Chapter 6

In her apartment, Rafaela cried on her friend's shoulder, recounting what she almost did earlier.

"Don't worry, I'm here with you, we'll figure this out together," Kate said, trying to console her.

"I really didn't want my child to be Ethan's, but I also don't want to have an abortion."

"Then you don't need to tell him about the pregnancy," Kate replied.

"You're right, I thought about that on my way home," Rafaela said, wiping away her tears.

"Really? And what do you plan to do?"

"Didn't he say that he always protects himself? So, he won't think we had a child together; in fact, he won't even know about the pregnancy."

"But you two are in contact daily, he'll see your belly growing."

"When the belly starts to grow, I'll wear looser clothes; some bellies don't grow that much," she explained.

"Do you think this will work?"

"Of course," Rafa answered confidently. "I don't need to share my personal life with him, and besides, if we calculate the date, this baby will be born when I'm on vacation."

"Rafa," Kate's eyes started to sparkle, "you're right, and even if he finds out, he'll never think this child is his."

"That's right, my friend. What I need to do now is take care of my health and try to keep my job."

"You're right, I'll make sure that the people in HR don't find out about your pregnancy either, so they won't gossip."

"Thanks, friend."

[...]

The next day, arriving at work early, she was immediately called by Ethan, who didn't seem to be in a good mood.

"This coffee you brought me is bitter!" he complained.

"But you said you don't like coffee with sugar," she replied.

"Even so, I hated it. Bring another one," he ordered. She went to the coffee shop and bought another, but he also refused it.

"Forget about the coffee, it seems you're not doing anything right today," he scolded her.

"Me?" she asked, not believing what she was hearing.

"Listen, there's a dinner tomorrow night at one of the company's investor's houses. I need you to accompany me," he said, changing the subject.

"You want me to go with you?" she asked, surprised.

"It's for work, don't think about anything else," he replied.

"I didn't," she responded.

"Dress up properly and don't embarrass me," he said disdainfully. She looked at him with a furious expression but said nothing.

"Now leave, I have more important things to do."

"Excuse me." She left, and as she closed the door, she cursed Ethan in her mind, wishing she could punch him in the face, but decided to return to work. Researching the dinner Ethan referred to, she discovered that it would be in a very elegant place, far from the city. She realized she couldn't just dress casually, so after work, she stopped by a store and bought a very elegant evening dress that accentuated her waist, something she would lose in a few months.

"I think this will be enough to make sure Mr. Grumpy doesn't get embarrassed," she said, rolling her eyes, remembering the way he had said it.

The night of the dinner had arrived, and since the event was very far away, she took a taxi, which would be paid for by the company, to take her there, where she would wait for her boss. The location in question was a luxurious mansion with a huge garden, making the place look like one of the castles of British royalty. Certainly, the owner of that place was some millionaire magnate, and although she had visited many luxurious places, this was the most impressive she had ever seen. Since Ethan hadn't arrived yet, she took the opportunity to explore the garden, which was covered in red roses. As she had permission to be there, she could walk around freely. Her phone rang, and she saw it was Ethan, who had undoubtedly arrived and was looking for her.

"Good evening, sir."

"I've arrived, where are you?" he asked, ignoring the greeting.

"I'm in the garden. Tell me where you are, and I'll come to you."

"I'm in the garden too, why don't I see you?"

She looked around until she saw Ethan with his phone in hand, among the garden's roses. Certainly, it was a beautiful scene to appreciate, and without realizing it, her heartbeat quickened. As always, he was impeccable, wearing his tailored suit, his black hair combed back. Even though the outfit was formal, it couldn't hide the definition of his muscles.

"Why aren't you answering? Do you think I have all night?" he asked from the other end of the line, causing the magic of the moment to dissipate.

"I see you, sir. I'll come over right away," she said, hanging up the phone. "Handsome, until he opens his mouth and reveals himself to be a jerk," she laughed to herself as she walked towards him. When Ethan saw Rafaela, he blinked several times, not believing that this was his secretary. Immediately, he remembered the night they spent together, her hair strands scattered on the bed, and her softly moaning.

"Sorry for the delay, sir," she said, smiling as she approached.

He closed his eyes and shook his head from side to side, trying to forget what he had just remembered.

"Let's go, we're not here for a stroll," he extended his hand to her, and they entered together. Although he was an ignorant jerk, he made those around him think he was very polite and gentlemanly. When they entered the mansion, there were already some people in the main hall who stopped what they were doing to see the couple walking in.

"Well, if it isn't the new director of the richest real estate company in the country," a man, apparently around 40 years old, approached, greeting Ethan.

"Hello, Cristian," he greeted the man.

"As always, you're well accompanied. Who's the lady of the evening?" he asked in a sexist tone, which made Rafaela immediately dislike the man.

"This isn't one of my girls," Ethan replied. "Her name is Rafaela, she's my secretary."

"A woman as beautiful as her isn't one of your girls yet?" the man laughed. "I see you're not the same as before."

"Don't give me a hard time; we've done what needed to be done," Ethan replied, smiling.

Rafaela opened her mouth to respond to these two clueless men but was interrupted when she noticed another man approaching.

"Excuse me, Mr. James is expecting everyone in the dining room." The man who approached was one of the organizers of the dinner.

"Thank you," Ethan replied.

Rafaela followed Ethan but couldn't help noticing Cristian's eyes following her as she walked. She felt disgusted, but since she was there for work, she had to maintain her composure. Sitting at the table, she remained silent, listening to Ethan talk with the host about the new investments in the real estate company. As much as she hated the subject, she needed to pay attention because she would have to write a report about the dinner later. The waiters began serving dinner, and when Rafa saw on her plate a piece of rare steak, she felt a strange churning in her stomach and an overwhelming urge to vomit.

"This can't happen now," she thought, holding back so she wouldn't vomit in front of everyone.