PREGNANT AFTER ONE NIGHT STAND

“Where are we going, Cedric?” I ask curiously. When we returned to the office earlier, Cedric was already waiting for me in Krystal’s room. There was clear restlessness evident on his face, for some reason. When I asked, he said he was worried because he didn’t see me at lunchtime.

Cedric’s response immediately received a solid punch on his shoulder from Krystal. “Mind your own business! You’re so nosy.”

Cedric just grinned but it still surprised me to hear him say that directly. “It’s just that, Sis. I was just worried that Anya might get tired. That’s all.”

I saw Krystal roll her eyes. “I won’t overdo it, Cedric. You’re exaggerating.”

“Cedric, you’re going too far. I’m not tired at all.” I can’t let Cedric accuse us of doing something that could endanger the baby. Why is he being so annoying?

Cedric lets out a sigh, looking at me with a resigned expression. “Fine, okay. I was wrong.” Then he sits down next to me. He quickly cuts off our eye contact that was initially at odds, then looks toward his sister who’s still focused on her computer. “I’m sorry, Sis.”

Krystal doesn’t even look in her brother’s direction. I’m stuck in the middle, feeling uneasy and unsure of what to do. Cedric is being too much. Yet, his sister is so kind to me, genuinely caring. If I were Krystal, I’d be mad too, feeling accused of something that’s not true.

“Okay. I give up. You and Mom can plan our wedding however you want. Just don’t make Anya tired because of the event.”

I blink. What does he mean?

Krystal immediately turns to me and smiles broadly. “Exactly.”

Suddenly, an uncomfortable feeling washes over me.

“And one more thing, Sis.” Cedric briefly glances at me, but only for a split second. “I don’t want to receive too many gifts, especially from the wedding.”

“What do you mean?” Krystal asks, but with a slight smile. The suspicious aura between their interactions is so evident, but I don’t understand what they’re talking about.

“You know exactly what I mean, Sis.”

Krystal waves her hand as if shooing Cedric away. “Go back to work. That’s my business.”

“If you weren’t warned like this, you’d take advantage, Sis.”

“What’s going on here?” I can’t hold back my curiosity any longer. I really want to know what’s happening. What did I get? Cedric asks me to step outside the room. Meanwhile, Krystal just laughs, looking quite satisfied.

As we’re about to return to our desks, Cedric doesn’t let go of my hand. “Let’s go home.”

“Huh?”

“We’re going home, Joice.”Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

“But I still have work to do. A lot of it, actually.”

He shakes his head.

“Cedric, I haven’t asked for Krystal’s permission yet.” I’m right, right? This concerns my professionalism at work. I shouldn’t be so casual about it, but Cedric doesn’t want to be argued with. He keeps holding my hand and gently pulls me along. Before I know it, our steps are already in front of the elevator.

“Cedric, this isn’t right. I’m working, and you are too. We can’t just leave like this, can we?”

“Have you been working all this time? Weren’t you just chatting with Krystal?” he says, and I fall silent, and he chuckles.

“Let it be. Krystal has Anna. My work is done too.”

Annoyed, I give his strong abdomen a hard pinch. Let it be. At most, it’ll leave a bruise later. He’s so audacious when he talks.

“Oh, Joice. Instead of using your hands to pinch me, you should use them to caress my chest. It’s more useful.”

I don’t hesitate to hit his shoulder, but it only makes him laugh shamelessly. Thankfully, there are no other staff waiting for the elevator with us.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

He smiles and tucks a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. It’s tucked neatly behind my ear. “It’s a secret,” he says.

As the elevator opens, Henry’s figure appears. I flinch because I rarely meet him face-to-face since I returned to the office.

“Oh, coincidentally meeting you, Sir. I…” I could clearly see Henry glancing at me, even if it was just for a moment.

“I have some matters to discuss with Sir. Is it a disturbance?”

The elevator doors close automatically, even though Cedric had pressed the panel for it to go down. Maybe because Henry started talking, he decided not to enter the elevator immediately.

“Oh, no. We just talked about the case earlier, right? To finalize things?” Henry nods.

“Go to my office for a moment, Joice. Is that okay?”

I’m in a situation that I can’t avoid or escape easily. So besides giving a brief nod, I don’t see any other answer I can give. And I just realized that Cedric is still holding my hand firmly. He even asked for my bag and said I just need to bring myself.

“Anya,” Henry greets me awkwardly. I can feel how Henry’s eyes keep glancing at me, but he seems hesitant. I just give a brief nod and a small smile. After all, I do know Henry. I can’t pretend not to recognize him. It’s just that the situation doesn’t allow us to talk much anymore. Cedric blocks the access immediately.

I don’t know if he wants to assert his presence to Henry or what, but one thing for sure is that Henry steps back a little. It feels really awkward, and I want Cedric to finish his business quickly. And there’s one thing that I’ll definitely receive. As we walk together to Cedric’s office-formerly Sarman’s office-almost everyone looks at me with hungry eyes. They seem eager to know about my relationship with Cedric, which has become a trending topic in office gossip.

Naomi messaged me that almost all the staff are gossiping about this. And yeah… I’ve become the main subject of gossip. After being labeled as a woman who acts high and mighty, now I’m seen as materialistic. Even though initially, I didn’t know who Cedric really was. I just knew he was an office boy and I fell in love with him as a person. Not the newly revealed Cedric. But in the end, I have to accept that they are the same person, and I can’t deny that the reasons given make perfect sense. Well… whatever. I’m used to being the subject of gossip. Since Kelvin approached me, I’ve never been free from cynical looks and nasty comments. And now Dewa openly approaches me too.

“I just need to check these files real quick. You can sit here comfortably,” Cedric offers, gesturing for me to take a seat. I nod in response. Before he even sits in his chair, he starts talking again.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

I give a small nod in acknowledgment.

“Joice?”

“Oh my gosh, Cedric! Enough already. Just focus on your work. I’m right here, you know? I won’t disappear!” I half-shout, unable to handle Cedric’s silliness. And damn it, once again, he laughs.

“If Mr. Henry had a future wife like Anya, he’d be overly worried too, right?”

I feel like shoving a smelly sock in Cedric’s mouth!!!

And damn it, Henry responds. “You’re right. I would act the same way.”

I grumble in annoyance. Instead of entertaining them, I better avoid it. It’s better to wait for Cedric at Naomi or Dona’s desk, right? So I get up, reaching for my bag that Cedric had placed on the edge of his desk. My actions earn a questioning look from Cedric.

“I’ll wait at Naomi’s desk.”

Before I can take a step away, Cedric’s voice stops me. It’s so irritating! “Sit down, Joice.”

When I turn and look at him, Cedric is serious. I scoff but follow what he says and sit back down. I see a slight smirk on his face because I obeyed him. Ugh, Cedric seems to be quite skilled at using his tone of voice. He knows how to make my heart skip a beat, when to make me obey, when to make me want to be close to him, and when to use it to whisper my name in such a sexy way.