Chapter 8

• “We’ll have a meeting tomorrow, prepare yourselves and then go straight after to see our new product marketing location.”
• Mr. Robinson directed us before inviting us to leave. However, before we all left the room, I stopped them with my suggestion of Lisa joining our project team.
• “Sir, can we add one more person to the project? I suggest Lisa to join. She’s a competent woman.” I looked at Mr. Robinson and the others after saying my suggestion.
• “But, sir, this team is enough to handle this project.” Mr. Larson denied and I looked at him with a frown. I had a feeling he meant something else.
• “No problem. Lisa can participate in this project, after all, the personnel department told me to provide the results of the intern’s last evaluation. This can be the final assessment to complete her evaluation.”
• I smiled with gratitude to Mr. Robinson. I am glad to have him as my superior, he is a competent and honest man.
• “Thank you, sir.”
• Only Mr. Larson seemed unhappy with this decision. The other two people on our team, Audrey and Simon seemed happy. They were both permanent employees.
• “How was it? Can I join you?” Lisa looked at me with a curious and impatient gaze as I arrived at my desk. I pretended to think while holding the top of my chair.
• “Well, Mr. Robinson said you should have a final evaluation with our team, so, welcome and welcome to join.” I extended my hand to Lisa to shake but she jumped out of her chair and hugged me. She squealed with delight. I smiled.
• “Thank you, Nat, I’m very happy. I hope we can become permanent employees.” Lisa said that as she unraveled her hug, I smiled and nodded. She was the only intern who was willing to get along with me, the others chose to stay away from me and even seemed hostile towards me. Along with me always contributing ideas to the assistant managers and Mr. Robinson who always liked my work.
• I did my best to minimize my circle of friends in the office. That’s because I find it hard to trust anyone. My past trauma of always being taken advantage of by people around me because they wanted to reap the benefits of doing their work voluntarily. At first, I thought that way I’d make more friends but in fact I was just being used.
• “You want to go celebrate? How about we go eat at my uncle’s fast food restaurant? I’ll treat us to all-you-can-eat chicken.” Lisa’s bright smile managed to influence me to agree to her invitation. I’ll go to the doctor tomorrow instead.
• **
• I sat on the waiting bench for patients in front of Dr. Amelia’s office, the gynecologist I went to last week for a check-up. I was the last patient after two previous patients had queued up with me. Both patients were accompanied by their respective partners and their gestational ages were already older than mine.
• Doctor Amelia greeted me with her warm and friendly smile.
• “Have a seat, Mrs. Alexandra, what is your complaint this time?” Dr. Amelia seemed ready to listen to my complaints. I told her to reduce the morning sickness which was quite excruciating. Doctor Amelia advised me to drink pregnant milk and eat fruit. She also prescribed some vitamins for me.
• “I’m not planning to take leave anytime soon, so I have to keep working even under these circumstances.” I looked down after saying that.
• “Is your husband okay with your decision?”
• Dr. Amelia’s question made me lift my face and look at her in confusion.
• “No, no. I just don’t like being at home and not doing anything. I’ll do my best not to exert myself in work.”
• That was the only logical reason I could come up with, even if it was a lie. Lucas wasn’t my husband and the relationship between us was just business. I swallowed the bitterness I instantly felt at the thought of my current situation.
• “There’s nothing wrong with working, but at this stage of your pregnancy you’re still very vulnerable, be careful.” Doctor Amelia smiles as she hands me a piece of paper on the table. Some vitamins that I needed to pick up at the pharmacy. I nodded and left after saying Thank you.
• I stared at the piece of paper with eyes that were instantly wet with tears. It was too much to bear alone, but I had no one to share it with. I exhaled loudly through my mouth, trying to steady myself.
• “Natalia?! What are you doing here?”
• The question made me immediately turn to the source of the voice. My eyes widened in surprise to see Daniel standing not far from you at the moment.
• “Dr.Daniel?! I wasn’t feeling well so I went to the doctor.”
• “To the gynecologist?”
• Doctor Daniel’s question jolted me back into realizing that I had misspoken. I hid the piece of paper that Doctor Amelia gave me behind my body. I scratched the back of my neck, which wasn’t itchy, and suddenly I was nervous. Doctor Daniel came over to me and snatched the paper that I was trying to hide behind my body, I wanted to protest but the paper had already moved into this man’s hands.
• “What is this? Why are you taking pregnant women’s vitamins? Are you pregnant?”
• I was at a loss for words for a moment as I heard Dr. Daniel’s question that was both guessing and curious. There was no point in me lying, even if I lied there was no reasonable excuse to cover it up. I nodded with a heavy heart as if I was burdened.
• “Come here, let’s talk in my room.” Doctor Daniel grabbed my hand and pulled me to follow him to his room. I could only surrender and follow him. As we sat opposite each other in front of his desk, I was silent and downcast.
• “How did this happen?”
• I swallowed, not knowing where to start with the story about me and Lucas. Finally, I started with my mother’s medical expenses.
• “A friend of mine at work offered me ten thousand dollars to go to a women’s auction in her place. I didn’t know what kind of auction it was, but I needed the money so I accepted her offer. And that night, a guy named Lucas Cassano bought me for one million dollars at the auction. We did it and the next morning, I tried to run away and hopefully forget what happened, but it turned out that Lucas was the owner of the company I worked for and we met again in the office elevator.”
• I pause my explanation for a moment. I looked at Doctor Daniel through my lashes and he was handsome and thoughtful as he stared in the other direction.
• “Lucas offered me a contract to be his mistress but I refused, but a week later I went to the doctor and I was declared pregnant and it seems Lucas followed me because I met him again in this hospital after leaving Amelia’s doctor’s room.”
• I fell silent again and silence overtook us.
• “So, what happened next between you and Lucas?” Doctor Daniel broke the silence between us.
• “Next, I can’t refuse the contract Lucas has offered me. I will give birth to this child for him and after that he will own this child completely.”
• After I said that most painful part, I couldn’t help the tears that instantly fell down my cheeks. However, I quickly wiped them away but still I couldn’t stop my tears anymore. I burst into tears. I was surprised when Dr. Daniel was already in front of me, he knelt down and held both my hands.
• “It’s okay, I’m here.”
• I stuttered between sobs, I lifted my face to look at the handsome doctor’s face. He was smiling and that gave me a bit of encouragement as well as the comfort I needed.
• “If you need anything, I’m here to help you, don’t ever hesitate to tell me.” Doctor Daniel tightened his grip on my hand, I nodded in response to his words.
• Dr. Daniel took me to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. Although I wasn’t familiar with Japanese cuisine, I didn’t mind the taste of the food. My initial awkwardness with our situation slowly changed as Dr. Daniel told jokes and relaxed with me. I thought he was a serious person who didn’t smile easily. In fact, he had another side to him that I didn’t know about, and I was amused by his current attitude, until he drove me back to the apartment.
• “Thanks for dinner and those jokes, I was really entertained.” I turned to Dr. Daniel and smiled with my gratitude.
• “From now on, don’t ever think you’re alone. I’m here, do you understand?” Doctor Daniel replied to me with words that made me nod and feel both grateful and embarrassed.
• I had just passed the entrance to my apartment when Rebecca walked by and greeted me.
• “Oh My Lady, Mr. Lucas has been expecting you for dinner.”
• My eyes widened in surprise and I ran to the dining room, but there was no one there and the dining table looked clear.
• “But he left about half an hour ago because you didn’t come.” Rebecca told me as I was about to leave the dining room. I just nodded and walked away feeling confused. On the other hand, I also felt guilty. I checked my cell phone and my eyes widened seeing more than five missed calls from Lucas.
• I hope he’s not angry.