Today is Blair's husband's birthday, but he was nowhere to be found.
She is awkwardly standing at the back of the party she threw for him, in a large hall she rented with a huge chunk of her savings. Everyone invited was here— except him. This party wasn't a surprise per se- he was aware of it while it was being planned, and had also been looking forward to it, so Blair couldn't figure out why her husband had chosen to not show up.
People were starting to throw her curious glances, which she was trying to ignore as she tried her husband's number for the hundredth time— again, it went to voicemail.
Fucking hell.
"Honey, Is everything okay?" Martha, Blair's mother, came over to find out why her daughter wore a frown on such a day, but she believed she knew the answer to that question.
It was clearly because her husband was absent.
"No, everything isn't! Hugo still isn't here and it's been two hours!" Blair cried out, her frustration brimming and almost spilling over.
She planned tirelessly for months to make this day perfect.
Since they were big shots in the country, a lot of important people would undoubtedly be in attendance today, so Blair went all out in planning the party.
Now, she looked like a fool with her husband absent.
The press were here tonight as well, and lord knows what tomorrow's headline was gonna look like!
"Relax, love. Perhaps he was caught up by traffic? Or something important came up. I'M sure he'll be here soon." Martha comforted her daughter, while gently stroking her arm.
"You're right." Blair finally breathed out, while forcing herself to calm down.
She was just overthinking it.
It's definitely traffic, traffic can be such a problem sometimes.
He'll definitely be here soon.
As she repeated those words in her head, she gradually relaxed.
After her mother left to attend to a few guests, Blair stopped a waiter and scoped one of the glasses up, then she downed the entire drink in one go.
That managed to calm her down even more, then she went off to welcome some of the guests.
"Happy anniversary, Mrs Vanclef." A few women chorused and Blair grinned at them as they all politely exchanged hugs and cheek kisses.
"Thank you." Blair said to them as she walked off to a few more guests who wished her husband a happy birthday while asking her where he's at.
"He'll be here soon." She said to them politely, then she asked if they needed anything else before walking away from them.
Coincidently, her husband's birthday is the same as their anniversary, which is why she's so hurt that he's running late.
She knew damn well that their marriage was no longer perfect, but Hugo was aware that the public mustn't get a wind of their little problems, so why wasn't he here yet?
Ugh.
Today makes it their fifth year of being married.
She liked to believe that they've been happily married to each other for the past five years, but she knew better than to delude herself further.
Since she was pronounced barren exactly two years ago, Hugo had completely changed from the loving husband she knew, into a man she finds hard to recognize with each passing day.
The fact that she desperately wanted a child but couldn't take in, weighs in on her daily. She had tried every medication she could, but it never worked. She had even suggested surrogacy once, but Hugo had shot it down fast.
Blair let out a sigh as she ran a finger through her hair, then she forced herself to shove those thoughts to the back of her mind.
Right now, she'll focus on this party, and she'll try to have fun as well.
She was about to stop another waiter so she could get a drink from him, when a tap came on her shoulder. She whirled around, her breath hitching in hopes of it being her husband.
It wasn't.
It was her best friend, Layla.
A grin split across Blair's face and she was about to hug her when Layla grabbed her shoulders, a wild look on her face.
"Blair, your husband…"
Blair cut her off with a sad sigh. "Yeah, I know. He's not here yet, but he'll be here soon."
Layla had a sad expression on as she shook her head, her grip tightening on Blair's shoulders.
"No, I don't think he'll be coming here any time soon." Layla said in a sad voice and Blair frowned, trying to make sense of what Layla was saying.
"What?"
"On my way up here, I caught sight of your husband in the elevator I rode up here, and… he wasn't alone. He was with another woman." Layla revealed and Blair almost lost her footing, but she didn't, thanks to Layla still holding her up.
"What?" Blair cried out as her mind reeled. She couldn't believe her ears, but the expression on Layla's face showed that she wasn't joking around like she usually does.
"Go see for yourself. He didn't see me, but I saw him. He dropped off on the eighteenth floor, and they were heading to room 315." Layla relayed, while Blair's mind reeled even more.
Her hands shook as she tried to smoothen down her hair while nodding. She was trying to keep her cool and calm, but she could feel her control slipping from her grasp like water through a basket.
"I'll go check." She finally said in response to Layla who had a sympathetic look on as she studied her best friend, feeling immense pity for her.
"I'll come with you." Layla offered as she took her best friend's hand, because she knew Blair, ever strong and striving, detests asking for help. But she also knew Blair would definitely need some emotional help after what she's about to witness.
Blair let out a relieved sigh and gripped her best friend's hand tightly.
"Okay."
~~~
It didn't take them long to arrive on the floor of the hotel, and in the front of the hotel room.
Blair tried the door and it surprisingly opened. However, the sight that welcomed her almost made her faint.
Right in the bed, tangled together in wild passion, was her husband, and… her younger sister, Isis.
Blair felt shock course through her in waves as she gaped at the sight before her, unable to wrap her head around what she was seeing.
Her husband was fucking her younger sister?!
Her loving and supporting sister?? How could she do this to her?
"What the fuck is going on?" She yelled after finally finding her voice, which made the two break apart, their gazes wild as they gaped at Blair standing in the doorway of their hotel room.
When Blair's eyes met with Hugo, a stab of betrayal went through her in a painful wave. Her husband might have started to behave coldly to her after finding out that she was barren, but she still loved him, since after all, they were childhood sweethearts.
"How could you?" Blair cried out, finally understanding why her best friend offered to come with her. She swayed sideways, but Layla caught and steadied her.
As she looked between the sight before her, her pain slowly morphed into anger, anger so intense that she saw red.
Her husband rose from the bed and tugged his underwear on, while her sister still had the sheets clutched around her, her gaze completely averted in shame.
Blair still couldn't believe her little sister could do this to her. Blair single handedly put her through college, then set her up in her line of study; fashion designing. Because of Blair, her sister is now a well known fashion designer in the country.
How dare her sister repay her this way?
"Look, it's not how it looks." Hugo finally said as he started to approach Blair, but she held a hand up, the anger within her increasing.
"Oh, yeah? How does it look then? I threw a party for you, which you're aware of. And instead of showing up, you chose to stay here cheating on me with my younger sister?? Have you no shame?"
Hugo massaged his forehead for a moment, then a flat expression came across his face as he spoke next. "Look, I still planned to show up, okay? I just got a little carried away with passion. After all, unlike you, your younger sister is still fresh and very ripe."
Blair let out a sound of disbelief, unable to believe her ears.
Her husband was indeed shameless!
"You have no shame, Hugo." Layla pointed out from her spot beside Blair.
"You bastard." Blair hurled out through clenched teeth but Hugo only laughed.
"Look, Blair… I still love you, okay? However, I think it's time for me to finally let you in on the fact that I've been having a secret relationship with your sister for about a year now."
Blair didn't think she could still feel any shock, but this one jolted through her.
"I meant to tell you for a while, but I didn't know how to. Anyways, I'm in love with your sister and she's in love with me. She's also pregnant with my child as we speak, she just broke the news to me today, that's why I got carried away with happiness and passion. She was able to give me something you were unable to, for five years."
Blair was too stunned to speak. The betrayal she was feeling right now was like no other. Her younger sister was pregnant for her husband? It sounds like the universe is completely against her at this point.
Blair was about to say something, when the sound of a camera clicking made her flinch. She whirled around fast and saw about ten people in the doorway recording the entire exchange, and her heart lurched into her throat.
Oh gods.
Layla hurried forward to slam the door close when the people recording scattered around as noises filled the background, then Martha, her mother, showed up, looking extremely horrified.
"What's going on?" Her mother demanded. "Some of those assholes recording live streamed everything, and everyone up at the party were tuned in. I hurried over here as fast as I could!" She cried out, and Blair wished the ground would open up and swallow her at once.
Her public image…
Oh gods.
"Hugo and I are in love with each other!" Isis finally spoke up, a defiant look on her face. "I can definitely take care of him and satisfy him better than Blair could."
As we all turned to stare at her, she got off the bed with the sheets wrapped around her, then walked around to clutch Hugo's hand.
Blair was about to say something when a loud crackling sound filled the air, one which shook everywhere.
Like, literally.
The ground underneath them shook, the lamp on the bedside table crashed to the ground, and it sounded like the mirror in the bathroom just fell to pieces. A few people in the far distance shrieked as well, and Blair's heart raced hard as she tried to figure out what that was.
Everyone's eyes were as wide as saucers as they all stared at each other, clearly wondering what that was.
"What the fuck was—" Hugo was still speaking when another loud booming sound came, sounding like it came from the sky, and from underneath the ground as well. The floor shook to the point that they all lost their footing.
Iris let out a scream just as the lights starts to go on and off.
Blair let out a shaky exhale, her heart pounding hard as fear rocked through her. The frightened expression on her face was perfectly mirrored on the faces of her mother and best friend.
"Is this the end of the world? Like… rapture?" Martha whispered frightfully just as the lights went out, then someone shrieked again.
This time, it sounded like Layla.
Blair was so scared and she want to calm her mother and best friend down, to assure them it was alright— but she seriously doubt that, because in the next moment, screams and cries could be heard from literally everywhere. Outside the hotel, underneath them, above them, from everywhere, and Blair didn't know what to think anymore.
Hugo pulled the curtain aside this time, and the sight Blair saw almost made her faint.
Isis let out a loud shriek as she burst into tears, while Layla cried out as she gripped Blair's hand tightly.
Somethings were flying in the air, scary looking things with large mouths and larger fangs dripping with blood. They looked like spiders, but ridiculously larger and deadlier.
"Holy shit!" Hugo yelled before rearing back when something suddenly slammed against the closed window, its mouth wide open as it let out throat rumbling growls as it scratched and drummed over the window.
Oh god.
It had eyes that looked like wolves', and its face was almost like a skeleton, but its seemed to be grinning maniacally, its mouth hanging open and teeth that looked like a hundred pins, started getting smashed into the window.
It's a monster.
"A monster!" Martha cried out frightfully and that seemed to be what kicked everyone into action.
Blair was panicking, her breathing labored as they all took off through the door, Isis still wrapped in the sheets and Hugo still in his underwear.
Blair intended on going up to the party floor to grab her purse containing her card and car keys, but in the corridor of the hotel, people were stumbling over themselves, bent in weird angles, letting out inhumane sounds and their mouths hanging open while dripping blood.
They were just like… like zombies.
And that's when it hit Blair, that they were actually zombies— when one of them raced forward and roughly bit into Layla's arm.
Everyone screamed and reared back, terror thick in the air as they all watched Layla scream and struggle. Blair wanted to go help her best friend, but her mother pulled her back.
They all watched as Layla slowly stopped struggling, then she was bending into a 180 angle with a sickening crack and pop of bones, her eyes going lifeless but deadly, her skin even paler, while her mouth opened and closed around nothing.
"Fuck! Something is infecting them! Don't let them bite you!" Hugo screamed as he ran in the other direction, tugging Isis along.
Blair was torn between leaving her best friend behind and her heart breaking to pieces as she watched as best friend jumped on people clearly trying to escape, biting them hard.
It was till another zombie tried to bite her that her instincts kicked in and she began to run as well, pulling her sobbing mother along with her heart crumbling on the insides.
She couldn't believe all of this was happening from literally nowhere. Screams could be heard from literally every corner and angle, and as Blair ran, she kept hoping that she wouldn't die tonight.
Although she didn't even understand what was happening!
When they tried getting into the elevator, something as large as dogs, but bigger in size, with soulless eyes and large teeth tried biting them and they all screamed and scrambled backwards— right into another hoard of monsters , but these ones had green skin, large disproportionate heads, and even larger teeth.
Blair quickly wrenched herself away just as Hugo pulled Isis free, but unfortunately, they managed to get Martha.
"No!" Blair screamed, her tears finally breaking free. She tried reaching for her mother who was screaming as she got bitten hard by about five of those monsters, but when one of them tried to grab her, she was forced to pull away while sobbing hard— but she wasn't fast enough, cause it managed to tear through her arm, leaving behind a large gnash which bleeded fast.
Blair clutched her bleeding arm, ignoring the pain shrugging through her as she tried saving her mother again. Her mother sacrificed so much for her to get to this point in life, and for her to die like this? It was so gut wrenching.
But realistically, she knew it was too late, cause they were already tearing her mother apart limb for limb.
She had to turn away from the horrid sight as she cried harder.
There was no time to mourn because more zombies were starting to chase them in the next moment, and they all ran down the long flight of stairs which was thankfully free— cause it seemed the zombies were too dumb to climb the stairs.
The flight of stairs was so long, Blair had to run on her own with a severe injury that was bleeding badly, while her husband carried Isis every now and then.
At some point, the lights went out, then they were able to make out things with the help of Hugo's phone's flashlight.
The pain from the betrayal from them was still fresh in her heart, but she couldn't even dwell on that right now, now when the world was literally falling apart, and not when she was bleeding buckets after getting slashed by the nails of a monster.
As Blair ran, a thought remained on a mind.
The world seemed like an apocalypse had suddenly struck.
Which should be impossible, cause that's fictional and this is the real world.
But how else could this be explained?
They finally got to the end of the flights of stairs, and Blair was too weak to stand, and she felt dizzy, but she still had to run for her life, lest she get caught and eaten by the monsters or bitten by the zombies.
Hugo raced to his Audi and got the doors open.
Blair reached for the passenger seat on reflex when Hugo shoved her away and helped Isis in before closing the door, then he hurriedly rounded the car while Blair stood rooted in shock for a second.
"Hugo?! You're leaving me here??!" Blair urgently cried out as she rounded the car as well.
"Look, you're no longer my problem. You'll have to look after yourself if you want to survive." He snapped as he shoved her hard and got into his car which he quickly started.
"Just take me along with you, please. You know it's not safe out here and I'm also injured. Once it's safe, I'll come down and find my way or something!" She cried out desperately, her heart lurching in her chest when he began to move the car.
"No, thanks. You'll get blood over my brand new Audi. Now, goodbye, you barren goof." Hugo snapped as he sped off, leaving Blair rooted in place.
The sound of the car abruptly zooming off had clearly alerted a lot of monsters, because they all slowly rounded Blair in the very next second.
Her heart was stuck in her throat as she frightfully backed away, her eyes nervously searching around for something to use to fight off the monsters, but finding nothing.
There was nowhere to run to, and in the next moment, they all attacked at once.
They tore at her skin and bones without mercy while she screamed bloody murder, crying hard as she went through the most executinging pain she had ever experienced in her entire life.
And slowly, she died in that same spot, with no one to save her.
Unknown to her, her husband and sister who just escaped minutes ago, also just got torn apart by monsters as well.