PREGNANT AFTER ONE NIGHT STAND

Cedric truly followed through with what he said. He was waiting for me in the lobby. I didn’t want to ask how long he had been waiting; only Dona inquired, but my ears could clearly hear Cedric saying that he hadn’t been waiting for too long.

I chose to lead the way to my apartment unit on the tenth floor. Once we arrived, we all went inside, and Cedric locked the door. I didn’t care. I preferred going into my room and changing clothes, leaving Dona or Naomi to relax in the living room or fight over the remote since Naomi’s favorite series was on while Dona’s favorite drama was also airing.

I wonder why they always act like children?

Somehow, I didn’t want to linger in my room for long. I quickly removed my makeup, washed my face again, and put on loose clothes. I was already fantasizing about enjoying the beef steik, so I wanted to be in the kitchen as soon as possible.

As soon as I opened the bedroom door, the aroma of beef steak drizzled with mushroom sauce filled the room. My stomach growled even louder. I immediately took my place, while Naomi and Dona were still busy with the series.

“Ma’am, would you like potatoes or rice?”

“Potatoes. You bought a double portion, right?”

Cedric nodded and… smiled.

“Is there any chili sauce?”

“There is. Everything is ready.”

Cedric skillfully served everything, including briefly heating it in the microwave. Honestly, seeing all this, my appetite skyrocketed. I wanted to devour everything. Cedric even prepared dinner for me, occasionally asking if the portion was enough or if I wanted to add other dishes.

For some reason, it’s as if he understands that I really want to enjoy the warm beef steak.

“Aren’t you two eating?” I just realized that Naomi and Dona hadn’t moved towards the kitchen area since earlier.

“We’re watching an exciting drama. Right, Nao?”

Naomi laughed. “So exciting. It beats my favorite series.”

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. You two are really sarcastic, huh? But I didn’t bother responding. I’d rather quickly enjoy the sate served before my appetite disappears, right?

Naomi and Dona joined me when my plate of potatoes was almost empty.

“Aren’t you eating, Cedric?” Naomi, who was now sitting next to me, asked. I only glanced briefly at her. I was so engrossed in eating that I didn’t really pay attention to whether Cedric was eating with us or not.

“I already ate, Ma’am.”

“Just eat again. Oh no, Anya’s finishing it all, Nao.”

“There’s still some left.” I proceeded to cut another piece.

“Ma’am is pregnant, Don. Just let her eat.”

I lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes and sighed in annoyance at their words. Especially since Cedric had a smile on his lips, which only made me more irritated. “Don’t finish all the sambal, Dona!” I shouted as I saw Dona pouring a lot of chili sauce onto her plate.

“Oh my goodness! You shouldn’t eat too much, Anya. You’ll get a stomachache later!” Dona warned. I didn’t care. I immediately grabbed the small bowl of sambal and brought it closer to me.

“Come on, you two, eat. So we can go home quickly.”

“We’re being kicked out, Nao. She wants to date.”

“Shut up and eat,” I said bluntly. Dona immediately covered her mouth with her hand, as if zipping her lips. Meanwhile, Naomi burst into laughter. Our friendship is truly something else. Since I already have a soft spot for both of them, I just made a sulky face to show my displeasure.

When we finished eating, Naomi and Dona took turns cleaning up. They told Cedric to keep me company in the living room. Upon hearing that, I chose to retreat to my favorite area. The balcony.

***

I must not be weak. It’s not that easy. There’s so much at stake if I continue this way. I can already feel that Krystal is starting to push me away. Then what else is keeping me here? There’s nothing. Love? With whom? Cedric?

Big no! It’s a stupid thing… I guess.

If I can’t work overtime at the office, then… I’ll just do the remaining work at home. It’s not wrong, right? I can just copy and paste all the work I need to do. Besides, most of my work is on my laptop. So I can bring it home without Krystal knowing. I’ll go home once my boss is confirmed to have left the office and arrive at least thirty minutes earlier.

Smart, right? My work will be done, I can work overtime at home, Krystal can still rely on me, and who knows, by then I might be tired enough to forget about my usual days. Or on the weekends, I’ll do some exercises? Hmm… that’s an interesting idea. Going up and down the stairs is also allowed. Not bad, right? Floor ten of the apartment is quite high. I’ll do whatever it takes to forget, without needing drugs or a doctor. That would be the last resort, only if it’s absolutely necessary.

I pulled the blanket, ready to sleep. I arranged everything in the room to make myself comfortable and easily drift off. Maybe it was due to my full stomach or the glass of milk Cedric forced me to finish, I don’t know, but sleep came quickly, and before I knew it, I was already dozing off.

However, I was suddenly awakened by a vibrating and loud ringing noise. A headache immediately hit me as I woke up abruptly. Looking at the wall clock in the room, it was still 2 in the morning. Good grief! Who could be disturbing at this time of night?

Krystal. K: Oh, Anya forgot to mention. Your assistant is coming tomorrow. She’ll have an interview together with you. Sorry for texting so late. I just remembered.

My heart suddenly ached. All the thoughts I had been considering, though not many, faded away. My determination was solid; I didn’t want to be easily replaced by someone new. It took a long time for my work to earn Krystal’s genuine smile. I wasn’t willing to give it up so easily to a newcomer.

No, I won’t.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

The next morning, I put on a slightly thicker layer of makeup. I felt my eye bags were too obvious. My lips looked pale, and my eyes seemed somewhat dim. Should I wear contact lenses? To look brighter? Not a bad idea, right?

I applied a bit more blush than usual and chose a bold lipstick color. A Krystal’s assistant must not be stiff, but rather beautiful and smart, and don’t forget, elegant yet simple. And all that is in me.

Yes. That’s me. I saw how God gave me everything, except… when my eyes fell on my stomach. I touched it for a moment; it was a bit rounder than usual. My cheeks were a bit chubby too, and it seemed like I was gaining weight. I shook my head and quickly looked away from my reflection in the mirror.

I grabbed the digital scale and made sure that my morning fear wouldn’t come true. Damn it, the scale never seemed to compromise with a woman’s body. Whenever we tried not to let the number go up, it just rolled up sharply. But when we wanted to see the number increase, it moved as slow as a snail traveling around the world.

I rubbed my face in frustration. The clothes I picked matched my newly applied makeup perfectly. Should I change my outfit? What if I’m late? Oh, I know! I still remember buying that corset from a TV shop commercial. Naomi and I ordered it because we were tempted by the advertisement.

In reality, there weren’t any significant results except for a flat stomach while wearing it. That’s it. Once removed, the stomach returns to not being as flat. Maybe now is the time for that expensive corset to come in handy.

I smiled satisfactorily afterward. My confidence increased as my appearance was almost perfect. I quickly grabbed my bag and phone. A message had come in thirty minutes ago.

Cedric. K: I can’t pick you up, even though I brought the car. The managers are leaving today, and I have to take them to the airport early in the morning. I’ll be able to take you home later when I come back.

I immediately put my phone back in my bag. There’s no need to reply. After all, I won’t comply. Today, I’ll drive myself. I’ll make sure the assistant that Krystal touted to be formidable will change her mind about joining us.

Krystal doesn’t need her, nor do I.

***