
Ruby moved as fast as her legs could carry her, instantly regretting coming down to the general hospital. She decided that if Bailey was using the same place for her antenatal care, then she would have to go somewhere else. Maybe a private hospital.
"Ruby, can you please slow down and talk to me?" Derek quickened his step. "Please."
"Derek, please wait up. I can't run in my condition." Bailey chased after him, panting and clutching her slightly protruding belly. She almost stumbled along the way cursing and swearing under her breath. But Derek didn't glance backwards.
From across the parking lot, Stan spotted Ruby and her friend hurrying towards him. His expression shifted to something dark and dangerous as he caught sight of her ex chasing after her with a third lady running behind them. He immediately put the car in reverse and drove down to receive her.
"Ruby, can you stop and just talk to me?" Derek's voice echoed with a blend of frustration and desperation. "Things are not what they look like in there. Your cousin and I are not a real couple. The nurse had us mistaken for one."
Ruby's car pulled to a stop before her and Stan quickly alighted from the car while Elena opened the rear door for her.
"Ruby..." Derek tried to touch her but Stan immediately stepped forward, pushing him aside.
Elena and Ruby quickly got into the car and slammed the door shut while Stan handled the situation.
"You again," Derek growled. "Get out of my way. I need to speak with my woman."
"I will advise you to turn around and leave, mister. My boss doesn't want to talk to you." Stan warned politely, his gaze steely.
"Like hell, she is your boss." Derek scoffed, his gaze shifting to the closed rear door. "What's your deal, man? Why are you pretending to be her driver? How much did she pay you?" He dug his hand into his pants pocket and brought out his wallet.
"Here..." Derek counted five hundred dollars and tossed it in Stan's face. "Take the money and get lost. My wife doesn't need your help?"
Stan's fist clenched by his side, his gaze darkened. "You have been given a second chance. Leave while you are still standing."
"You don't own this place, toy boy." Derek poked Stan on the chest, his face twisted with disgust and rage. "So you can't tell me what to do. Ruby is my wife and I demand you let her out of your car."
"Let's just go, Derek." Bailey grabbed him by the arm and tried to pull him away. "There is no need to argue with Ruby's boyfriend." She slyly fanned Derek's flames. "He won't listen to you except Ruby tells him to."
"What stinking boyfriend?" Derek snapped at Bailey. "This paid errand boy here." Derek snarled, still poking Stan.
Stan's face hardened into stone.
"You have three seconds to get your filthy hands off me."
"And if I don't what will you...."
POW!
Stan's fist connected squarely with Derek's jaw, the sharp crack echoing across the slightly busy parking lot, attracting a few onlookers.
Derek staggered backwards, nearly losing his footing as Bailey gasped and rushed to his side.
"Oh my goodness!" Bailey cried out dramatically, drawing more attention to the scene. "You animal. Is this what Ruby paid you to do?" She scowled at Stan while holding Derek.
Stan straightened out his jacket, ignoring her as he took a step to leave.
But Derek wasn't about to let the humiliation slide as he charged forward, blood trickling from the corner of his nose.
"You son of a..."
Stan anticipated his counterattack and caught Derek by the collar. He delivered another punch across Derek's face and shoved him hard against the trunk of a nearby car.
"I warned you," Stan growled through clenched teeth, his eyes blazing. "You don't touch me, and you sure as hell don't talk about my boss in that manner."
"Stan..." Ruby called to him from the slightly open door. "... That's enough. Let him go."
Stan's chest heaved, his knuckles white around Derek's collar. His jaw tightened as he slowly, released Derek, shoving him off with a final glare.
Derek stumbled upright, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You think this is over?" he hissed. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life, errand boy. I'll make you and whoever you're working for pay for this insult."
"I'll be waiting." Stan shot back coldly.
"Come on, Derek. You've made your point." Bailey tugged at Derek's arm again, her voice sharp but nervous. "Let's go. You will address this issue with Ruby at the office."
Derek smirked, though his eyes burned with humiliation. "Yeah," he said, spitting a streak of blood onto the pavement. "This isn't over." He turned around and walked away with Bailey guiding him.
Stan got into the car and left the scene as a lady rushed forward and picked up the money on the floor, grinning at her stroke of luck.
"Good job, Stan." Elena patted him on the shoulder. "You are not just a specialised driver but a very good bodyguard."
"Thank you, Miss Elena." Stan smiled through the rear-view mirror.
"You shouldn't have punched him in the face." Ruby frowned, her heart heavy with guilt.
"Really, Ruby." Elena's eyes crinkled, her tone sharp. "Is that the thank you he deserves for standing up for you?"
"That is not what I meant?" Ruby sighed running her hand over her face.
"Then what exactly do you mean. Because, I don't understand you anymore. That jerk and his shameless mistress embarrassed us in there. Because of them, we couldn't see the doctor. And worst of all, he's already introducing her as Mrs Bishop while claiming to seek your forgiveness and win you back. Who does that? And to think that I am currently accommodating his mother in my house."
"I'm very sorry, Miss Ruby. I promise I will control my temper next time." Stan apologised calmly. He didn't want the two friends quarrelling especially with his boss listening.
"It's fine, Stan. I'm not angry at you." Ruby smiled faintly.
"No, it is not fine. You don't have to feel bad for doing what is right, Stan." Elena countered, not ready to back down. "You warned that jerk but he didn't listen. Moreover, you were protecting my bestie, and for that, you deserve a ten-star rating."
Stan chuckled inwardly. "Thank you, ma'am."
"You are most welcome." Elena rolled her eyes at Ruby and both of them burst out laughing.
"But on a more serious note, you need to put Derek and Bailey in their place. Don't give them the chance to walk all over you."
"I didn't plan for this. But..." Ruby exhaled. "...thanks for the advice."
"So what do we do now. Because I won't let you go back to that hospital now that your viper of a cousin is already sniffing around."
"A private hospital I guess." Ruby shrugged.
"And I know the perfect one that matches with your current status." Elena's eyes brimmed with mischief.
"What are you up to this time?" Ruby eyed her friend suspiciously.
"Just relax, my baby, and let mama attend to you." Elena leaned forward and whispered something to Stan which he nodded to with a smile.
-
-
After Bailey made Derek go back home to clean up his messy face, she returned to the antenatal ward, pretending to have forgotten something. She lingered by the water dispenser helping herself to a drink while calculating how to get information out of the nurse concerning her cousin.
Just them, Zina stepped out of the consultation room and the nurse inside came out holding another green folder.
"Miss Ruby Angelo." The nurse scanned the faces of the inpatient looking pregnant women waiting their turn. "Miss Ruby Angelo." She called out again.
"If she's not here, can you please call someone else? My bladder is about to burst." One of the heavily pregnant women sighed out loud.
A slow, malicious smile curled up Bailey's lips as Zina turned to the nurse. "Is she the pregnant red-haired lady?"
The nurse looked at the picture in the folder. "I guess so. Please where is she?"
"Oh dear...I think she has left after that scene with her so-called family members."
"Thank goodness." One of the seated pregnant women exclaimed, standing up.
"I think I'm next in line to see the chief gynaecologist." A younger lady with sharp phoenix eyes stood up, flaunting her cute baby bump, while glaring at the other pregnant woman trying the play a smart move.
Bailey quietly slipped out of the waiting room while the pregnant woman quarrelled amongst themselves.
"So the decent Ruby Angelo is a saint by day and a hooker by night. This just got interesting. " Bailey smirked wickedly to herself as she hurried out of the hospital. "All I need now is proof and I will take the show to the road. Derek will have no choice but to ditch her and marry me this time."