CHAPTER 11

“So, what’s your plan?” Caster asked as we entered his car.

I remained dumbfounded and leaned on the front seat. “Tell me, did I ever betray our country during my past life?” I inquired instead of answering him back.

He chuckled and ruffled my hair. “Silly, maybe your destinies are still tied up to one another?” he said.

I winced, then shrugged. I still couldn't imagine that all of this had happened. We were like actors and actresses in a movie being directed.

“Can you believe this? He never came inside me, but then, it was injected into me,” I murmured.

“Are you saying something?” asked Caster as he was busily driving his car.

“Nothing. I said, this is also my child, right? I mean, my egg cell and his sperm united,” I explained.

His lips twitched. “Was that the effect of pregnancy?”

I glared at him, which made him laugh.

“Well, at least it happened that it never crossed your mind…you know, to abort the baby,” said Caster while still driving.

I pouted and grasped my womb. “He or she may be still as blood, but it already has a life. My conscience couldn’t take it if I took the baby’s right to live here on earth,” I expressed sincerely.

“You’re such a good person, Jandie. For all of the pain you’ve been through, you remained positive.”

I just smiled half-heartedly and look back at him. “It is my one and only choice. If I can’t overcome all the ordeals that I have been facing, I won’t be reaching anything,” I said.

He nodded as a yes. “So, back to my question: now, what is your plan? I mean, will you tell him?

I stiffened at his question. That was when the realization hit me about this certain problem. I could still feel the pain of the words I had received from Achetbir’s mother. That was also the moment when the public had gone crazy about the news between us.

I let out a deep sigh and touched my belly again. “I think it’s for the best if I don’t.” I smiled bitterly. “He is now doing fine, and besides, his name shines more after the publicity of their upcoming marriage. If I were to appear on the scene, then that would only be a big mess,” I continued.

“But he’s the father of that child,” Caster insisted.

I looked outside the car window. “He doesn’t know that I am bearing his child.” My answer made him quiet.

Silence remained in the car until we reached the building of my condo.

“Thank you,” I said sincerely as I stepped out of his car.

He softly stared at me. “I will always be here, Jandie. I respect your decision. Call me when you need anything,” he said.

I smiled and nodded. “I am so lucky to have met you, Caster. You’re like the brother that I never had,” I uttered.

We exchanged smiles as I slowly closed the door of his car then walked away.

He waved goodbye, then drove his car in the opposite direction. I breathed heavily and walked toward the entrance, but I immediately froze when I saw Achetbir along the way.

His eyes sharpened, and he gritted his teeth. I felt so tensed as he continually let go of his deep breaths.

We were talking about him just a while ago in Caster’s car, and now, he literally appeared before me. I wanted to curse the fact that destiny kept on playing with us.

Slowly, I walked forward to his place. “S-Sir,” I stuttered and slightly stooped low to show courtesy.

I couldn’t prevent myself from getting nervous in his presence. Nothing was happening yet, but I was already scared that he would soon find out about my pregnancy.

He smirked and put his left hand in his pocket. “Using your sick leave just to date your boy; what a nice employee, Miss Mendoza,” he said in a cold tone.

Now he was calling me Miss again. 

I suddenly bit my tongue. “Do you need something, Sir?” I asked respectfully.

“Get back to work tomorrow. You still have much work to be done in the office, and you are just strolling all around the city with…your man,” he hissed.

I frowned shyly. “Sorry, Sir,” I said in conclusion.

“Next time, use your sick leave properly. Flirting can wait for a day off,” he said and then walked away.

I pouted and secretly followed him with a look as he went off to his car. My lips twitched when he closed his car door harshly. He then drove his car furiously.

“Hija, why did you arrive just now? Sir Achetbir was waiting for you here for a long time,” the guard told me when I lost sight of Achetbir’s car.

I gasped and stared at him. “Huh? Are you talking about Achetbir? The man I was speaking with earlier?” I asked for assurance.

He nodded a couple of times. “He has been here for almost an hour after he went upstairs,” he stated.

“Y-you know him?” I asked in disbelief, referring to what had been happening between us.

“For God’s sake, you can’t fool me despite my old age. I know that you two have been living with each other in your unit."

My jaw dropped. “Were you the one who took those photos?” I couldn’t help but ask.

He immediately shook his head. “I could never do that kind of thing, hija. Aside from the fact that I have no idea how to take pictures, I just only have this old keypad phone. By any chance, the media just really has sharp senses when it comes to the two of you,” he explained.

I could trace the honesty in his eyes and believed him. “I am so sorry, Sir. I was just so stressed,” I apologized.

He smiled and gently tapped my shoulder. “I do understand, hija. You can now go to your room and have a rest. It seems like you’re getting skinnier,” he noticed.

I glanced at my body. Maybe it was because of my pregnancy that I was losing weight.

“Thank you, I’ll go ahead first” I bid the old man farewell and started to walk toward the elevator.

I pressed the button as I entered there. I let out a deep sigh while staring at the numbers plastered on the top of it. I suddenly thought about my tough situation again and calmly closed my eyes.

I couldn’t help but touch my belly while thinking about Achetbir. “Please be good to me, baby. For now, it will only be the two of us,” I murmured and caressed it gently. “I think I can be your mother and father at once,” I added with a bitter smile and slowly opened my eyes as the elevator beeped.

I stepped out of the elevator and walked toward Achetbir’s unit. I entered the door’s password and waited until it unlocked. As usual, I pulled off my sandals first and went to the water dispenser to drink.

I walked slowly and stopped after confirming that it had a mercury drug store seal. I put the glass down and opened the bag to see what was inside. I was in tears when I took medicine out of the paper bag. There were drugs for fever, cough, colds, and other common diseases.

“Achetbir...” I whispered his name while remembering what the guard has said.

Did he just come here to check me out because I took sick leave?

I bit my lower lip as my tears started to fall down.

I am really sorry, Achetbir…

“I miss you so much, babe. I miss your touch, your kisses, your warmth—everything about you, Achetbir,” I said as I was in the middle of crying. “But we can’t be together, not now and not ever,” I continued, biting my lip.

The next morning, I woke up early to fix myself before going to the office. Fortunately, my eyes were not sore because of my dramatic scene last night. I’d been now taking care of myself better than before. I tried to eat even just a little and adjusted my pencil skirt at the waist. Just like what I had expected, a mountain of paper files was balancing perfectly, as if it were really waiting for me at my desk. My two friends shook their heads in frustration after not hearing a single complaint from me.

“If you aren’t the employee of the month, I will beat him to death,” Serah murmured in great annoyance.

I laughed secretly. “I am pregnant,” I stated while opening my PC.

“Then, that’s good to—what?!” she yelled.

I immediately glared at her. She looked at me with a guilty face before coming close to me. Freya did the same thing.

“What is that? Share something,” Freya insisted.

I rolled my eyes at them and took a paper document to encode. “I said, 'I am pregnant,'” I repeated.

Their jaws both dropped, so I smirked at them. “What? What kind of reactions are those? I thought you were expecting this?” I scorned.

Serah hit my head, but Freya immediately avenged me.

“She’s pregnant, you dumbass,” Freya scolded in a low voice.

“I slapped her head, not her stomach,” Serah excused herself.

I shriveled in their petty argument. I hope my baby wouldn’t inherit any of their chattiness.

“But seriously, is it true? How? I mean, you told us you were not having sex with others,” Freya said.

I stopped encoding and released a heavy breath. I looked at them seriously, and they returned a curious stare.

“Semen was injected accidentally inside me, then! I won’t just be having my period within nine months,” I answered sarcastically while thinking about this playful destiny.

They blinked several times as if it were still processing in their heads.

“Do you know who owns that viscous liquid?” Freya asked.

My face crumpled as she asked that question.

“Hmm,” I just hummed, hesitant to answer.

“Who?” they asked swiftly in unison.

I rolled my eyes and bit my lower lip. Maybe it was time to tell them the story. I trusted them enough. I knew they wouldn’t backstab me ever. Besides, they were the only people I could rely on here in the office, especially now that I was having a child.

“Our ruthless boss, my ex, Achetbir Villa Forca.”