Chapter 23

The next morning, I noticed some new changes as I stood in front of the mirror while dressing for work.

My blouse pulled tighter across my stomach than it did the week before. The soft curve of my baby bump had begun to show, still small, still subtle, but no longer invisible. I stood in front of the mirror, pressing my palm gently against the swell beneath my navel.

A wave of emotions washed over me; fear, awe, protectiveness. Everything felt so real now. Not just a flutter or a faint change but something I could see. Something I couldn’t deny.

I stepped back, twisting slightly to the side, observing the change. If I noticed it, then soon others would too. And I wasn’t ready for that, not here, not in this office.

I couldn’t imagine the whispers, the stares, the assumptions. Especially not from Drew.

My fingers tightened around the fabric as I took a deep breath and turned away to change into a loose blouse that would conceal the recent development.

Three more months. That’s all I had to hold on for. I could hide it that long. Loose blouses, oversized blazers, nothing too clingy. Just blend in, stay invisible. I’d gotten this far without anyone suspecting. I could get through the rest.

On the way to the office, I stopped by my usual café. The barista smiled at me as I ordered my latest regular decaf coffee and chocolate glazed doughnut. My little indulgence or you could say the baby was craving it.

“Cutting back on the caffeine, huh?” she asked as she handed me the cup smiling.

“Doctor’s orders,” I said with a soft smile and left immediately for work.

The morning was crisp. The sun peeked through soft clouds, and for a moment, everything felt manageable. Like maybe I could breathe again or maybe not.

But the moment I stepped into the building, tension gripped me.

I saw the elevator door starting to close ahead and instinctively rushed forward.

“Hold the door, please!”

A hand shot out and stopped it just before it closed. I slipped inside and turned only to see Drew.

Wow, what a way to start my day in the office.

His face was unreadable, his posture stiff. He didn’t glance at me. Didn’t nod. Didn’t speak.

“Good morning,” I said quietly, awkwardly clutching my coffee cup.

Silence.

The elevator moved slowly, floor by floor. The air felt heavy. Suffocating.

It was strange how someone’s presence could be so commanding, even without words. His silence was louder than any outburst.

When the doors opened, he walked out first. No acknowledgment. No backward glance.

I swallowed hard and followed, forcing myself to keep my steps steady.

As soon as I got to my desk, I quickly sat down and tried to breathe, to focus. But I couldn’t shake the tight knot in my stomach that came from just seeing Drew. I hated that he had so much effect on me emotionally.

The past week had been an emotional storm, and I was still drenched.

I was just reaching for my planner when Drew’s secretary approached, heels clicking softly on the floor.

“Hi Lila, Drew wants to see you. Now.”

I nodded and quickly grabbed the bottle of prenatal vitamins from my bag. I popped one into my mouth, swallowing it dry. The bitter taste lingered.

When I stepped into Drew’s office, he didn’t even look up at first. He was behind his desk, shuffling through a stack of papers, his jaw tense.

“You wanted to see me?” I asked, closing the door behind me.

He looked up finally, and the coldness in his eyes made my skin prickle.

“Sit.”

I sat, folding my hands in my lap, heart thumping.

“I thought you were a professional, Lila,” he began, his tone clipped.

“I am.”

“Then why the hell would you call me on a weekend, asking for a week off during one of the most critical stages of this project?”

The words hit me like a slap. He wasn’t even pretending to understand. No question. No curiosity. Just straight into blame.

“I…”

“I don’t want to hear excuses,” he cut me off, voice rising. “Do you even understand how that would affect the entire team? The timelines? Do you think this whole launch revolves around your personal convenience?”

My fingers clenched together in my lap.

“Drew, I wasn’t…”

“You weren’t thinking. That’s the problem. I put my name on the line bringing you on board. And every time I try to defend your place here, you do something reckless like this. You're supposed to be proving yourself, not giving me reasons to doubt you.”

My vision blurred with rising heat. Shame, frustration, and something deeper, something darker began to boil beneath the surface.

“I’ve worked hard on this project,” I said quietly, my voice trembling.

He scoffed. “And you think one decent month cancels out a week of absence at the most crucial point?”

That was it.

The heat inside me snapped.

I stood, the chair scraping loudly behind me.

“Seriously I’ve had enough,” I said, voice steady now, even as it quivered with restrained emotion. “I’ve worked every damn day since I started here. I’ve shown up early, stayed late, dealt with a team that clearly doesn’t like me, and pretended not to notice how they dismiss every single thing I say. I’ve done all of that. And not once have I complained.”

He opened his mouth, but I wasn’t done.

“And you? You’ve been cold, rude, and dismissive. Ever since that night, you’ve looked at me like I’m a mistake you wish never happened. One minute you’re acting like you care, stepping in to help, and the next you’re humiliating me like I’m nothing but a liability.”

His lips tightened, but I pushed on.

“You don’t get to have it both ways, Drew. You don’t get to protect me when it’s convenient and tear me down when no one’s looking. I don’t know what your problem is with me, but I’ve had enough of trying to guess.”

My voice broke on the last word, but I didn’t look away.

“You want to know why I asked for time off?” I took a breath, steadying myself. “Because I almost lost something important. Something I’m still trying to process. And instead of empathy or at least professionalism, you decided to make me feel like I was disposable.”

His expression faltered for a moment, just a flicker, but it was there.

I stepped back, pain bubbling in my chest.

“You’ve made me question myself every day since I walked into this company. I’ve spent two months shrinking myself, trying to prove my worth to survive here and convince your team that I am capable of this job.”

The rage that flowed through my veins was insatiable and I just had to spill everything before I ran mad.

“Drew, to answer your question, yes I am a professional. Every project I handled in the past I delivered with so much perfection, you know my track record and that's why you hired me. Why do you constantly feel the need to undermine me?”

I paced around for a while trying to contain my anger but then I continued.

“Do you want to know what hurts the most? I thought maybe, just maybe, you would treat me with a little bit of respect. But I guess I was wrong"

The room was silent.

His jaw was tight, his eyes dark, but he said nothing. I knew I hit a lot of nerves so I was just waiting for him to explode on me. I might just lose this contract here and now.

But the silence continued and damn spoke louder than anything else.