Elyana
"Aren't you going to eat?" James asked when she skipped her chair and went straight to her father's side to kiss his cheek.
"No, I'm not hungry." She replied. "Besides, I'm in a hurry. I don't want to be late."
It was partly the reason, but in truth, she just couldn't stand the smell of bacon and eggs. The last thing she needed was to start gagging and hurling again.
"This little stunt would not change my mind, Elyana. You know that, right?" Her father stared at her, his eyes raking her body from head to toes, probably taking note of her business attire.
Honestly, she had never worn anything this conservative in her entire life. Not that she dressed provocatively, but Sandy would never allow her to look like a nerd, not if her friend could help it.
But today, she decided that if she wanted people to treat her seriously, she should act the part of the CEO's assistant.
Presentable. Businesslike. Respectable.
Tying her hair into a neat bun, applying a thin layer of makeup, and getting rid of her limited edition bags and shoes. Even adding glasses to complete the part.
"Dad, I don't want to marry Craig. And I don't need a man to take care of me. I can do that on my own." Except for her father's financial assistance, she believed that she had been surviving on her own since her mother died.
Therefore, if she could hold a job that paid well, she would be just fine. She could raise her child on her own, even without a husband.
"As a matter of fact, I think I should move out and start living on my own." She blurted, surprising her father and herself with the startling and unexpected decision.
Although she had thought about the possibility of moving out of the home she had known all her life, she had never imagined going through it until now.
Now that she thought about it, it made more sense. If she truly wanted independence, she had to cut herself off from her father's wealth and influence.
Besides, she was about to show soon. She believed it would be best if she were out of her father's hair by the time he discovered her condition.
"Move out?" Now, James looked at her as if she had grown two horns. "You won't last a week on your own." Her father shouted.
It was exactly that reaction that she didn't want to see once he discovered her condition. She could hardly count the lines that appeared on her father's forehead.
Visibly, James was fuming. She could only imagine the steam that was coming from his nose and ears as he stared at her.
"Stop this nonsense, Elyana," James added, dropping his utensils with a bang on his plate before standing up in a menacing stance. "You're just wasting your time with this stupid hobby of yours."
Stupid? Hobby?
"Writing is all I ever wanted to do, Dad. There's nothing stupid about it." She responded. "You know what... I'll prove to you that I can do this. I'm moving out as soon as I find a place."
With that said, she turned around and marched away. Although she could not see him anymore, she could feel his gaze drilling a hole in his back.
As soon as she reached her car, which was already waiting for her at the driveway, she reached for her keys and tossed them in the passenger seat.
"I don't need this. I don't need his help. I don't need a man."
She walked out of their gate and never looked back.
For the first few hours, she worked her body to the bones, printing this, fetching that. Fundamentally, doing all sorts of things and running all over the place.
Although she was assigned to be the CEO's assistant, most of her colleagues still treated her as an intern. As such, all she could do was run errands for everyone.
"By the way, where is the CEO?" After a while, she dared ask one of the secretaries, wondering why her boss hadn't shown up yet.
It had been more than a week. Still, no word from her boss.
"I heard that he was still on a trip somewhere. But this is not his only office, so don't expect him to come here all the time." The other woman explained.
"What was he like?"
"Mr. Caldwell? Let me see... Intelligent. Hardworking. Workaholic. Strict. Demanding." The woman enumerated their boss's qualities. "Handsome, great body, and hot as hell." She added, giggling dreamily as if she just described her childhood crash.
"But fair warning, he would fire you the instant that you throw yourself at him."
Great! Exactly the boss in her nightmare.
"Don't worry. That will never happen."
It was not as if she had been looking forward to becoming his assistant. If she had her way, she would rather be transferred to the Publishing Department and work with the best editors in the country.
But she guessed that she had to wait until her boss decided to report to their office.
Another hour later—
"Why do they call it morning sickness when it could happen at any time of the day?" She whined on the phone, complaining to her friend after she had just experienced another hurling episode in the office bathroom.
Luckily, no one else was around to witness the scene. The last thing she wanted was to explain her situation and become the subject of the office gossip for the month.
"I could hardly keep anything. I just threw up everything I ate." She continued, holding onto her flat stomach.
Sooner or later, she knew she had to set an appointment with the doctor. But she was afraid that somebody would recognize her and report her to her father.
At the moment, she was not yet ready for her father to find out that he was about to become a grandfather.
"Why don't you just quit, Ely? You know I can take care of you, bestie." Sandy said on the line, sounding as supportive as ever.
"You know I love you, but I'm not about to be your burden, nor my child." Her pride would never allow her abuse her friend's kindness.
"Anyway, my break is over. I have to go." Dropping her phone back into her bag, she quickly exited the bathroom.
But as she turned the corner, the hallway suddenly shifted, her vision blurred, and her world spun, making her stagger on her feet.
Holding on to the wall, she rested her head on the cold surface, waiting for her head to clear.
Damn! Dizzy spells.
"Hey, are you ok?" A man's voice echoed in the empty hallway. "Do you need help?" The tone was calm and gentle, but definitely familiar.
No! It couldn't be.
When a hand touched her shoulder, she quickly flinched away as if electricity flowed through her nerves, causing her body to go haywire.
As if her body recognized him, without even seeing his face, she already knew it was him.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She quickly responded, turning away from him.
However, she moved too hastily, causing her foot to get caught against a nearby table. Then, as if deja vu, she was falling again. And as if she already knew what would happen next, he caught her in his arms.
"Huh! We should stop meeting like this." He said, while keeping her firmly against his chest.
Caught by surprise, for a few seconds, she could only stare into his enigmatic eyes.
Fascinated. Captivated. Deeply enthralled.
But the spell finally broke as she returned to her senses.
"I'm sorry. I'm so clumsy." She hurriedly got back on her feet and pressed against his chest. But it didn't work this time as she felt like her hands were pushing against a wall.
"Not so fast." He held her between him and the wall, staring down at her with a look she couldn't decipher.
What was he doing?
Why was he here?
Did he finally recognize her?
"What do you want?"