Secret Baby

A woman sat limply on the floor, tears slowly starting to fall down her smooth cheeks. In her hand was a test pack showing two blue lines.

The sound of her sobbing began to fill the bathroom, growing louder over time. "What should I do? Everyone will be disappointed in me," she muttered softly.

Cylindrica Dayana Smith is the youngest child of the Smith family, famous for its mining company branches outside New York City, where the main branch is located.

Apart from Cylin, there are two other heirs to the Smith company, her older brothers. Both men have already entered the business world like their father.

"Sob, I have to find that man and hold him accountable; I don't want to throw him out," Cylin muttered, still sobbing as she stroked her flat stomach.

She had just taken a pregnancy test with a kit bought from a pharmacy near her house. Cylin was shocked to find out she was pregnant right after graduating from high school.

Case case case case

Cylin roughly wiped the tears from her face and washed up when she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

She rushed to the door after hiding the test pack under her pillow, hoping no one would see it.

Cylin tried her best to normalize her expression before opening the door.

"What is it?" she asked, seeing her second brother at the door.

"Did you just wake up? Wait, why do you look like you've been crying?" Instead of calming her, his words made Cylin more alert, scrambling for a good answer.

"E-ee, that's not true; it was just a flicker when I woke up," she replied, lying.

Her second brother, Cleo, nodded, unconvinced. "Okay, let's go down; the others are waiting for you."

"Yes, sis, you go ahead; I'll catch up later," Cylin replied, planning to clean her face again so she wouldn't look like she had been crying.

"Don't take long." Before leaving, Cleo gently patted her sister's head.

Cylin nodded before breathing a sigh of relief once Cleo disappeared down the stairs. "I have to meet that man as soon as possible," she muttered before going back into her room.

In her room, Cylin looked at a business card she found in the wallet of the man who impregnated her. The wallet was on the nightstand when she woke up this morning in a nightclub room.

"He's a billionaire?" she muttered, increasingly confused by this fact.

Not wanting to think too much while her family waited for breakfast, Cylin rushed to the bathroom again, trying to hold back her tears.

'Now I'm not sure he wants to be responsible,' she thought, taking a deep breath.

**

"Stop here, sir!"

The taxi Cylin was riding in stopped in front of a tall building with dozens of floors where hundreds of people worked. She stood outside the company of the man who fathered her child, though she didn't recognize him. His business card indicated he was a billionaire in his hometown.

Why did she take a taxi? Because she couldn't drive her own car yet, and asking the family driver would raise suspicions. Cylin wasn't ready to tell her family about her pregnancy.

She sighed softly as she looked around the busy building exterior. She glanced down at her flat stomach with a sad gaze, gently stroking it. "Hopefully your Daddy will, baby," she muttered before stepping into the skyscraper.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Maxime there?" Cylin asked one of the receptionists hesitantly.

"You mean Mr. Daxon?" the receptionist clarified, making Cylin frown before nodding after checking the business card again.

'Maxime Leonard D, the D is Daxon, isn't it?' Cylin thought.

"Sorry about earlier; who were you with?"

Cylin was confused by the question. "Just say I'm his high school friend," she answered carelessly, focusing on meeting the billionaire.

"Just a moment, Miss. Please wait in the chair over there," the receptionist said, directing her to a nearby waiting area. Cylin nodded without saying much.

About five minutes later, the receptionist approached Cylin, who was daydreaming. "Miss, you may wait for Mr. Daxon in his room; let me take you."

Cylin immediately stood up and nodded. "Okay."

Cylin and the receptionist took the elevator to the top floor, stopping at the 60th floor. Cylin clasped her hands nervously as they stopped in front of a room labeled "Superior."

"I've arrived, Miss; I'll excuse myself."

"Thank you," Cylin replied before the receptionist left, leaving her alone in front of the billionaire's office.

With hesitation, Cylin pulled the door knob and opened it slowly.

Cekhlek!

"Which high school friend are you?"

Just hearing his voice made Cylin's heart beat fast with fear. Her gaze was fixed on the broad back of the man sitting in an oversized chair.

"Sorry, I lied; I just wanted to meet you and talk about last night," Cylin replied before the man, presumably Max, turned around at her words.

"You!"

'That's right, he's the same man as last night,' Cylin thought, breathing a sigh of relief at seeing Max's face.

"What are you doing here? Didn't I leave a check on the nightstand?" Max initially looked surprised to see her, but his expression soon turned more relaxed.

It hurt. Cylin's chest tightened at his casual words, feeling her self-esteem drop. She's not cheap; why did he speak so carelessly?

"I'm not that cheap to just be rewarded with a check! To hell with the amount! The point is, I want you to take responsibility!"

Max laughed softly. "What responsibility, bitch?"

Cylin's hands clenched into fists, and her eyes reddened at the rude term. "I'm pregnant! I hope you're not a coward who runs away from responsibility."

For the second time, Max laughed discordantly at Cylin's words. It made Cylin hold back her anger, she felt mocked by Max's laughter.

"Pregnant? Are you sure it's my child?" asked Max very casually, looking at Cylin's flat stomach.

"What do you mean?" snapped Cylin in disgust, here his pride was completely trampled by the man in front of him who was now standing up, so Cylin had to look up to give Max a sharp look.

"I don't think you're so stupid that you don't understand what I'm talking about," Max replied carelessly, the corners of his lips pulled up in a mocking, one-sided smile.

It seemed that Max didn't believe Cylin's words at all. Maybe it was because Max had learned from previous incidents, many of them claiming to be pregnant with Max's child and demanding accountability just like Cylin was doing now, the difference being that they were all clearly lying because Max had never touched them while Cylin was clearly not lying because last night's incident was completely real, she had had sex with Max, both of them were in a semi-conscious state so they still saw each other's faces clearly.

But what Cylin knew was that Max had been fully conscious last night, so he was very emotional when he got the mocking and belittling words from the man.

"But obviously last night you..."

Max raised his hand. "Stop it! For last night I admit it was wrong to drink too much and end up pulling you into the room without me knowing, I apologize, but to take responsibility I can't, I'm not sure if it's my flesh and blood, seeing as you don't seem like a good woman," the man cut in, making Cylin unable to contain her anger anymore.

Plakk!

The hard slap came from Cylin and went straight to Max, right on the man's left cheek. The severity of Cylin's slap caused Max's head to turn to the right, and the atmosphere was silent after that, with Cylin's chest rising and falling.

"Don't just talk!" snapped Cylin, tears coming out in a stream that the woman couldn't stop.

Max looked back at Cylin, his gaze cold and penetrating. "How dare you hit me!"

"Fuck off! It's okay if you don't want to take responsibility! I swear you have karma and remorse!" The shock from Cylin filled Max's office, the woman rubbed her tear stained cheeks before walking out of Max's room with wide strides.

Max watched Cylin leave, holding his still burning left cheek. "What did she say? Regret? Never!" he shouted sarcastically before grimacing at the corner of his sore lip.

"Not bad for a bitch slap!" muttered Max, who then sat back in his chair and continued his work as if nothing had happened in his office.

****

Tonight was a heartbreaking night for Cylin. The woman tearfully packed all her clothes and belongings into the two suitcases arranged on the bed, occasionally rubbing roughly at the tears that kept rolling down her cheeks without stopping.

This afternoon, as Cylin lay in the bathroom crying over the fate of herself and the baby in her womb, she didn't realize that her mother came into the room looking for her to talk about something.

Unfortunately, by the time Cylin was almost out of the bathroom, her mother was somehow already holding the test pack that Cylin had hidden under her pillow. At that moment, Cylin was forced to confess to her mom and was brought in front of her whole family, consisting of her dad and her two older siblings.

While Cylin was finally honest with her parents and siblings, the four of them were so disappointed in Cylin that the woman's father and mother angrily kicked her out of the house, saying that they no longer considered Cylin their child. That's why Cylin is now packing all her belongings, because tonight she's leaving home.

In any case, Cylin didn't even get a defense from her siblings, this afternoon Cylin only saw her siblings looking at her silently with disappointed looks.

Cylin understood why they were so disappointed in her, but she also didn't want last night's unexpected incident to lead directly to the fetus in her stomach. Whatever it was that had happened, it seemed better that way, because Cylin didn't have the courage to be honest with her family.

"You have to be strong, Cylin!" Cylin encouraged herself in front of the mirror after she had finished packing her things.

She looked at every corner of her room with a sad smile and tears that wouldn't stop coming. "Why did Papa and Mama have the heart to kick me out right away? If I'm still here, I'll definitely be a disgrace to the family and an embarrassment to them," Cylin murmured with a sob.

Two suitcases stood ready in both of Cylin's hands. Fortunately, the woman had enough savings to find a temporary place to stay before she started looking for a job. Cylin had to let go of the fact that she wouldn't be able to continue her education and achieve her dreams, which she might have to bury deep down.

"Huh! Cheer up Cylin!" Cylin sighed heavily as she wiped away the tears from her face.

After she stopped crying, even though her face looked puffy, Cylin decided to leave her room, which she had cleaned up.

Arriving at the ground floor, Cylin saw that her parents and brother were already in the living room, they seemed to be silent with the TV on. Cylin could feel that the air around her was uncomfortable, unlike usual.

"Ma Pa Kak, I say goodbye," Cylin said as she looked at them in turn.

But Cylin didn't get an answer, everyone was still silent, even her dad and mom didn't look at her. Cylin was already standing in front of them, she thought she needed one last hug from them, but instead they all remained silent, as if indifferent to her departure.

Don't cry, don't cry, okay,' Cylin calmed herself.

"What are you still doing here? Please leave this house immediately!"

"I'm ashamed to have a son like you," Papa Cylin continued sharply, making the woman look down and hold back her tears.

Not wanting to be further hurt by her father's words, Cylin finally decided to leave without a word, leaving her parents and siblings in silence.

"Hiks." Cylin's defenses crumbled as she reached the gate, and in the end the woman could not help but weep as she remembered her father's piercing words that hurt her deeply.

She cried quietly as she walked to a taxi she had ordered outside her gate. Cylin glanced back before she disappeared behind the gate.

After a few minutes of driving, Cylin decided to stop first at one of the restaurants she often visited just to eat.

Cylin was indecisive as she got out of the taxi and was about to enter the restaurant. Cylin wanted to save money, but on the other hand she was very hungry, even in a simpler place Cylin had never been and was not used to, so she was forced to eat in a restaurant this time before she would learn to cook later to save money.

Cylin is known as the youngest, spoiled daughter of the Smith family, so it's not surprising that she can't cook. But now the woman was being tested to live alone and independently.

"Huffh! I hope I have enough money to last a few weeks," Cylin muttered as she entered the restaurant, which wasn't too fancy, but was quite crowded with patrons, most of them wealthy.

The woman decided to sit down on one of the empty benches near the window, which Cylin felt uncomfortable with, but somehow all the benches there were already taken.

Cylin called to one of the waiters and ordered a light meal and a drink. She couldn't afford to be lavish this time.

"Uh Cylin?"

Suddenly, the Master turned to the source of the voice as his name was called, his attention immediately drawn to the restaurant bench behind him. The look of surprise on Cylin's face was instantaneous as he realized who it was that had called him.

"Giera?" Cylin mentioned the person's name, apparently fate had brought her together with her close friend at the restaurant, even though the woman had not expected to meet her friend at all.

Cylin's intention was to hide her pregnancy from everyone, especially her friends, of course Cylin was very embarrassed. Therefore, she intends to delete all the numbers on her cell phone and wants to disappear from social media.

"Hi, are you alone?" asked Cylin's close friend Giera.

Cylin's eyes fell on the man next to her friend. Oh, maybe he's the one Giera keeps telling me about,' she thought before returning Giera's smile.

"Yes," she replied silently, relieved that she had left her two suitcases in the taxi waiting for her outside the restaurant so that her friend would not suspect or question her about them.

As Giera shifted her position to face Cylin, Cylin also shifted her sitting position slightly to the side so that she could see Giera. "By the way, last night you and a guy stayed in one of the rooms at the club, right?" Giera asked bluntly in front of the man she was with.

The man, however, seemed to casually continue eating while listening to Giera and Cylin's conversation without intending to interfere.

Cylin, who got the question from Giera, was quite surprised, he did not know how to answer. "Huh? N-not really," she stammered. Of course Giera did not believe her answer.

Giera narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Really? Be honest with me Lin, aren't we close friends? I already think of you as my best friend, Lin."

Cylin bit her inner cheek anxiously, she felt bad after hearing what Giera said. "Sorry Gi," she replied and hung up when her food order arrived. It was right on time and Cylin was relieved to see it.

"Sorry, I'll eat first Gi, I'm really hungry hehe," Cylin continued, grinning at the horse, which made Giera roll her eyes lazily.

"I don't want to know, but you have to be honest with me and tell me about last night!" Giera said again with undeniable determination.

Cylin just nodded, although she wanted to leave as soon as she finished her meal.

A few minutes later, Cylin let out a rude sigh after finishing his meal, but Giera did not leave the restaurant, it seemed that his friend was very intent on waiting for him to get the answer to his question earlier.

"I'm sorry Gi, I'm leaving first because I have an important business that comes very suddenly, once again I'm sorry I can't tell you now," said Cylin who had just returned to her seat after taking care of her food payment.

"Bye, see you later," Cylin continued without waiting for Giera's answer and simply left the restaurant.

Once outside, Cylin got into a taxi without looking back.

Giera, on the other hand, stared at Cylin's hurried departure with an indecipherable look, the woman turning her gaze to the man she was with after the taxi had disappeared.

A faint smile formed on Giera's lips as she looked at the man in front of her. "Hm. Looks like our plan worked, dear."

****

"Huffhh!" Cylin let out a harsh sigh and looked around the room that had now become his new room in a cheap and simple hotel he had found quite far from his home.

Cylin intended to look for an apartment further away, if possible the woman wanted to get out of New York City because she wanted to be away from her family as well as those closest to her. Cylin wanted to start a new life with the baby in her womb.

But for now, Cylin had to stay in this hotel for the night because it was late and she couldn't continue her journey to find another apartment.

She flopped down on the bed, which was not as soft as her own at home. The feeling made Cylin's swollen eyes tear up again, not because she felt so different from her life, but the woman couldn't believe that her destiny had been so far from her expectations all this time.

Cylin did not completely blame Max for getting her pregnant, she realized that she was also to blame for being very careless that night, drinking a lot of alcohol without thinking about the risks.

Everything was already done, the rice had become porridge, for now it was enough to be a lesson for Cylin herself, the woman also did not blame the presence of the fetus in her stomach, because the future baby was completely innocent.

"Won't they find me?" muttered Cylin dreamily, staring at the clean white ceiling of the room.

A second after muttering that, Cylin shook her head. "How could they, aren't they embarrassed to have me?" she mused, her hand stroking her flat stomach periodically.

"Mom Dad, I'm scared, scared that I won't be able to take care of your future grandchildren," Cylin continued to talk to herself in a low and soft tone.

Cylin felt it was impossible to live alone and take care of her future baby, but the woman remained optimistic and tried to eliminate her previous bad traits and habits.

Ting!

Preoccupied with her own thoughts, Cylin didn't notice that tears were dripping from the corners of her eyes, and she was also awakened by the sound of her hotel room doorbell.

Cylin stood up and walked slowly to the door after wiping away her tears. "What is it?" she asked when she saw a man dressed as a cleaner standing in front of her hotel room door.