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I swallow hard, my throat feeling like it's closing up.
I really fucked up.
And I'm not sure if I can fix it.
Kaitlyn takes a deep breath. "I need some time, Maya." I feel her pain, and confusion. "This... This is a lot. I need to figure out how I feel about all of this."
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I understand..."
She takes another long sip of her coffee, placing it down on the table before locking eyes with me again. "You know, Maya... for the sake of the baby, I hope you and my dad can work things out."
I blink, my mind going blank.
I forgot about the baby.
The world around me starts to spin. She knows about the baby too.
"Wait, you know about..." I gulp, unable to finish the sentence. But I don't need to. Kaitlyn gives me a sad nod, confirming my fears.
"So, how are you feeling?"
"Pregnant," I joke, trying to lighten the moment.
"I mean, how are you really feeling, Maya?" she insists, leaning back in her chair. "About all this."
"I'm... scared," I admit. "And I'm sorry, Kaitlyn. For everything."
There's a long pause. She wants to say more but she holds back.
"I care about you, Maya. I want to know everything, but I need some space right now," she says, her voice steady. "I need to process all this."
I sound like a broken record. "I understand."
Kaitlyn gives me a small nod, then gets up and walks away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The guilt. The fear. The uncertainty. It all hits me at once and I'm left wondering if things will ever be the same again.
Left alone in the coffee shop, the noise of the espresso machines, and the soft chatter of other customers distract my solitary thoughts.
I look around the room, taking in the worn-in charm of the place: the mismatched furniture, the artwork on the exposed brick walls, the pendant lights overhead.
I pull out my phone, my fingers automatically unlocking it and opening the internet browser.
As I scroll aimlessly, a picture catches my eye.
What the fuck?
That's me.
It's a picture of me, leaving the office, tears streaming down my face. The headline blares: ‘Hot Shot CEO's Assistant Exits in Distress.’
My heart thuds in my chest as I click on the article.
"Rumors abound as Maya, personal assistant to billionaire Hunter Holmes, was seen leaving the office in an apparent emotional state. Speculation of a possible pregnancy has further incited the rumors, placing the reputation of the notoriously private CEO in jeopardy."
The article gets worse. There are quotes from unnamed sources at the office who claim Hunter fired me out of the blue.
"Maya was an indispensable part of the team," an anonymous insider is quoted, "so it was a shock when the news broke. It's unlike Mr. Holmes to make such hasty decisions."
Insinuation continues to fly. "Was there drama behind closed doors? Is it related to the alleged pregnancy?"
