He shocked me

Genevieve's POV

Six Weeks Later:

I rested my hand on my stomach, staring at the test strip again. Positive. My heart raced as I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror. A shy smile crept onto my face, but it wasn’t just joy; it was nerves too. I was pregnant. Today was supposed to be special. I couldn’t wait to share this news with Alex, the man I loved. I imagined how tightly he would hold me when I told him. This would be the day he would finally announce our engagement to everyone, ending the secrecy of our office romance. I was tired of hiding. As I left the bathroom, I glanced down at my engagement ring. For the first time, I felt brave enough to wear it outside my home. Alex Woods was more than my boss; he was the heir to Woods Corporation, a massive empire known for tech, luxury hotels, and real estate.

I arrived at the office and greeted Laura, the receptionist, with a smile before heading to my desk. But my excitement was short-lived. I decided to grab tea from the kitchen, but the moment I walked in, my colleagues' chatter pulled me in.

“Did you hear the news?” Evelyn asked with a grin.

“What news?” I asked, confused.

“Alex Woods is off the market!” Evelyn exclaimed. My heart stopped. “What? What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on, Genevieve. Everyone knows! Alex is getting married!” Sonia chimed in, smirking.

“What? That’s not possible,” I said, forcing a laugh, my stomach tightening.

“You really don’t know? His sister confirmed it on TV this morning,” Evelyn added, looking at me as if I’d been living under a rock. His sister? I felt my chest tighten. Alex hadn’t said anything to me about this.

Sonia nudged Evelyn with a laugh. “It’s probably some rich guy’s daughter. You know how it goes. The rich marry the rich.”

I felt sick. The tea I had planned to make was long forgotten. I rushed back to my office, my thoughts spiralling out of control. Was this some kind of mistake? Alex wouldn’t keep something like this from me… would he? I grabbed my phone from my bag, hoping for a text, a call, or anything from Alex. But there was nothing. Desperate for answers, I opened my laptop and searched the news. The headlines stared back at me: “Alex Woods to Marry: Mystery Bride Revealed Soon!”

I scrolled frantically. No name, no details, just speculation. My fingers hovered over my phone. Should I call him? No, I couldn’t. This wasn’t something I wanted to discuss over the phone. I tried to focus on work, but my mind was elsewhere. About twenty minutes later, I decided to deliver some documents to my colleague, Hannah. But when I reached her office, it was empty.

“Laura, where’s Hannah?” I asked the receptionist.

“She’s in the meeting,” Laura replied casually.

“What meeting?” I frowned.

“The product launch meeting. It started at 10:30.”

“What?” My voice rose. “It was scheduled for 3 p.m.!”

Laura hesitated. “I think the time has changed. A circular was sent out.”

I shook my head. “I didn’t get anything.”

Something wasn’t right. This project was my idea, my vision. I had poured everything into it. How could I be left out? Furious for so many reasons, I stormed to HR to get answers. I pushed open Felix’s office door without knocking. He looked up, amused. “Genevieve, what a surprise. To what do I owe this honour?”

“Why wasn’t I informed about the meeting?” I demanded, unable to contain my anger. Felix smirked, leaning back in his chair.

“Take a seat,” he said, pointing.

“I’m not here to sit. Answer me!”

He chuckled. “Still feisty. I like that about you. If you’d accepted my offer, none of this would’ve happened. I would have found a way to stand up for you.”

His words only added to my pain. Felix had been pestering me for months, making inappropriate comments and advances.

“Stop wasting my time,” I snapped.

Felix sighed dramatically and reached for an envelope on his desk. “If you’re going to be stubborn, here.”

“What is this?” I asked, grabbing it.

“Open it,” he said, smirking.

I tore it open and pulled out the letter. My eyes scanned the words, and my heart dropped.

“Termination?” I whispered.

The envelope slipped from my hands as I stared at Felix in disbelief.

“Your services are no longer required,” he said, his tone smug.

Tears pricked my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of him. This couldn’t be happening. Not today. Not when I had so much to tell Alex.

Clutching the termination letter in my trembling hands, I stumbled out of Felix’s office. My vision blurred with tears, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. My heels clicked furiously against the polished floor as I stormed toward Alex’s office, my heart racing in disbelief. This had to be a mistake.

“Is Mr. Woods in?” I asked his secretary, my voice shaking with desperation.

She barely looked up from her computer. “No, ma’am. He hasn’t been in all morning.”

She had never spoken to me like that before. She used to drop everything to attend to me, but now, she answered me as though I were just another applicant.

“What about his assistants?” I pressed, willing her to give me something—anything.

“Not here either,” she replied just as she had before, tapping away on her keyboard. Had she heard about my termination letter? Just as I was about to raise my voice and ask why she hadn’t given me proper attention, the elevator doors opened behind me.

My heart sank as I turned and saw the man I loved, Mr. Alex Woods, stepping out with his usual entourage. But he wasn’t alone. Walking beside him was a woman, stunning in appearance. Her long champagne-coloured gown looked rich and elegant, and her hand rested lightly on Alex’s arm as she whispered something that made him chuckle.

The sound of his laughter, once so familiar, now felt strange and sent a chill down my spine.

“Alex,” I called, my voice breaking.

He stopped, his eyes narrowing as they met mine. His expression wasn’t the warmth I once knew. That voice that drew me closer whenever I got to his office was cold, very detached.

“What?” he said, his tone sounding unlike anything I had ever expected.

My chest tightened. “Felix gave me a termination letter,” I said, my breath hitching.

“And?” he replied, raising a brow as if I had just brought up something trivial.

“So?” I repeated, stunned by his indifference. “Why would you do this to me?”

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. “Genevieve, if you’re done embarrassing yourself, I suggest you leave.”

“Embarrassing myself?” I repeated in disbelief. “Alex, we’ve been together for months, secretly, as you have wanted. How can you just throw me away like this?”

His lips curved into a cold, mocking smile. “Together?” He let out a soft, bitter laugh.

“Genevieve, what we had was never serious. You were... a distraction. A way to pass time, that’s all.”

The words hit me so hard in the face. My knees threatened to buckle, but I forced myself to stay upright. “You’re lying,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

“Why would I lie?” he said with a shrug. “Let me make this clear: You meant nothing to me, just a way to ease myself when I was stressed. Why am I even exchanging words with you?”

The woman at his side smirked, clearly enjoying the show. “Darling, we’re going to be late,” she said. Her voice was full of mockery as she pretended to brush off invisible dust from his suit. He turned to her, his expression softening into the same expression he used whenever he wanted to turn me over for pleasure in his office. “You’re right, babe. Let’s go.”

“Alex!” I shouted, my voice cracking as I took a step forward. “You can’t just do this. You can’t treat me like this!”

He turned back to me one last time, his gaze hard. “Oh, I can, Genevieve. And I just did. You’re fired, you’re out of my life, and frankly, I couldn’t care less. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedding to plan.”

My breath caught in my throat. “A wedding?” The woman lifted her hand, flashing a diamond ring so large it could blind someone. “That’s right,” she purred, leaning into him. “We’re getting married this weekend.”

I stumbled back, the tears I had been holding back spilling over as I watched them walk away, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist.

“Alex!” I screamed after him, but he didn’t turn around. One of his assistants stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Miss, you need to leave.” I clutched the letter in my hand, my fingers trembling. “Why?” I sobbed. “What did I do wrong?”

The assistant leaned in, his voice low. “Something so personal, Miss Genevieve. But Mr. Woods has moved on, and so should you.”

My knees buckled, and I clung to the wall for support as I forgot I could use the elevator instead of the stairs. His betrayal crushed me, but I couldn’t fall apart, not here, not in front of them. I forced myself to turn away and walked back to my office in a daze. My hands shook as I shoved my belongings into a box, tears streaming down my face. Among the mess, my fingers brushed against the small card I had planned to give him at break time, with the words:

“I’m carrying your baby.”

I clutched it to my chest, my heart breaking all over again.

By the time I reached the parking lot, I could barely breathe. Just as I was about to get into the car, one of Alex’s guards rushed toward me.

“Hand over the car key,” he demanded. “The car has been assigned for auction.” I felt frozen.

“All you need to know is that this is a company car, and my job is on the line if I don’t take it back right now.”

Before I could say a word, he signalled for his men. Then, without waiting, he grabbed the key from my hand. He pointed towards the exit gate, grabbed my arm, and forcefully dragged me out of the premises. As I stumbled, he threw my handbag at me.

Desperate and overwhelmed, I stopped a cab and got into the back seat, keeping my head down. I had no other place to go but home, where I could fall on my bed and weep with my unborn baby. The cab driver waited patiently until I managed to give him my address. About twenty minutes later, we arrived at my driveway. What I saw made my stomach drop. My belongings were scattered all over the front lawn like trash.

“No,” I whispered, stepping out of the car.

A tall man stood by a moving truck, his face blank. “Ma’am, we’re just following orders,” he said flatly. “Someone else is moving in tonight.”

“This is my home!” I choked out. “You can’t do this.”

“Take it up with Mr. Woods,” he replied, handing me an envelope.

“What?” I snapped, barely holding back tears. My heart sank as I stared at my things tossed out like they meant nothing.

Meanwhile, the cab driver walked up to me. “My money,” he said impatiently. “The longer I wait, the more you’ll be charged.”

His tone irritated me, but I couldn’t blame him for my problems. I reached into my bag and handed him my card.

“Here. Withdraw your money,” I said with a bit of painful confidence.

He took the card, only to return moments later with a grim look.

“Your card’s been blocked.”

“What?” My voice trembled. “Why would Alex do this to me? How am I supposed to survive?”

The cab driver scoffed. “Young lady, pay me my money. If you’d paid your rent, maybe they wouldn’t have thrown your stuff out of the building.”