4

When I arrived home, it was five in the afternoon.

I took off my heels at the entrance and walked over to the couch. Along the way, I took off my gray jacket, leaving it on the floor, and lay down face down.

I was tired. I didn't feel like going out for dinner, but I knew they wouldn't take no for an answer. Whenever they saw me down, they suggested going out to distract me, not realizing I needed to be alone.

I sighed, resting my arms on the couch and got up lazily.

Ten minutes later, as I was showering in the bathroom in my room, the front door opened.

A child's voice filled the apartment.

By eight, I had my son dressed. I had put him in a gray bomber jacket, a dark gray merino wool sweater, and slim blue jeans.

As I got dressed, my friends were looking after little Adrien.

I went downstairs once I was ready. I decided to wear a gray textured knit dress and a dark gray mottled jacket.

I approached the door when the doorbell rang. I smiled at the woman standing behind the door, and the newly arrived woman said:

"Are you ready? Joshua is waiting for us at the door."

"Yes, of course," I replied with a smile. "Adri, let's go," I called to my son.

"Don't stay out too late, okay, Kaia?" Jackie said, tying the robe cord around her waist.

"Jackie, are you my dad now? As soon as we're done, we'll come straight back. I have to work tomorrow, and Adri has school," I grabbed the bag hanging by the entrance, while my son left the apartment. "Believe me, I'm not very eager to stay out late."

"We know," said the three girls who were with me.

"And what about my pizza?" Carolina complained.

"Tomorrow, I'll cover dinner. This came up suddenly," I argued, shrugging.

"Let's go. You know how kids get when they're hungry," Madeleine commented.

I said goodbye to my friends and then put the keys in my bag as I closed the door.

The three of us went down in the elevator to the ground floor, and outside the building, we met a brunette girl with blue eyes. She looked a lot like her parents.

The two of them, upon meeting, stood facing each other and smiled. The kids were happy to see each other and go out for dinner together. Without a doubt, they were great friends thanks to us, their parents.

We laughed at the sight of the children.

We walked down Archer Street, where their apartment was located, and went down Regiam Street until we reached Rose Avenue, where the restaurant was, and walked slowly while the little ones went ahead.

...

The next morning, I dropped my son off at school. The previous night, Joshua gave me permission to arrive later than usual so I could take Adri to his classes.

He knew I liked doing it and that it felt wrong to always have Damián take him. He's a colleague from work who's in the translation department.

When I got there, I engaged in a lengthy conversation with Deva. I always had a great time when my colleague shared some gossip circulating around the company.

I had known her since she moved to Greenwich and I had always laughed with her. She had always been kind to me, and I was undoubtedly grateful for it.

Everyone knew she had been Oscar's girlfriend, the former CEO of the Verlag Boston Branch, although she had held the same position before.

Even though I didn't know it, everyone had been tasked with looking out for me at Jorge's request, but I pretended not to be aware of it.

"I'm heading upstairs," I suddenly commented.

"Good luck," my friend Deva wished me. "Let me know when you're coming down for breakfast, I'd like to have breakfast with you."

"Sure," I smiled and made my way to the elevator.

I reached out to press the button, but a man's hand beat me to it. When I turned my head, my smile disappeared.

"Well, well... what bad luck I have," I muttered.

"Bad luck? I thought you liked me."

"Like you? Have I given that impression? Well, you're mistaken. I don't like you."

"Can I know what I've done for you not to like me?" he asked as we both stepped into the elevator.

"Being a man."

That response left him looking surprised.

He probably thought, "Does this girl hate men?"

From that moment on, we didn't speak again during the ride.

***

Stefan

She gazed at the steel doors with a serious expression, but I could sense there was sadness in her eyes.

According to what I had seen on her file, she had been working as the CEO's secretary since November 12, 2019, but there were gaps in her record.

From June 8, 2020, to October 1, 2020, with October 1 being her return date, there was a period listed as medical leave. There was also another hiatus noted from February 22, 2021, to March 27, 2021, without specifying the reason.

I wanted to ask her, but I had a feeling she wouldn't tell me.

When the doors opened, Kaia stepped out with a serious expression. She probably felt relieved to be out of the elevator and away from me.

I, on the other hand, walked slowly, one hand in my trouser pocket, wearing an ironic smile. I would find out why her record had those gaps, even if she wouldn't reveal it so easily.

I noticed her sitting at her desk and decided to approach. I rested a hand on the edge of her desk and said:

"It's a shame we don't get along, but remember, next week you'll be my secretary. And then, you'll have to get along and smile at me."

"I don't think that's going to happen and..."

"You will, believe me, and it'll be soon," I assured her, with a half-smile.

"That's true. I'll smile when you leave for Germany. Until then, don't expect a smile from me," she hung her bag on the back of her chair.

"I'll make you smile," I leaned in slightly. "I always get what I want."

That comment irritated Kaia, I could see it clearly. She pressed her lips together to keep herself from snapping and took a deep breath to calm down.

She hung her jacket on the hanger, rummaged in her bag for her phone, and as she turned away, she said:

"You're wasting your time with me. I'm not one of those girls who smile at everyone. You might as well give up."

I smiled again. So, that's how it will be?

***

Kaia's POV

He looked at me surprised by how calmly and seriously I had said it.

In silence, I sat down in his chair and opened Joshua's planner.

I was clear that I wasn't going to fall into the clutches of another man, not while Oscar had the possibility of coming back. I knew waiting for him would cause me more pain, but I didn't care.

I knew everyone wanted me to move on with my life, but they didn't think about what I wanted.

I had to think about my son, and I knew there was no one better than Oscar to be by my side.

Stefan moved away from his desk and headed to his office.

...

In the afternoon, I went to the park with my son.

I loved those afternoons when I had time to be with my little one. Watching him run around like that with his friends amused me.

I couldn't stop shaking my head while he played Pokémon with the other kids at the park. Leaning back against the bench's backrest, my expression turned sad. That day, I had tried to remain calm when the German guy looked at me.

I didn't like that he spent most of his time observing me.

I stood up when I saw my son clutching his stomach with both arms. I approached him, crouched down to his level, and said:

"Mommy, it hurts a lot."

"Come on, let's go to the doctor," I picked him up and stood up, being careful not to lose my balance.

I gathered my son's things and walked to the car, which was parked not far from the park.

I didn't care about losing the parking spot; my son was what mattered. I settled him in the back seat, in his car seat, securing him properly but being careful not to press on his stomach.

I got into the driver's seat and drove to the Health Center. Whenever I stopped, I glanced back to check on my son. He was struggling not to vomit in the car.

I searched the glove compartment for a bag he could use in case he needed to vomit, but I found nothing. After fifteen minutes, I arrived at the medical center.

Sitting in the waiting room, I recalled an episode that always came to mind when my little one was sick or when I was trapped with a man in the elevator.

Adrien was sitting on my lap, with one hand clutching the neckline of my shirt and his mouth against my chest. He held me tenderly and occasionally looked up at me.

He was gazing at me with a pained expression. I touched his cheek and forehead with a finger. When the nurse called us, we entered the examination room.

After examining the little one, the doctor told me:

"It's appendicitis, but don't worry, he'll be fine."

"App... appendicitis?"

"Yes, but don't worry. We'll admit him right away and perform the surgery immediately. He should be able to go home tomorrow," the doctor smiled at me.

"But... isn't appendicitis more common when they're older?"

"We never know for sure when it will appear, although diagnosing it in children is more challenging. It's good that you brought him in early because it hasn't worsened. Don't worry, everything will be fine," the doctor reassured me. "We'll admit him right away."