The Devil Made An Offer

Lumi Reeves stood frozen in the doorway of Aaron Vanders' office. Her legs refused to move and her heart slammed against her ribs so hard she felt dizzy. The man from the hotel—the one whose touch still burned in her memory sat behind the wide desk. And now she knew his name. Aaron Vanders. He was the cold CEO staring back at her. The father of the baby whose life she had ended.

Aaron's steel-gray eyes met hers and recognition lashed in them, immediately. He remembered every second of that night. But his face stayed blank, like though she was a mistake he had already erased. He looked at her the way someone looks at a problem already fixed.

Lumi's face burned as Shane flooded through her body. She wanted to disappear. She wished the earth could open and take her away at that very moment. She remembered his hands gripping her hips, his mouth on her skin and the way he had filled her completely. Now he stared at her like she disgusted him. Her hands trembled so badly she had to clasp them together.

Aaron picked up her portfolio and turned the pages slowly. His expression never changed. After what felt like forever, he dropped it onto the desk.

"You are not qualified for this position," he said. His voice was flat and cold with no feeling in it.

Lumi blinked. "But... my resume shows—"

"Your resume shows two years out of the workforce," he cut in. "It shows no recent experience, and no major projects. We need someone who can handle pressure. Not someone who has been... idle."

The word hurt like a slap. Idle. He made it sound as though she had chosen to sit at home. Like she had not been trapped in a marriage that starved her.

"I worked hard before," she said as her voice shook. "I graduated top of my class. I can learn fast. Please, just give me a chance."

Aaron leaned back in his chair. "No. You are not a fit."

He pressed a button on his desk. "Security. Come to my office and escort a visitor out."

Lumi's mouth went dry. "Wait. Please. I need this job. My father is sick. The bills—"

Aaron stood up. He turned his back to her and looked out the window as though she was no longer there.

Two security men came in. One reached for her arm.

"Don't touch me!" Lumi yelled. Her voice cracked as she pulled away and walked out on her own. Her face burned with humiliation and tears stung her eyes as she took the elevator down.

Outside, she walked blindly. Cars rushed past her, people bumped into her but she kept moving. Why did he do that? she thought. He knows what happened. He was inside me. He came in me. Now he acts like I'm nothing. As though that night meant nothing to him. She felt a sharp pain in her chest. Then suddenly, a sharp pain crossed her stomach, making her press a hand to her stomach. Another stab came and this time, she gasped and bent forward.

That evening, when she reached the empty apartment, the room felt colder than ever. When she stepped inside, the pain struck her again, harder this time. She cried out and fell to her knees as she clutched her stomach. Sweat broke out on her forehead.

"It hurts," she sobbed. "God, it hurts so much."

She crawled to the bathroom, and vomited into the toilet until her throat burned. She rocked back and forth on the floor. "Please stop," she begged. "Please."

When the worst passed, she forced herself up. She had to know why and what caused the pain. Lumi grabbed her coat and stumbled outside. The streets were dark as she walked to the pharmacy where she bought the pills. Her legs shook with every step that she took.

When she got there, yellow police tape blocked the door. The lights of the building was off, and a sign read: Closed by Order of Authorities.

Lumi stared as her stomach dropped further. "No..."

A man sweeping the sidewalk nearby looked up. "You looking for the pharmacist?"

"Yes," Lumi whispered.

"She got arrested this morning for selling fake drugs that got people hurt badly. Some almost died so the police shut everything down."

Lumi's knees buckled and she grabbed the wall to stay upright. Fake pills. That explained the pain that now screamed through her body.

She turned and ran. She flagged a cab with shaking hands. "Hospital. Fast."

At the hospital, Lumi sat in the exam room, trembling. The doctor, a kind older man, listened as she explained everything. The pills. The light bleeding. And the pain she felt now.

He did an ultrasound and looked at the screen for a long time.

"The pills did not work," he said gently. "You are still pregnant. About eight weeks now."

Lumi stared at him. "But... the bleeding..."

"Sometimes it happens with fake medication. It can cause spotting but not end the pregnancy."

Tears fell down her face. "I can't... I have no way to take care of a baby."

The doctor put a hand on her shoulder. "Trying to end it again on your own could be very dangerous. It could hurt you badly. Or the baby. I recommend a surgical procedure. It's safer under medical care."

Lumi nodded slowly. She felt empty. This is the right thing, she told herself. I can't raise a child like this. With no job, and no home.

The procedure was scheduled for the next week.

The morning of the appointment, Lumi sat in the hospital waiting room. She wore a thin gown. Cold air touched her skin as she hugged her arms around herself. Nurses walked past her and machines beeped as she tried to breathe slowly.

Then she heard a familiar voice down the corridor. The voice sounded, deep, calm and commanding.

She looked up to see Aaron Vanders standing at the nurses' station. He was speaking to her doctor.

Lumi's heart stopped. She tried to stand. She wanted to hide or run. He can't see me like this, she thought. Not now.

But then, the doctor saw her. "Miss Reeves? We're ready for you."

Aaron turned and his eyes found her. They immediately dropped to the thin gown she was wearing. Then to her stomach which was still flat, but he knew.

His jaw tightened as something dark flashed across his face.

"Cancel the procedure," he told the doctor.

Lumi stood to her feet. "You have no right to say that!"

Aaron stepped closer to her, his voice stayed level. "I have every right. That baby is mine."