PREGNANT AFTER ONE NIGHT STAND

I don’t know how long I dozed off, but when I opened my eyes for the first time, I was greeted by the smell of disinfectant and medicine that made my nose scrunch up. Where am I? Wasn’t I just sleeping?

My memory replayed the recent events. Waking up to the phone and apartment bell ringing, Cedric being there, and then I don’t remember anything. Did I…?

As I suddenly sat up, the pounding in my head intensified, making me wince in pain.

“Anya, are you awake now?”

Dona’s voice was like a breath of fresh air in the desert. I was so happy when I looked around and saw not just Dona but also Cedric and Naomi. Wait, aren’t they supposed to be at work?

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Anya?” Naomi exclaimed suddenly. My friend lacks manners or something. I still didn’t realize what happened, and here she is scolding me. Did I do something terribly wrong?

“Come on, Nao, stop it,” Dona intervened. “Anya just regained consciousness. Be kind, okay?”

I saw Naomi rubbing her face with frustration, her face turning red. I’m sure she was trying not to get too angry.

“What’s wrong with me?” I asked weakly. I briefly massaged my temples hoping to alleviate the headache, but it seemed to be in vain. “I feel so dizzy.”

“You fainted earlier, Anya.” Now Cedric approached me. From the corner of my eye, I could see Dona giving him space so that he could be by my side. At this point, I don’t care. I just need to know my condition. “How do you feel now?”

“Nao, can you call a doctor? Seeing lovebirds, I want to go home. I miss being cuddled.”

If I were healthy, I’m sure I would’ve punched Dona’s shoulder. Instead, this is represented by Naomi, who looked annoyed by Dona’s comment. But it didn’t deter her from leaving me alone with Cedric. I don’t want to be trapped in this situation, but what can I do? I’m powerless.

“You worried me,” Cedric said as he tidied my hair that was obstructing my view. I flinched in surprise, not liking him touching me suddenly like that. “Sorry.”

“Miss Krystal!” Suddenly, I remembered my beautiful boss’s face. I hadn’t given her any updates. My mind was filled with today’s schedule, which just passed by, and financial reports that were part of my overtime tasks. But it’s not uncommon for me to forget things like this. Oh my gosh!

The brink of termination for Anya Joice is right in front of me. I’m flustered, and my only goal now is to find my phone, which I apparently forgot where I placed it. No, not forgot. I don’t know where my phone is. This is causing me to panic even more. The headache in my head is nothing compared to the fear and panic that now reigns in my heart. Seriously, I’m sure Krystal must be looking for me.

What time is it now? Oh my gosh, why is this happening to me again? Usually, I’m not this stupid. Last night, I couldn’t sleep until three in the morning. Then, all of a sudden, my head started pounding like crazy.

“I told Miss Krystal that you’re in the hospital.”

My movement to get out of bed and find my phone halted. My eyes looked at Cedric in suspicion. Then, a flat, soft pink object was handed to me by Cedric.

“Miss Krystal called not long after you fainted. Once she heard about your condition, she immediately told me to bring you to the hospital.”

What was I hoping for? Cedric, who took the initiative to bring me here? That can’t be, right? The truth is, if Krystal didn’t call me in the morning, then by some twist of fate, Cedric would be there. He saw my condition and surely told Krystal about it. That’s why my boss ordered him to do it.

It’s not because Cedric was worried about me, right? It’s because of Krystal.

“Oh, okay,” I said softly. Then, I unlocked my phone screen, feeling like it could slip from my hand and fall to the floor. I checked my precious gadget’s condition. Luckily, nothing was scratched. I decided to inform Krystal directly because it wouldn’t be fair if only Cedric knew about my situation.

Anya P: Miss, I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to come to the office today.

There were many messages I wanted to send her, especially my apologies for not being able to work today. It’s not like me, as during my time working with Krystal Kesuma, I rarely missed work due to sickness. And usually, when I do take leave, I apply for it a month in advance.

Not long after, Krystal’s ID caller appeared on my phone screen. I hesitated to answer, but I must apologize to her directly, right?

“Miss…”

“But are you okay now, Anya? How do you feel? Dizzy? Did you not eat last night? I told you it’s better to have Anna at the office. It’s for your own help.”

I didn’t know how to respond to Krystal’s barrage of questions.

“I’m on the way to the hospital. What do you want me to bring you? Fruits? Milk? Bread?”

Krystal and her peculiarities, I didn’t know how to respond to all her remarks.

***

Everyone lectured me today, not stopping until they reached Dona and Naomi. When Krystal arrived, both of them stepped aside, but Cedric stayed. Maybe he wants to be the hero protecting me from Queen Krystal’s wrath. I don’t care. My head is still spinning, and when I tried to eat, I ended up vomiting everything. It only made me lose my appetite even more, and I could barely finish the apple slices Cedric peeled for me.

“Sorry, Miss,” I said as Krystal sat next to my bed. I could see her worried expression slowly fading. I still can’t shake off this guilt I feel towards Krystal. I’m sure she had a busy day without my help.

“It’s okay, Anya, but what did the doctor say?”

Before I could reply to Krystal’s question, Cedric’s voice cut in. “The doctor said Anya is just exhausted. But the baby is fine. She just needs more rest.”

“Make sure she gets that, Cedric.”

I stared wide-eyed. “But, Miss Krys-”

“No. I’m already spoke to HRD about confirming Anna. Do you know where her resume was stored yesterday?”

When it’s like this, there’s nothing I can do. I feel so suffocated. I rarely get sick to the point of fainting and needing to be hospitalized. This is the second time in a short span just because I was exhausted. Why couldn’t I have a miscarriage instead?!

“It’s in the first drawer of my desk.”

Krystal nodded. “I’ll take my leave then.”

I just nodded. What I never expected was Krystal approaching me. At first, I thought she was going to hug me, but no. Instead, she gave me a small kiss near my head, as if our relationship was much closer than that of a boss and her secretary.

“I’ve always thought of you as my little sister, Anya. Take care of yourself. Don’t overwork.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. My emotions were in turmoil. I’m so happy to receive such warmth from someone I look up to, but on the other hand, I’m also filled with great fear. Krystal herself has decided to hire someone else to assist me, and the chance of me being replaced is around 85%.

What will happen to me next if it comes to that? As I watched Krystal leave my hospital room after making sure of this and that with Cedric, I couldn’t help but cry. Even Cedric was confused about how to approach me. I’m confused too, why am I being so weepy? Before long, Naomi and Dona entered the room along with the doctor. Trying to wipe away my tears would be useless; they already knew.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?” the doctor asked as he examined me kindly.

I just nodded.

“It’s because your body has been working too hard. The first-trimester of pregnancy can make your condition easily drop. Have you been taking your vitamins regularly?”

I remained silent.

“Taking prenatal supplements is not a problem. Make sure your diet is carefully observed, okay?”

“How long will I be like this?”

The doctor gave a small smile. “Maybe two or three more months. It depends on your body’s condition.”

Then the doctor asked for permission to examine me here and there, asking a bit about my complaints before and after fainting. He also mentioned that the baby’s condition is good, but it’s my body that easily gets tired. After telling me what I should do, he excused himself and left me with the three others.

“Did you hear that, Anya!” Dona said sarcastically.

“Earlier, I got angry with Anya, and you scolded me. Now you’re getting angry at Anya. Are you losing your mind?” Naomi asked, met with a grin from Dona.

“My lips were itching to scold Anya.” Then Dona shifted her gaze to Cedric, who stood to my right. “You too, Cedric. I introduced you to my friend, not to treat Anya like this!”

You know, Dona is the frontline defender when it comes to scolding anyone with ill intentions towards me. Seriously. Once there was a motorcyclist who was driving recklessly when we were having lunch near the back building, which meant we had to walk a bit to get to the cafeteria there.

At that time, we all walked to the side, giving way one by one. No one stood in the middle or intended to block the way because we knew it was a public road. Suddenly, the motorcyclist grazed me, causing me to scream out of shock. I fell to the ground, luckily wearing long pants. If not, my knees would have had an intimate encounter with the asphalt, leaving scars.

The motorcyclist? Felt no remorse and just left. Perhaps due to the commotion or Dona’s loud shouts, many pedestrians eventually managed to stop him. Dona ran off, leaving me, and Naomi helped me up to make sure no one was injured. Then we caught up with Dona. The guy got furious. He was really angry. I even shuddered at how he used foul language.

“It’s okay, Don,” Naomi said while pulling Dona, whose ears were now red. “Anya is fine. Just a shock.”

“Apologize to my friend, you jerk!”

“Chill out, dude. You’re too worked up!”

“Damn it! You’re wrong. Instead of stopping, you wanted to run away. If you had stopped earlier, I wouldn’t be mad!!” Dona accused, not willing to back down. Since she didn’t get any response, Dona shouted again, “Apologize, or I’ll drag you to the police!”

“Yes, yes,” the motorcyclist finally walked toward me while gripping Naomi’s arm. His face looked intimidating. I admired Dona for being so brave! “Sorry, miss. I was in a hurry.”

I gave an awkward smile. “It’s okay. Just fell and embarrassed myself.” That was the truth, right? During lunchtime, the area around the office building is bustling with employees going to find food. “Next time, be more careful.”

He nodded.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Anya? I saw you got hit by a stone. Check your legs, are they bleeding? Do you have any injuries?”

Finally, I laughed. “You’re exaggerating. I’m really fine. Just got my pants dirty.”

I still remember Dona’s angry gaze, aura, and gestures that I usually knew to be cheerful and talkative. And today, I saw it again. Her eyes were no longer looking kindly at Cedric. But what puzzled me was that Cedric responded with a small smile.

“Yeah, Doni. Forgive his negligence. Next time, I’ll make sure Anya won’t be like this.”

“Yeah, right! If you keep acting like this, you might get kicked out of Anya’s life for real.”

Cedric still maintained his annoying smile. Yes, that annoying smile!

“Enough, enough. Maybe it wasn’t Cedric’s fault. We all know Anya’s brain is in her knees.” Naomi, always making my mood drop with her words! I pouted because of it. “Let’s get some coffee, Don.”

“Am I being left behind again?” I finally spoke up, even though I sounded like a trapped mouse, but at least I couldn’t stay silent. How could Cedric leave me again?

“Of course, pretty girls don’t bring along people with IV tubes.”

***