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It took less than a minute before two dark pink lines stared back at me. I almost panicked all over again when the lines blurred, thinking that maybe, just maybe the doctor had been wrong, but then I realized I was crying. That realization in itself transformed those tears into gasping sobs. Oh god, I was a fucking mess. I gave myself that moment, counted to five, and calmed myself enough to draw minimal attention—or so I hoped.
When I had the tears dried and my big girl panties on, I tucked the test away in my bag. The last thing I needed was to generate office gossip by throwing it in the trash can.
What I didn’t expect was to push the door open and come face to face with the mayor’s personal assistant. Vivian’s lips were turned up in a fake smile that felt like she’d dropped a bucket of ice water over my head. My mind immediately declared that she knew… but that was crazy.
“It seems we have an issue,” she said in a syrupy sweet voice that didn’t fit her nasally tone and sharp eyes.
“What issue? Sorry if you heard the crying. I just had a rough day,” I said casually. “I’m fine now.” My smile was as fake as hers, but it was necessary in this world. Politics was all about fake smiles and navigating the petty corruption that eventually seeped into all involved. I wasn’t in this world for politics, but I had to suffer through them to get what I wanted. The recommendations I would get from such a prestigious office would be unmatched.
“Oh, of course,” she said, stepping back. As I walked up to the sink, I saw her glancing in the stall, her eyes trailing to the floor as if looking for some type of evidence. Not wanting to be anywhere near her, I washed my hands and left on swift feet. I knew better than to turn my back on a snake, but I had to retreat before she made this worse.
It felt like all eyes were on me as I hurried across the building to my desk. I sat down and took several slow breaths, wishing that this day could just start over again, that I’d wake up from this nightmare. Of course, guilt hit me right after that. This situation might be a nightmare now, but I knew I’d think the opposite the moment this baby was in my arms.
Firmly closing my purse before shoving it into my desk, I pushed the worries and stress aside so I could focus on my ever-growing to-do list. Each item I ticked off of the list put my mind further from the life growing inside of me, and that was the best thing for my stress management. I needed something to focus on to just get me through my day. It made me feel in control again, like I could survive these next two months.
After gathering my papers from the printer, I walked back to my desk, freezing when I saw Vivian pulling open my desk drawers, searching for something.
“Can I help you?” I asked, rushing forward. My shoes squeaked on the polished floors, garnering attention from the other interns in the area. She stood, and from the smirk on her lips, she’d found what she was looking for. My stomach dropped at the sight of my purse strap hanging out of the hastily shut drawer.
“Nope, but you better hope someone can help you,” she muttered with more venom than one person should have. It was a wonder she didn’t choke on her own poison.
I stood there, speechless, as she walked away, a small tinkling laugh filling the air in her wake. Everyone nervously glanced at me before ducking their heads. They weren’t going to go down with me, but I couldn’t blame them. I didn’t deserve to go down for this, so why should they?
I hadn’t asked for any of this. In fact, I had told the mayor no, but that hadn’t deterred him. Now I’d lost control of my fate in more ways than one. Whatever she had planned, I knew it would be far worse than finding out I was pregnant.
How did my life get so off track?I kept my head down, worked hard, and even played these assholes’ games. It felt like ever since I was cornered in the conference room, my life had become one awful thing after another. I just wanted off this ride I was on.
My hand drifted to my still flat stomach like I could save my baby from whatever hell was coming my way. Part of me was worried she’d tell the mayor since that was the absolute last thing I wanted. In truth, my goal was to save up more money and get the fuck out of this city before he ever had a clue. I’d do everything I could to make sure he never saw me again when I left this internship. He didn’t deserve this baby just like he didn’t deserve my body or his position.
But how can I keep this baby safe if I can’t even protect myself? I was no longer just a small fish in a big pond. I’d been dropped into the ocean, and the sharks were already starting to circle.
