The Villainess Needs a Hug (Ivy Windsor) novel Chapter 1005

"That sounds so incredibly hard!"

"It's alright. Jamison is practically half an obstetrician at this point. Whenever there's an issue, he spots it right away and handles it. Compared to other expecting moms, I'm pretty lucky."

Ivy had simply spoken the truth in passing, but it sent Katrina spiraling into a million different thoughts.

"True. When it comes to spoiling his wife, Dr. Ludwig is absolutely flawless," she noted with genuine feeling.

Ivy shot her a look, knowing exactly what was going through her mind, and let out a sigh. "The wedding is the day after tomorrow. You're about to be a married woman too. You don't need to envy me."

Katrina offered a bitter smile. "Are you mocking me?"

"How could I? Didn't you say Mr. Sterling and his mother are both pretty decent people? The dowry they provided was very generous, and I heard he's quite good-looking, elegant, and well-educated."

Katrina looked shocked. "Who told you that?"

"Who do you think?"

Katrina frowned. "Naylor talked to you guys about this?"

"He came over for dinner a while back and just casually brought it up." Since they were on the topic, Ivy took the opportunity to advise her. "Are you really not going to reconsider Naylor? He's changed his mind and is willing to get married. Most importantly, you two are in love."

Katrina shook her head. "It's too late. If I backed out of the wedding now, the shock would literally kill my mom."

Aside from being terrified for her mother's health, she also had to protect her mother's pride in front of Cassandra.

Ivy wanted to keep pushing, but Katrina cut her off softly. "Ivy, please don't say anything else. I know exactly what I'm doing, but I can't turn back now. The wedding is the day after tomorrow, and my emotions are a complete mess, but I have no one to talk to. I just needed to come hang out here for a bit..."

"Alright, I'll drop it. What do you want for lunch? I'll have the kitchen whip something up for you," Ivy immediately changed the subject, purely focusing on taking care of her best friend.

Katrina smiled. "You decide. You already know what I like anyway."

"Okay."

Originally, Ivy had considered secretly contacting Naylor and having him come over to give them one last chance to talk.

But after testing the waters and realizing her friend's mind was completely made up, Ivy abandoned the idea.

Regardless, her best friend's wedding was fast approaching. Trying to push her back into her ex-boyfriend's arms now would just be morally questionable and ultimately unfair to Katrina.

They were all adults who had to own their choices, with no complaints and no regrets.

Katrina spent a happy, relaxing final day of singlehood at her best friend's place. The very next day, she formally registered her marriage with Julian.

That night, Julian once again invited her to move in with him.

But Katrina used the excuse of taking care of her mother and stayed overnight in the hospital room instead.

To make sure both the bride and groom looked their absolute best, the groom needed a little sprucing up too.

So, once they got upstairs, they headed into their separate dressing rooms.

Katrina barely slept the night before, so sitting in the chair while the makeup artist worked on her left her feeling a bit drowsy.

It wasn't until she had someone grab her a coffee that she finally perked up.

Looking at her exquisitely contoured face in the mirror, the very first thought that popped into her head was: If Naylor saw me like this, how would he react?

The moment she realized her thoughts were drifting into dangerous territory again, she quickly snapped out of it, just in time to see Julian step into the room through the mirror's reflection.

He was still wearing his gold-rimmed glasses, but his striking features were sharp and clear. With his hair perfectly styled, he gave off a mature, sophisticated vibe that could genuinely captivate someone at first glance.

Katrina looked at him through the mirror and asked, "Are you all set?"

"Yeah. I don't need too much detailing, just enough to look polished," Julian replied, his eyes locked on Katrina's reflection.

Katrina's makeup was completely finished, and the stylist was currently working on her hair.

Julian stepped closer, a warm smile on his face as he admired her. "You are truly gorgeous."