Chapter 3

The weeks that followed that night were filled with a strange tension that hung heavily in the air. Every day felt like a balancing act between the professional Lila everyone saw and the broken woman I was trying so hard to hide.

 Drew’s behavior became even colder, more distant. He kept our interactions as brief and formal as possible, like we were two strangers in a room full of people who knew better than to ask questions. He said nothing more about the night we shared, and I couldn’t bring myself to ask. Every time I saw him, my heart clenched, a painful reminder of everything I wanted to forget.

It was like that kiss, that night, had been nothing but a fleeting moment, erased from both our lives the second the sun came up. And part of me wanted to believe it was just a mistake; a one-time lapse in judgment. But the other part of me, the part that burned with unanswered questions, couldn’t shake the memory of how he had held me. How his touch had set something alight inside me, something I hadn’t known existed. It felt real in a way that only made the rejection harder to accept.

I buried myself in the work. If I focused on the hotel project, on the upcoming launch, maybe I could forget about Drew’s words. Maybe I could erase the ache that lingered every time I saw him, every time he treated me like nothing more than an employee. Maybe, just maybe, I could push the memory of that night to the back of my mind.

But it wasn’t that easy.

His tone was cold, devoid of anything that could be mistaken for care. It stung more than it should have, but I didn’t let him see it. I couldn’t. I had to keep my composure and I had to prove that I was strong enough to carry the weight of this project no matter what it cost me.

As the days passed, I couldn’t ignore the changes happening in my body. At first, it was nothing big, just the occasional wave of dizziness and exhaustion that I chalked up to the stress of the job. But then the nausea started. Mild at first, easy to dismiss, but it didn’t go away. It lingered, creeping into every corner of my day.

And then, one night, I woke up with a feeling of deep unease gnawing at my insides. Something wasn’t right. My mind wandered back to the events of that night, Drew, the heat of his touch, and the reckless abandon with which we had let ourselves give in to each other. Drew hadn’t used protection.

The realization hit me like a freight train. 

I could be pregnant.

My heart raced, and for a moment, I felt like the world was spinning around me. I stumbled to the bathroom, my head spinning with questions I didn’t have answers to.

The next day at work, I stood on the bathroom floor, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My hand instinctively placed itself over my stomach, feeling the emptiness that seemed to grow with every passing second.

I had checked my calendar earlier that morning. My period was late. Days late. And Drew’s words “a mistake” were still echoing in my head, replaying over and over again like a cruel mantra.

I grabbed my phone, pulled up my calendar for the third time that day, and scrolled through the dates. My period was due last week. But it never came.

A heavy knot twisted in my stomach as I picked up the pregnancy test I had bought earlier that day. My hands were shaking so badly I almost dropped it, but I forced myself to steady my breathing. I followed the instructions as best as I could, my mind racing with possibilities, none of them comforting.

The waiting felt like an eternity. My heart pounded as I stared at the test, every second feeling like an hour.

And then the result appeared.

Positive.

I felt the world tilt under my feet as my vision blurred. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, everything around me went silent.

I’m pregnant.

The words rattled around in my mind, but they didn’t make sense. How could this be happening? What had I done? How had I let myself get so reckless?

Drew hadn’t used protection. He hadn’t even suggested we be careful.

I pressed my palm to my forehead, feeling the cold bathroom tiles beneath me ground me to the moment. I wanted to scream, to shout, but there was nothing in me but a hollow ache. The weight of the test in my hand felt like a leaden weight pressing against my chest.

"I can’t tell him," I whispered, the words bitter on my tongue.

I could already hear Drew’s voice in my head, cold and dismissive. It was a mistake, Lila. A lapse in judgment.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. I didn’t know what to do. Should I keep the baby? Could I? What did this mean for me? For my career?

I could already hear Drew’s voice telling me to get over it. To pretend it never happened, just like he had that morning.

Taking a deep breath, I wiped the tears away before they could fall. The decision was too big, too overwhelming. I needed to think. But one thing was clear, I couldn’t tell Drew. Not yet. Not ever.

I couldn’t tell anyone. I couldn’t even tell Drew. The idea of him finding out made my stomach churn with panic. He had made it clear that we were nothing more than colleagues. And the last thing I wanted was to ruin the small chance I had to finish the contract I had worked so hard for.

So I kept my secret. I would raise the child on my own.

I just had to make it through this job. After that, I would cut all ties with Drew. I would forget him. Forget everything.

As the days dragged on, I found myself taking extra care in how I dressed. I wore loose skirts and baggy shirts, anything that could hide the small changes in my body. I had to be careful not to bend over too much or lift anything that might give away my condition. 

Every time Drew came by the hotel, his cold gaze felt like a weight on my shoulders. He rarely spoke to me directly. And when he did, it was always short and clipped.

I was nothing more than another employee, another cog in the machine.

And that was fine. I didn’t need anything more from him. Not now.

But the more I worked, the harder it became to keep the secret. The exhaustion was overwhelming, and I found myself retreating more and more, hiding away from everyone as best as I could.

The weight of it all was suffocating. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep this up.

And that was when I heard it.

“Lila?”

The voice was familiar, yet there was something unsettling about it. I froze, my heart stopping in my chest. I couldn’t tell if I was ready for what would come next.

I turned slowly, my legs like lead.