“I’m just kidding,” she quickly cleared up, her voice laced with a nervous laugh. “Mostly.”
I made another note.
“Mmm,” I groaned lightly.
Something in my stomach hadn’t felt right all morning. I kept brushing it off, convincing myself it was nerves or something I’d eaten, but the longer I sat there, the worse it became.
The nausea climbed slowly, twisting through my stomach and creeping up my throat until pretending it wasn’t happening became impossible.
I swallowed hard and forced my expression to remain composed as another wave washed over me.
Not now.
“Talia, would you please excuse me for a moment?” I asked, already rising from my seat.
I didn’t wait for her response.
The second I turned away, I hurried toward the bathroom with one hand pressed against my stomach and the other covering my mouth. I barely made it inside before slamming the door behind me and dropping to my knees.
Gripping the sides of the toilet, I threw up so violently that my eyes watered and my entire body trembled.
“The fuck?” I muttered weakly afterward, flushing quickly before pressing a trembling hand against my stomach.
There’s no way.
Absolutely no way.
Not after everything the doctor said.
Not after all the testing, all the humiliation, all the pressure.
“I cannot be pregnant… not after going through all this.”
Panic flickered across my face, followed almost immediately by a dangerous spark of excitement. But the feeling died just as fast once the doctor’s words came rushing back to me.
Infertile.
Low chances.
Unlikely.
I quickly shoved the thought away, shaking my head at my own stupidity. There was no point getting hopeful over something that probably wasn’t even possible.
Stress… that has to be it.
Or that damn smoothie from earlier.
I moved to the sink, wiping beneath my eyes carefully before fixing my lipstick and forcing myself to breathe normally again. But just as I reached for the bathroom door, my expression suddenly dropped.
The files.
My stomach twisted for an entirely different reason.
I left the other applicant files in the interview room with Talia.
My pulse picked up as I hurried back there, heels clicking faster than before.
When I reentered the area, Talia was still sitting calmly, and the folders remained on the table exactly where I left them, appearing untouched.
