04

Zia's POV:

As I moved to the front of the table to present the new project, all eyes were on me. I had worked tirelessly on it for the past five days, finally completing it yesterday. My gaze briefly met Lorenzo's, but I quickly composed myself and smiled, focusing on the task at hand. I walked to the displayed monitor, inserted my flash drive, and processed the data.

Before facing the shareholders, I began, "Well, I think before the data processes, I'd like to outline the details of the contract." I bowed slightly, preparing to start my presentation.

But just as I was about to begin, I noticed the shareholders' faces on the screen behind me. Suddenly, one of them shouted, "What's this? Are you here to show us nude pictures? Is this a hotel?" The room erupted into chaos, and I felt my face flush with embarrassment and confusion.

"I am sorry, I didn't know what this is, I guess I picked the wrong flash drive" I said, and quickly removed the flash drive.

The shareholder's scolding words cut through the air, "What type of nonsense is this? Where's your competency? How can you be so careless? What type of personal assistant are you? If you can't do a perfect job despite the days given to you..."

I stood there, speechless, my face burning with embarrassment and shame. I knew I had copied everything from my files to the flash drive, and I couldn't fathom how nude pictures could have ended up on it. I didn't even have any such images on my system.

Lorenzo intervened, his voice calm and authoritative, "I am sorry for the inconvenience. I will make sure to deal with this and punish her accordingly. But let's move past this. The meeting should come to an end."

I took advantage of the distraction to quickly exit the hall, my head hung low in humiliation. Back in my office, I collapsed onto my desk, burying my face in my arms. Deep in thought, I tried to recollect the events of the morning, but my mind was a blur. I only remembered dropping the flash drive on my table before heading to Lorenzo's office. How could this have happened?

Lorenzo's voice cut through my thoughts, bringing me back to the present. "Tell me, what was that? How could you ignore the work I gave you and humiliate this company like this?" He demanded, his tone stern and unforgiving.

I tried to speak, to defend myself, but my voice caught in my throat. I was speechless, my body trembling uncontrollably. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, I thought, trying to make sense of my sudden loss of composure.

Lorenzo's words cut through me like a knife. "You can't even answer, can't even give an excuse. You're such a big disappointment. I'm so glad not everybody knows I'm married to you. You're a disgrace."

My heart crashed, my mind racing with thoughts of explanation, but I had none. I didn't even know how this had happened.

Lorenzo's final words were like a sentence. "You'll lose two months' salary. Next time, you'll learn to be diligent with your work." And with that, he turned and walked out, leaving me shattered and defeated.

I suddenly felt I was going to collapse, and I needed to go and see the doctor. So I left work to see him. After seeing the doctor he told me not to overstress myself, as it was going to affect the baby. I appreciate him and left the hospital.

Two weeks had passed since the incident, and today was our marriage anniversary. Lorenzo had invited me to watch a concert with him, a gesture that surprised me given the state of our marriage. Despite his lack of attraction to me and the fact that our relationship wasn't going as I had hoped, I still desperately wanted to spend this special day with him.

My excitement got the better of me as I ran through the heavy rain to get to the concert venue, forgetting my umbrella in my haste. I stood outside, gazing at the building with a smile that knew no bounds. My joy was short-lived, however, as I waited for Lorenzo but didn't see him anywhere.

I assumed he was running late due to the rain and waited patiently, but as the concert started, I began to feel a pang of disappointment. The artist performing was my bias, but without Lorenzo by my side, the experience felt dull and unenjoyable. I scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but he was nowhere to be found.

The concert ended, and I felt a pang of sadness. Lorenzo had promised to meet me, but he never showed up. I called him, trying to stay calm.. He picked up after the second ring.

"Did you forget? You invited me to the concert with you, but you didn't show up," I said, trying to keep my emotions in check.

"I was busy and couldn't make it. Something important came up. I'm sorry for not being able to make it. I'll make it up to you some other time," He replied, but before he could finish, I heard a familiar voice in the background.

"Are you apologizing to your PA? Does she think you'd cancel our plans for her?" Sophia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

My heart sank. Lorenzo was on a date with Sophia instead of keeping his promise to me. I felt a wave of disappointment and betrayal.

I trudged to the bus stop, rain pouring down around me. I couldn't hold back tears, feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. As I sat down, feeling cold and alone, a car pulled up beside me.

Raymond stepped out of the car, holding an umbrella in hand, and walked towards me. I was so surprised , and wonder how he knew I was here.

"How did you know I was here? Why do you always show up at in a time like this? Are you stalking me?" I asked, tears streaming down my face.

Raymond covered me with the umbrella, getting soaked in the rain. "Let's just get you home, okay? You're shivering, and you might catch a cold" he said.

But I needed answers. "That's not what I asked. Why do you always show up?"

Raymond looked down, his voice barely above a whisper. "I love you, okay? I don't care if you don't feel the same way. I just want to be there for you when you need me." He said, and I stood up, stunned. Before I could process his words, Raymond pulled me into a warm hug.

"Just stay like this for a bit. You'll be fine," he whispered, holding me tight.

I felt a lump in my throat, unsure of how to respond. But in that moment, I just let myself be held, feeling a sense of safety and comfort I hadn't felt in a long time.