Chapter 5 Suspicion

Vera collapsed onto the sofa as soon as she stepped inside. Exhaustion washed over her, but it wasn't from work. The weight of the result she saw, the fact that she was pregnant, had drained every ounce of energy she had. It should have been something to celebrate, but the man who was supposed to be by her side wasn't ready for this.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, 4:15 PM. Maybe she should call the doctor. With slow, tired movements, she dug through her bag and pulled out her phone.

"Good day, Doctor Luis. Are you still in the office?" she asked as soon as the call connected.

There was a pause, then she continued, her voice wavering, "I'll be there soon." She hung up, barely able to gather the energy to get up. She grabbed her bag and left the house.

Less than an hour later, she was sitting in Doctor Luis's office, holding the report in her hands.

"I thought the hospital's test results would be different," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion as she stared at the paper.

Doctor Luis looked up at her, his face serious. "You're two months pregnant, Miss Wills," he said, his words hitting her like a cold wave. She gasped.

"But... my period was regular," she said, confusion seeping into her voice.

"Are you sure it was regular? How certain are you that you didn't miss something? Maybe an irregularity?" he asked gently, watching her closely.

Vera shook her head, still not understanding. "Doctor Luis..." she whispered, the weight of it all starting to crush her.

"Some women still have their period while pregnant. You might be one of them," he explained, his tone soothing but firm.

Vera's head began to throb, the ache growing sharper as she thought back to the symptoms she had dismissed earlier that morning.

"You're independent, and you have a good job. This shouldn't be a problem," the doctor added, trying to reassure her.

Vera exhaled a shaky sigh, the words hitting her in a place she wasn't ready to face. Yes, she had her life together, but the one thing that mattered, the father of her child was nowhere near ready for any of this.

"The father isn't ready, Doctor Luis. He's said it so many times," she confessed, her expression twisted with worry.

"How did the birth control fail? What happened?" The doctor asked, his voice softer now as he noticed the strain in her eyes.

Vera rubbed her tired eyes, trying to stave off the tears that threatened to spill. "I don't know," she murmured, her mind a whirl of confusion and regret.

"Talk to him. He might come around," Doctor Luis suggested, offering a faint glimmer of hope.

"Thank you, Doctor," she said quietly, rising from the chair.

"You'll need an ultrasound soon," the doctor added as she turned to leave.

She paused, a hollow feeling settling in her chest. After a long moment, she shook her head. "I hope so." Then, she in heavy steps, she walked out of the office.

As she stepped out of the doctor's office, the weight of the situation pressing down on her chest. Two months. Two months of carrying a child she hadn't planned for. Two months of pretending that it was just a passing thought, something that could be ignored. The doctor's words echoed in her mind as she made her way to the elevator.

"You're independent with a good job," he had said. But that didn't ease the turmoil inside her. What good was her independence if the one person who should be there, supporting her, wasn't ready to take that step?

She let out a quiet sigh, her gaze fixed on the elevator doors as they slowly opened. She was exhausted, physically, mentally, emotionally. The pregnancy test, the doctor's confirmation, the increasing pressure of what to do next, were all overwhelming.

Stan. The name brought with it a mix of frustration and uncertainty. Every time they talked about their future, he had been adamant about not wanting children. What would he say when she told him? Would he leave her? Would he get angry? She had no idea, and the thought of facing that was almost too much to bear.

Vera's mind was reeling as she stepped out of the elevator and into the parking lot. She hadn't told Stan yet. She couldn't bring herself to. How could she? What if his anger was worse than she imagined?

Her phone buzzed in her bag, breaking her out of her spiraling thoughts. It was a message from Stan.

Stan: "Hey, babe, I'm heading to Vogfill restaurant for dinner. Room 32."

Vera's heart skipped a beat. She stared at the message, her hands shaking as she clutched the phone. Would her expression sell her out when they meet?

She quickly typed out a reply.

Vera: "I have something to tell you over dinner. I'll soon be there."

She didn't wait for his response before getting into her car. It was time to face him. Time to tell him what had been weighing on her heart. She wasn't ready, but she knew she couldn't keep avoiding it forever.

The drive to the restaurant felt long, like every minute dragged on longer than the last. Her mind raced with the possibilities of how he might react. Anger. Disappointment. Maybe even silence. She didn't know. All she knew was that she had to tell him the truth.

When Vera pulled into the restaurant's parking lot, she sat in her car for a moment, gathering the courage to face what lay ahead.

She stepped out of the car, her legs unsteady, and walked up to the door marked with the number 32. There, she paused, taking a slow, deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. You can do this, she told herself.

Once inside, the dinner unfolded in a blur. The confidence she'd mustered in her car slowly crumbled with each passing minute. As they sat across from each other, she found herself unable to speak the words that had been haunting her for hours. The truth about the pregnancy stayed lodged in her throat.

Instead, she talked about Mr. Drake and the mess at the office, anything to avoid the topic that had her heart beating painfully in her chest. The words I'm pregnant stayed locked away, too heavy to utter.

She smiled weakly, forcing the conversation forward. I'll tell him another time, she thought.

The next morning, Vera woke up far earlier than usual, the weight of her worries robbing her of a peaceful night's rest. By the time she arrived at the office, it was well before the official start of the workday.

Pushing open the door, she expected to find the woman from the day before, but to her surprise, the office was empty. She let out a quiet sigh of relief, feeling the tension in her shoulders loosen just slightly. She walked into her office, slumped into her chair, and threw her head back, closing her eyes for a moment.

As minutes ticked by, the day slowly began. She reluctantly pulled herself together, starting to sift through the pile of documents on her desk. Turning on her computer, she checked her emails, hoping that if she buried herself in work, it might shield her from the crushing depression that threatened to drown her.

For a while, it worked. She became absorbed in her tasks, her mind focused on the details of her work. But then, the door suddenly slammed open with such force it made her jump in her seat.

Drake stormed into her office, his face twisted in anger. "What did you tell the CEO?" he spat, his voice dripping with rage.

Vera met his fury with cold indifference. She wasn't in the mood for his petty games, and certainly not for his mindless banter.

"Answer me!" he demanded, taking several steps toward her. In a fit of rage, he grabbed the stack of documents on her desk and hurled them to the floor, sending papers scattering everywhere.

Vera stared at the mess, her breath catching in disbelief. She stood up, her body tense, and shot him a glare that could freeze the air. "You didn't just forge my resignation letter, Drake. Now you've come here to ruin my job too?" The anger was sharp in her voice, lines of fury creasing her forehead.

Since learning that the Director had forged her resignation letter to make room for his new lover, Vera had kept her silence. She'd seen no point in confronting him when her job was still secure. But now, with Drake's reckless actions, the floodgates were opening.

"Is this because I refused your constant, unwanted advances?" Her voice was low, dangerous, cutting through the tension in the room.

Drake's face turned a shade darker, his eyes narrowed, bloodshot with rage. His next words came out like a vow, cold and threatening. "I'll make you pay for this. Deeply. Painfully. I swear."

With that, he stormed out, his words hanging in the air like a storm cloud. Vera stood frozen, her heart pounding, the cold chill of his threat creeping under her skin. A shudder ran through her as the door slammed shut behind him.

As soon as Drake stormed out, the door opened again. This time, it was her secretary, Tina, stepping inside with a look of disgust on her face. "He's so despicable. It's a good thing he was fired, along with that rude Ava," Tina said, her voice dripping with disdain.

Vera's eyes widened in realization. So, that's what had triggered Drake's outburst-he'd been fired.

"I thought you truly resigned. I tried to reach you, but I couldn't," Tina began, her tone apologetic, but Vera's mind was already racing.

"Miss Tina," Vera spoke slowly, her gaze sharp. "We've worked together for three years. If I resigned, shouldn't you have been the first to know?" Vera's suspicion was clear in her voice.

Claiming her number wasn't reachable was a lie, and Vera knew it. Even if Tina couldn't reach her by phone, she knew her home address well enough to check on her.

Tina lowered her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, it isn't as you think."

"And what exactly am I thinking?" Vera's words cut through the silence, demanding the truth.

But Tina said nothing, her mouth clamped shut as if holding back something she didn't want to admit. Vera waited, but Tina remained silent, avoiding her gaze.

After a long pause, Tina finally looked up, her eyes filled with guilt. "I messed up. I'm sorry," she muttered, her voice barely audible before she turned and left the office without another word.

Vera let out a heavy sigh as she stared at the mess of scattered papers on the floor. She moved to pick them up slowly, her mind still churning. Once the documents were in order, she sank back into her chair, her forehead knitted.

Then something flashed in her mind. Tina. Something was off. Tina was sly, Vera could feel it.

Vera knew she had to be more careful now. Tina's strange behavior, along with Drake's explosive outburst, left her with a gnawing sense of unease.

The pieces of the puzzle weren't fitting together, and she couldn't afford to ignore the feeling that something wasn't right.