Chapter 5

The moment I opened my eyes, a wave of nausea hit me. Great. Morning sickness.

I barely made it to the bathroom before I threw up. My head throbbed—part pregnancy, part emotional exhaustion. After rinsing my mouth and splashing cold water onto my face, I brushed my teeth.

When I finally stepped out, I forced myself into my work clothes. After doing so, I immediately went to the kitchen to check for food or at least something to eat.

On the table sat a plate with a neatly toasted bread and a perfectly cooked egg with avocados. Beside it was a note written with a pen.

Cooked your favorite toasted bread with egg. I made sure it was well done. Xoxo.

My chest softened just a little.

I sat down and took a careful bite. Surprisingly, my stomach didn’t protest. At least there was something my body could tolerate. Lately, almost everything Amara cooked triggered my nausea.

My hand then drifted to my stomach without thinking. My eyes moved toward the full-body mirror across the room.

In nine months… there will be a whole human growing inside me.

The thought made me feel various emotions—fear, amazement, and panic tangled into one overwhelming knot.

I shook my head and another thought hit me even harder. I had one massive problem to solve.

How the hell am I supposed to approach this baby’s father?

Should I just march into his office and say, surprise! You’re going to be a father. Congratulations!

Just imagining it made me want to bury myself alive. I could imagine the rumors immediately spreading like a wildfire through the entire company. Worst-case scenario? He fires me on the spot or thinks that I’m an insane woman.

I was spiraling into those deep impossible scenarios that to my horror, I nearly forgot to check the time. My eyes shot to the clock. Shoot, I’m going to be late.

Shoving the last bite of toast into my mouth, I grabbed my things and rushed out of the apartment. The thought of being late scares me. I don’t want to get reprimanded again for being late.

—-

Just ten minutes behind the clock, I finally reached the company building—sweaty, gasping for air, and one step away from my legs collapsing. The lobby’s cold breeze hit my face as I sprinted as fast as I could toward the elevators, praying I wouldn’t have to wait for another.

The doors were about to shut.

“Hold it!” I gasped

A hand shot out, pressing the button. The doors halted, opening. I slipped inside, trying to catch my breath.

“Thank—”

My voice was suddenly nowhere to be found. I suddenly lost the ability to speak.

Beside me was none other than the person inside my head the whole morning—The CEO.

Standing tall, wearing a perfectly pressed royal blue suit that probably cost more than the income that I could earn in years. Sharp jawline. Those gray eyes that are probably cold enough to slice through ice. And the faint scent of his cologne which smells like the ocean filled the small space. My stomach flipped, and this time I was so sure that it wasn’t because of pregnancy nausea.

My brain short-circuited. Isn’t it just great timing that only both of us are riding this elevator? And the person that I am with right now is none other than the man whose baby I was carrying.

Should I just corner him right now and blurt it out?

Hi, good morning! I’m pregnant and it’s yours!

I shook my head with those thoughts of mine. Before I could sink deeper into panic, his voice cut the air.

“I never knew that this company had employees with such manners,” he said, tone low, and edged with slight annoyance.

Shivers immediately went down my spine after hearing his voice. I forced myself to meet his gaze through the elevator’s mirrored walls. I could see that his eyes were on me, irritated.

“Are you not saying thank you?” he added, sounding more impatient this time.

“Oh—right—- Th–thank you, boss,” my words were stammering as I bow slightly, clutching my ID pass as if it could shield me.

He clicked his tongue softly. Tsk.

The elevator finally dinged and opened. I practically leapt out, keeping my eyes forward and my strides long. His presence clung to my skin like static, and I refused to glance back even once. Sudden flashbacks of what happened during that night entered my mind. How his hot breath filled mine. And how our bare bodies touched together and became one. I could feel my cheeks heating from blushing.

The moment I reached our department, I exhaled everything that I’d been holding in. My knees wobbled, about to give up. My heart hammered so hard I thought the baby could feel it too.

I slumped into my chair with trembling fingers, pressing a hand over my stomach. I wasn’t ready to see him. Not this soon. And obviously not like that. If the elevator hadn’t opened when it did, I swear I would’ve died on the spot from the tension alone.

As I composed myself and steady my breathing, my thoughts swirled back in full force.

Does he remember that night too?

No—I doubt that.

But what if he does?

My pulse spiked again. That would be impossible… right? He was also under the influence that night. And I was wearing full makeup—heavy foundation, red lipstick, and hair styled nothing like how I look now. He wouldn’t connect that one blurry night to the plain, messy employee he saw today.

But would he even care though… with whom did he sleep with that night.

Still… the fear lingered like a shadow crawling up my spine.

“Vera, hi!”

I jumped out of my seat with the sudden cheerful greeting beside me. My hand flew instinctively to my chest as if I could physically hold my soul in place before it escaped.

Eric blinked at me, startled too with my actions. “Woah, calm down, okay. Dramatic much?”

I exhaled shakily, finally registering her bright grin and curly hair bobby as she leaned over my desk. “Oh… it’s you,” I breathed out, forcing a smile. “Hey, Erica!”

She squinted at me as if she’s examining me thoroughly as she plopped down onto the edge of my table. “Girl, why do you look like you’ve just seen a ghost?”

If only it were a ghost. I know I am afraid of ghosts, but what happened this morning… I’d definitely rather have seen a ghost than see the father of my child. It was far more terrifying. It was something capable of swallowing my entire life whole.

“Oh, sorry…” I said, waving a hand weakly. “I’m just… not feeling too well lately.”

Erica’s expression suddenly softened in concern. “Right… You look pale. Do you need medicine?”

I shook my head. My breakfast suddenly felt like it was climbing up my throat again.

“No, it’s okay.” I lied, forcing the words out as casually as I could. “I’ll be okay later.”

But inside, my mind was still replaying that moment in the elevator. It was one of the closest moments that I’ve ever been with the CEO—of course aside from the night where we did it.