When Julian told me that I should stay at home and rest, I breathed a deep sigh of relief, but as the hours passed, my anxiety grew. Julian’s words tormented me, especially his puffy, bloodshot eyes when he returned to bed with a hot tea that calmed my stomach, my nerves, and my mind. However, this peace didn’t last long... I kept thinking about how I could ask for honesty when I’m hiding something so important, postponing the inevitable.
All night long, I kept thinking about that...That’s why I went to the nearest convenience store early this morning and bought some pregnancy tests.And now, my trembling hands hold this small object that carries so much importance, the weight of my life... of our lives.That’s the fourth test I’ve taken, and the result is the same — two lines that define our destiny.I’m really pregnant, and now that the truth is before my eyes, I simply collapse.My vision goes dark,Cathy’s words make me gasp. My eyes widen in surprise, and I ask, unable to control my tongue, “Do you have a child?”However, I immediately regret it because a sad expression takes over her face. I can see hurt and sorrow shining in her eyes. Still, she gives me a sad smile and says, “I used to.”A deep pain spreads through my chest, and I arch up, leaning on the sink again, almost feeling her pain.“He wasn’t born, though... I had a miscarriage when I was nineteen.”Nineteen... When I was born, my mother was the same age — and that somehow makes me even more emotional.“Eight years have passed, but I still remember how I felt when I was pregnant. I was really scared because the daddy turned out to be a cheating asshole. He was angry with me and even asked me to have an abortion. Of course, I was scared too. I didn’t know if I’d be able to do it on my own at such a young age when I had
I can hardly believe my eyes… I blink a few times, looking at the woman who stares at me expectantly. Her blue eyes, similar to those of her son, reflect me, taking my breath away. It’s been a few months since we last saw each other, but she looks the same: the black hair with a few gray strands, the marked wrinkles that, despite being on her face, don’t give away her age... everything looks the same as ever — except for the fact that she shouldn’t be smiling at me.“Let’s have a coffee, what do you think? It’s been a while since we last saw each other, and Eric is so busy these days that he doesn’t have time for his own mother anymore.” She makes a dismissive gesture, still with her radiant smile, looking around. “Where is he? Let’s call him-”“No!” I find my voice again, but it comes out sharper and shakier than I intended. I take a step back, adding a little distance that&rs
I still remember when my mother said those exact same words to me. Mom said I have cancer with a serene smile on her lips and a calm expression that didn’t match at all the seriousness of her illness. Her bright eyes carried no sadness in them, unlike mine, which were blurry by the tears I cried for both of us.I was scared, but I believed that the chemotherapy and treatments could save Mom, but she became weaker and weaker. Her hair fell out at the slightest caress I made, and visits to the hospital became more frequent, as did her stay. Long nights and days in that white room, months facing absurd pain, but always with a smile on her face — this was Elisa, my mother, my light.So I started smoking cigarettes, looking for nicotine to calm me down. My nerves were always on the edge, and I got into arguments easily, fighting and pushing everyone away because of my destructive behavior... because I wasn’t able to deal with the pain inside me, with my
“Good morning, Miss O’Neil.” An employee greets me with a smile as soon as she notices me approaching. Her bright, expectant eyes are unlike any other welcome I’ve imagined receiving throughout my work at the company. I’m used to people keeping a distance, restricting their words only to the politeness required for the job, nothing more. However, this is the fourth time someone has greeted me in this way today.That makes me really feel the impact of Laura’s resignation, of the exposure of her true self. Somehow, it seems that people can see through all her lies now, just like a spell being undone, making everyone try so hard to make up for their faults, probably to correct their cold behavior and misconceptions with smiles and sweet words. Everyone’s attitude has changed towards me, but I don’t feel really good about it because I’m still the same person, acting the same way... I’m still acting like nothing happe
“Excuse me, Mr. Adams...” The Manager raises his hand, attracting everyone’s attention. “How exactly are we supposed to prove this? Aren’t our years of work enough? I’ll tell you for myself, for example, I’ve had years of management in this company, and I’ve been involved in countless projects since J’O Tech opened its doors. Mrs. Wells also participated as a team leader in the big project, and Ms. O’Neil... well, she’s also proven her skills through hard work.”“Yes, that’s right, you certainly have.” Julian puts one hand in his pants pocket and straightens his shoulders, looking even bigger and stronger. “But I’m sure that even you, Roy, have never handled a project like this.”Julian presses another button, and my heart, which had barely calmed down, starts pounding again. My breath also becomes sweaty from the anxiety that makes me shiver and dry my sweaty palms
I hold the back of Julian’s neck with my small hands, which, even together, don’t completely encircle his neck. I search for air while he thrusts his fingers faster with a frantic rhythm that makes me seal our mouths, already looking for a gap between his lips to slide my tongue inside.What I find, however, is his tongue coming for mine — and the light rubbing and intertwining of our tongues makes me moan deep in my throat.Julian increases the pace even more, now going so deep that his hand is crashing into my groin, making the hollow sound dangerously loud. He’s hammering his hand against my pussy, slamming his fingertips into my most sensitive spot.I pull our mouths apart, searching for air, but he pulls my lip with his teeth, his other hand firmly on the back of my neck, forcing me to kiss him again, with even more intensity, now in a quick intertwining that makes the sensation of his tongue even softer and pleasing.Heat is threaten
I take a deep breath, leaving the room first, fixing my skirt and hair, even though I’ve already done it at least three times. The sound of my heels echoing down the corridor seems louder and uncomfortable, especially as I press my legs together, afraid that Julian’s pleasure will run down my thighs.I push open the restroom door, my heart beating quickly from the adrenaline, but when I finally enter the room, with the door closing behind me, my feet freeze on the floor.Sarah is washing her hands, her head down, so serene and composed that I feel out of place. I fix my hair again, afraid that something will give away what I’ve just done.She finally looks at me, but I can’t read her thoughts through her expression. Her intense silence disturbs me, perhaps because the sound of falling water reminds me that there’s something inside me that can also flow.I breathe deeply, walking slowly across the room, escaping Sarah’s gaze tha
Julian’s past is quite a mystery. I know he was born into an old, traditional, and extremely wealthy family, and he has many siblings, but I didn’t meet any of them. They seem to have been fighting for more than a decade, but apart from that, I don’t know much about it. I didn’t even know Julian had an older brother.“I thought Julian was the eldest,” I say in a soft voice, drawing my father’s eyes to me.“He is now.” Daddy lowers the frame, positioning it in the exact place it was before. “Jack passed away twenty-four years ago.” He sighs, with his shoulders tense. This subject clearly affects him deeply. “A year after this photo.”My chest tightens, and my legs go weak. I sit in the chair slowly, gasping for breath... “What happened?”I don’t know if I should ask... if it’s right to relive such painful memories, but realizing that I know so little about my fath