PREGNANT AFTER ONE NIGHT STAND

The last thing I remember is there was an earthquake that made me stumble. I felt nauseous and vomited uncontrollably until I became weak. I even rolled up the bathrobe I was wearing, my body still wet. My exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t think anymore whether it was an earthquake or something else. All I knew was that as soon as I saw the bed, I collapsed onto it.

I pulled the blanket to cover my naked body completely, closing my eyes to dismiss the discomfort caused by the turmoil in my stomach, which left me powerless. One thing I’m sure of is that I locked the apartment door. Other than that, I didn’t go anywhere and didn’t touch anything.

Unconsciously, I fell asleep and forgot that I had to work overtime.

What woke me up was the continuous ringing of my phone. I remember setting an alarm on my phone, and this wasn’t the alarm sound. Once again, the ringing continued. Oh, and my apartment’s doorbell joined in the interruption. The phone could wait; I chose to open the door for the rude guest who had disrupted my peaceful sleep.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

As I peered to see who the culprit was, I sighed with annoyance. Cedric was standing there, looking concerned. I noticed the phone near his ear. So, I found the correlation of who disturbed my night.

I felt like I had every right to scold him. But then I started thinking, how did he get permission to come up to the tenth floor?

“Are you okay?” He gently pushed me when I finally opened the door, not allowing me to brush his hands away, which were slightly gripping my shoulders. He looked at me with a worried face and suspicious eyes. I couldn’t resist his actions as I was still feeling dizzy myself.

Gathering the remaining traces of consciousness that were floating somewhere, all I could recall was falling asleep after soaking in the bathtub. Did I fall asleep? I didn’t understand. All I felt was that it was still nighttime, maybe midnight.

“I’m still sleepy. Move aside,” I grumbled when Cedric’s hands cupped my waist without permission.

“Aren’t you working?”

Suddenly I snapped back to reality. My brain processed flawlessly, reminding me that today was a workday. And what time was it now? I was flustered. Without realizing it, I half-ran. The first thing I looked for was my phone, which I had put on the kitchen table.

Six o’clock in the morning.

I quickly smoothed my hair.

“Um… Anya,” Cedric called, demanding my attention.

“What?” I replied sharply. I was confused about what to do first. It was already too late for me. I hadn’t even had breakfast. Not to mention a shower!

“You slept like that?”

I glanced at my body and then looked at Cedric, who seemed awkward after realizing I wasn’t appropriately dressed. My kimono was disheveled, and my shoulder was half exposed, making me quite sure that my breasts were visible. And the kimono only reached my mid-thigh.

Oh God! Could it get any worse than this?

***

I walked a little faster than usual. The main reason being that I didn’t want to spend too much time with Cedric. No way! I still had some sense of shame! God! Even though my mind drifted somewhere during the night with Cedric, it didn’t mean I wanted to flirt with him again. I still remembered Naomi’s insinuations that I was the one seducing Cedric.

Damn, she was right. And this time, I didn’t want to be labeled like that again.

It didn’t matter if someone saw me walking with Cedric in the lobby. We had crossed paths a few times before. There was no awkwardness or any particular feelings. Cedric was also often seen with other staff members. Maybe because we were in the same environment, it wouldn’t be evident if there was something suspicious going on.

But this time, I decided to distance myself. Even during our walk, Cedric tried to engage in conversation, and I only responded with short answers. After making sure I wasn’t too surprised by his presence, my late wake-up, and my rather minimal outfit that probably disturbed him, Cedric took charge of the kitchen. He reminded me to take a shower and get ready.

Fortunately, I didn’t unpack my work bag last night, so I just grabbed it without having to check again. I placed the phone I had ignored earlier for a moment. When I finished getting ready as quickly as I could, Cedric had already prepared breakfast for me, just as I had wished last night.

A glass of warm milk and two slices of bread, which I was pretty sure had my favorite strawberry jam spread on them.

“Don’t rush eating, Anya,” Cedric cautioned. Maybe because I chewed too quickly, and the milk disappeared in a few gulps. It made him look astonished mixed with concern, fearing that I might choke. It’s possible, right?

“I’m late. You eat quickly too.” I rushed to grab the matching high heels to go with my trousers. Today, I dressed quite formally. While showering, I remembered there was a follow-up meeting, who knows how many times, with Lazade.

As I turned, Cedric just smiled slightly while shaking his head. I wondered what he was thinking. As I was about to grab all my belongings, he stopped me.

“Let me handle that. Anything else? Check first in case you left something behind.”

I just snorted, but what Cedric said did make sense. Quickly, I checked one by one the contents of my bag and also inspected the room in case I left something behind.

“What if I wear a different pair of shoes?” Cedric suddenly asked, stopping my steps. Then my eyes automatically glanced at the high heels I was wearing and Cedric’s earlier words.

“I have a meeting.”

He didn’t comment anymore. He chose to follow me to the elevator. Even when locking the door earlier, Cedric did it for me. I truly only carried my body.

“How did you manage to come up earlier?” I asked suddenly. The metal box had started to descend to our destination, the basement where Cedric’s scoopy was parked. From the reflection inside the lift, I could see Cedric scratching his head while looking down.

“I asked for help from the receptionist. You know, I’ve waited in the lobby a few times, so he recognizes me from our encounters with you.”

His explanation made sense. “Cedric, I forgot to bring my jacket!” Oh God! Why did I completely forget that I was going to work with Cedric today?

“I brought it.”

His words made me turn around. “The jacket from last night?” For some reason, I felt like it must be dirty already. Should I wear it again?

He smiled faintly, gesturing for me to go out first. Then he stepped wide and hurriedly opened the glass door leading to the parking area. Just like a lover looking after their partner. Wait! I don’t want that kind of relationship with Cedric. Oh my gosh!

When we reached where his motorbike was parked, Cedric immediately placed my belongings in front. He took out the helmet and jacket from the bike’s seat. “This is a new jacket, by the way.”

As I opened the plastic wrapping, Cedric’s unique scent filled the air.

“Ready?” he asked, already seated on the motorbike while I was still putting on the jacket slowly. I must be going crazy. Why would I enjoy the scent of Cedric’s perfume or cologne?

“Why haven’t you put on the helmet?” Cedric got off the motorbike again. In one swift motion, he gathered all my hair into a bundle and tied it gently. Making sure the jacket was perfectly in place, he then put the jacket’s hood on to cover my hair and head. Only then did he put on the helmet that I had placed on another bike. Locking it in place gently.

“Now, this is safe.”

With the proximity we were in just now, I was completely speechless. I couldn’t do anything but let the man’s hands move skillfully to ensure that I was comfortable wearing everything he had brought.

“Let’s go. You said you were in a hurry.”

***

“Anya?” Krystal called, making me look up. I must have been so focused that I didn’t realize my boss had arrived.

“Oh, ma’am. Morning.”

Krystal smiled. “You’re so enthusiastic about your work. Have you had breakfast?”

I nodded as an answer. “By the way, ma’am. Will the meeting with Lazade still happen?”

“Yes. But the time has been postponed. Andrew has a meeting. We’ll have lunch and the meeting together later.”

Once again, I nodded.

“How’s the financial report from Sarman?”

“On progress, ma’am. I found something suspicious, so I bought some notes and I’m currently searching for evidence to match it. If there’s no proof, it could be embezzlement.”

Krystal nodded. “Alright then. Please be very thorough, Anya. We’ll discuss it thoroughly.”

Then my boss stepped into her office, and I began to refocus so I could finish my work quickly. I checked my emails again in case there were responses from people I needed data from.

As I glanced at my desk, which usually had a cup of tea and a water bottle, I saw snacks there. Quite a lot, including Regal biscuits and honey. Even without notes, I knew it was all from Cedric. Suddenly, my heart warmed, I don’t know why.