Chapter Five: Missed Period

Aria had been staring at the same spreadsheet for twenty minutes, the numbers blurring into meaningless patterns. Her pen tapped against the desk in an uneven rhythm. She kept telling herself it was stress. Just stress. But her stomach coiled tighter every time she counted back the weeks in her head.

“Earth to Aria,” Janice said from across the cubicle wall. “You’ve been drilling holes into that screen all morning.”

Aria blinked and forced a smile. “Just… going over projections.”

Janice peered over the divider. “You look pale. Are you sick?”

“No, I’m fine,” Aria said quickly. “Didn’t sleep much, that’s all.”

Janice raised a brow, unconvinced, but dropped it when Liam’s office door opened. He stepped out, sharp in a charcoal suit, scanning the floor. Conversations hushed without him asking. Aria straightened automatically, praying he wouldn’t notice her distraction.

He didn’t. His gaze swept the room, landed on the board across the wall, then back to his office. Cold. Detached. Yet in the second before he turned away, Aria could’ve sworn his eyes lingered on her.

Her pulse skipped. She bent back over her screen, willing the heat in her cheeks to fade.

---

At lunch, she picked at her salad, appetite gone. Janice plopped into the chair beside her. “You’re not eating. Seriously, what’s up?”

“Nothing. Just a headache,” Aria muttered.

“Headache for three days straight?” Janice narrowed her eyes. “Girl, you’re either in love or dying. Which is it?”

Aria choked on a laugh. “Neither.”

Sophie, another coworker, leaned across the table. “I heard stress does that. Messes with your body, makes you late, makes you feel weird.”

The word late struck like a thunderclap. Aria dropped her fork, heart hammering.

Janice tilted her head. “You okay?”

“Fine,” Aria said too fast, grabbing her water. She drained half the bottle just to avoid their stares.

They exchanged looks but didn’t push. Still, Aria felt the weight of suspicion following her back to her desk.

---

By midafternoon, her nerves were frayed. She caught herself biting her nails, something she hadn’t done in years. The more she tried to act normal, the more jittery she became.

“Hayes,” Liam’s voice snapped across the floor.

She jolted upright. “Yes?”

“Report. Now.”

Her legs carried her into his office before her brain caught up. He didn’t look up from the papers on his desk. “Sit.”

She obeyed, gripping her notepad like a shield.

“You’ve missed two errors in last week’s analysis,” he said, sliding a document across the desk. “I don’t tolerate carelessness.”

Her stomach sank. “I’ll fix it immediately.”

“See that you do.” His eyes lifted, sharp and unyielding. “If you’re distracted by something, leave it at home. This company doesn’t wait for anyone to get their act together.”

Her throat tightened. She nodded, fighting to keep her voice steady. “Understood.”

He dismissed her with a flick of his hand, already bent over another file. She walked out stiffly, her cheeks burning under the weight of unspoken words. If only he knew what was clawing at her chest. If only she knew what she was going to do.

---

At home that evening, Mia was sprawled on the couch with her laptop. She looked up the moment Aria came in. “You look worse than yesterday. Spill.”

Aria dropped her bag and collapsed beside her. “I think something’s wrong with me.”

Mia shut the laptop, full attention on her. “Define wrong.”

Aria twisted her hands. “I’m late.”

Mia blinked. “Late for—oh.” Her eyes widened. “Oh.”

Aria groaned, covering her face. “Don’t make me say it out loud.”

“How late?”

“A week. Maybe more.” Her voice cracked. “I thought it was stress, but at work today, Janice and Sophie kept looking at me like I was going to fall apart. And Liam…” She trailed off, heat rushing to her cheeks. “He already thinks I’m incompetent. If this is real—”

“Stop,” Mia said firmly. She grabbed Aria’s hands and squeezed them. “First, we don’t panic until we know. Tomorrow we’re buying a test. End of story.”

Aria’s chest heaved. “And if it’s positive?”

Mia’s grip tightened. “Then we deal with it together. Whatever happens, you’re not doing this alone.”

Aria’s eyes filled, and she slumped against her friend’s shoulder. “He called that night a mistake, Mia. What happens when mistakes don’t stay buried?”

Mia stroked her hair, her voice soft but steady. “Then it’s his problem too. But right now, focus on you. One step at a time.”

Aria closed her eyes, clinging to the words. Tomorrow. Just one more day before the truth unraveled everything.