What a day, ruined!

Dulce furrowed her brow, confused. “Congratulations? Happy?” She repeated. “Me? About what?

“Yes.” The doctor nodded his head. “You're three weeks pregnant”

Dulce could swear she could feel her jaw drop open. Just as the news had dropped, Fiona had walked In, and upon hearing the news, her phone crashed to the ground. 

What. The. Actual. Fuck. Dulce thought. She asked the doctor to rephrase in case she was just hearing things, but she was pregnant! 

When discharged, she was grateful for the silence Fiona had graced her with since they left the hospital. She hadn't even walked far away from her ward when she started to feel nauseous as she made her way to the nearest female restroom to throw up. 

The signs were obvious now. She was pregnant, and for a fucking stranger at that. She wiped her cheeks as her tears rolled down freely. Her life was now a mess. 

When she was done washing her face and mouth with water, she stepped out of the restroom when she saw Fiona waiting by the door. 

Dulce turned to face her. “Don't tell the boss about my pregnancy, okay?”

Fiona nodded her head as they made their way back to the office. Immediately they arrived, other coworkers checked on Dulce and in three minutes, both she and Fiona were called to their boss's office.

Dulce rapped on the door twice as she waited for her boss's response before she walked in with Fiona by her side. 

“You called for us, sir?” Dulce questioned.  

Her boss spun around on his chair. “I heard you passed out on your way to deliver the files I'd asked you for.”  

“It was just from exhaustion, nothing serious.”  

“You're sure? I think pregnancy is quite serious”. Dulce stilled. How did her boss find out that she was pregnant? 

She tightened her fist as she said through gritted teeth.” I don't understand what you mean, sir”

“Don't you dare lie to me!” Her boss barked as he banged his hands on the desk, making her jump.

Dulce turned to face Fiona. “You promised not to tell the boss about it”

“She didn't tell me.” Her boss chimed, clearing up the misunderstanding.” We were on the phone together when I heard the news through her end”. Her boss handed her an envelope. “Fill this and take a maternity leave.”

“No!” Dulce said without hesitation. “I refuse to.

“This is an order from your boss, Dulce. Either you fill this or you are fired!”

“I won't fill it.” She maintained.

“Then, you are fired. Pack up your things and leave”. It was never her dream job anyway, so Dulce gladly left. 

Getting home, Dulce thought of the best excuse she could give her father so that she could stay away for a while, and she'd come up with the perfect one. 

“Father…” Dulce started looking down at her hands.” The company selected some employees to go on a business trip, and I'm one of them.”

Theodore gasped. “That's fantastic news. I've always known you would be noticed in your workspace. So tell me, how many weeks would you be gone?”

Dulce stared up to look Theodore in the eye. “Five years”.

Theodore stilled. Five years? He would have to live without seeing his precious daughter for five years. 

“Father!” Dulce screamed as she caught Theodore just as he was about to fall. “Are you alright?”. She questioned helping her Father stand to his feet. 

“Yes, I'm alright”. Theodore replied as Dulce moved him to an armrest chair. 

“Here, sit down.” Theodore plunged to the chair as he rubbed his frontal in worry.  

“Five years is a pretty long time.” Theodore started. “Must you go on this trip?”

Dolce nodded her head as Theodore sighed.” What about your fashion design dreams? Are you willing to give that up?”

Father, I plan to start it. Dulce thought, but rather she nodded her head without hesitation. “Yes, father”

“As your father, I'll stand by whatever decision you make”

Grateful, Dulce tightly grips Theodore's hands. “Thank you father "

“Just make sure to face time often, okay?”

“I will.”

“And that reminds me, when are you leaving?”

“In a week, father.”

Her father wasn't happy with the news, although he did his best to hide it. He nodded his head and said.

“Well, we still have a week for you to enjoy with us before you go. I hope we can utilize it well.” He said as Dulce smiled at him, hoping that the tears didn't start falling. She wished that her father wouldn't find out the truth about her being fired and her pregnancy. Her boss knew her father and considering the way that she refused to file for maternity leave, he might assume that she plan to keep it a secret from her father which means that I might be trying to abort it and might call him just to inform him before I carry out such a grave sin.

There was no way that she was going to kill her own baby. Although she didn't know who the father was, she wasn't going to kill the child. The child was innocent. The only reason that she was leaving was that she didn't want to see the way her father would be so disappointed, even Karina. She was a nice stepmother and has done nothing wrong toward her. 

She is going to be angry when she found out about this and would ask for the person responsible. But I didn't know that. The shame her parents were going to face when the media made it public. She shook her head. No, her mind was made up, she was leaving.

“Dulce, dear? Did you hear anything that I just said?” Her father snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Sorry, I feel a bit tired. I will go up to my room and sleep. See you later, father.” She said with a smile as her father sighed and allowed her to rest up. She did look horrible after all.