Chapter 36: Chapter 36

Everyone lectured me today, not stopping until they reached Dona and Naomi. When Krystal arrived, both of them stepped aside, but Cedric stayed. Maybe he wants to be the hero protecting me from Queen Krystal's wrath. I don't care. My head is still spinning, and when I tried to eat, I ended up vomiting everything. It only made me lose my appetite even more, and I could barely finish the apple slices Cedric peeled for me.

"Sorry, Miss," I said as Krystal sat next to my bed. I could see her worried expression slowly fading. I still can't shake off this guilt I feel towards Krystal. I'm sure she had a busy day without my help.

"It's okay, Anya, but what did the doctor say?"

Before I could reply to Krystal's question, Cedric's voice cut in. "The doctor said Anya is just exhausted. But the baby is fine. She just needs more rest."

"Make sure she gets that, Cedric."

I stared wide-eyed. "But, Miss Krys—"

"No. I’m already spoke to HRD about confirming Anna. Do you know where her resume was stored yesterday?"

When it's like this, there's nothing I can do. I feel so suffocated. I rarely get sick to the point of fainting and needing to be hospitalized. This is the second time in a short span just because I was exhausted. Why couldn't I have a miscarriage instead?!

"It's in the first drawer of my desk."

Krystal nodded. "I'll take my leave then."

I just nodded. What I never expected was Krystal approaching me. At first, I thought she was going to hug me, but no. Instead, she gave me a small kiss near my head, as if our relationship was much closer than that of a boss and her secretary.

"I've always thought of you as my little sister, Anya. Take care of yourself. Don't overwork."

Tears welled up in my eyes. My emotions were in turmoil. I'm so happy to receive such warmth from someone I look up to, but on the other hand, I'm also filled with great fear. Krystal herself has decided to hire someone else to assist me, and the chance of me being replaced is around 85%.

What will happen to me next if it comes to that? As I watched Krystal leave my hospital room after making sure of this and that with Cedric, I couldn't help but cry. Even Cedric was confused about how to approach me. I'm confused too, why am I being so weepy? Before long, Naomi and Dona entered the room along with the doctor. Trying to wipe away my tears would be useless; they already knew.

"It hurts a lot, doesn't it?" the doctor asked as he examined me kindly.

I just nodded.

"It's because your body has been working too hard. The first-trimester of pregnancy can make your condition easily drop. Have you been taking your vitamins regularly?"

I remained silent.

"Taking prenatal supplements is not a problem. Make sure your diet is carefully observed, okay?"

"How long will I be like this?"

The doctor gave a small smile. "Maybe two or three more months. It depends on your body's condition."

Then the doctor asked for permission to examine me here and there, asking a bit about my complaints before and after fainting. He also mentioned that the baby's condition is good, but it's my body that easily gets tired. After telling me what I should do, he excused himself and left me with the three others.

"Did you hear that, Anya!" Dona said sarcastically.

"Earlier, I got angry with Anya, and you scolded me. Now you're getting angry at Anya. Are you losing your mind?" Naomi asked, met with a grin from Dona.

"My lips were itching to scold Anya." Then Dona shifted her gaze to Cedric, who stood to my right. "You too, Cedric. I introduced you to my friend, not to treat Anya like this!"

You know, Dona is the frontline defender when it comes to scolding anyone with ill intentions towards me. Seriously. Once there was a motorcyclist who was driving recklessly when we were having lunch near the back building, which meant we had to walk a bit to get to the cafeteria there.

At that time, we all walked to the side, giving way one by one. No one stood in the middle or intended to block the way because we knew it was a public road. Suddenly, the motorcyclist grazed me, causing me to scream out of shock. I fell to the ground, luckily wearing long pants. If not, my knees would have had an intimate encounter with the asphalt, leaving scars.

The motorcyclist? Felt no remorse and just left. Perhaps due to the commotion or Dona's loud shouts, many pedestrians eventually managed to stop him. Dona ran off, leaving me, and Naomi helped me up to make sure no one was injured. Then we caught up with Dona. The guy got furious. He was really angry. I even shuddered at how he used foul language.

"It's okay, Don," Naomi said while pulling Dona, whose ears were now red. "Anya is fine. Just a shock."

"Apologize to my friend, you jerk!"

"Chill out, dude. You're too worked up!"

"Damn it! You're wrong. Instead of stopping, you wanted to run away. If you had stopped earlier, I wouldn't be mad!!" Dona accused, not willing to back down. Since she didn't get any response, Dona shouted again, "Apologize, or I'll drag you to the police!"

"Yes, yes," the motorcyclist finally walked toward me while gripping Naomi's arm. His face looked intimidating. I admired Dona for being so brave! "Sorry, miss. I was in a hurry."

I gave an awkward smile. "It's okay. Just fell and embarrassed myself." That was the truth, right? During lunchtime, the area around the office building is bustling with employees going to find food. "Next time, be more careful."

He nodded.

"Are you sure you're okay, Anya? I saw you got hit by a stone. Check your legs, are they bleeding? Do you have any injuries?"

Finally, I laughed. "You're exaggerating. I'm really fine. Just got my pants dirty."

I still remember Dona's angry gaze, aura, and gestures that I usually knew to be cheerful and talkative. And today, I saw it again. Her eyes were no longer looking kindly at Cedric. But what puzzled me was that Cedric responded with a small smile.

"Yeah, Doni. Forgive his negligence. Next time, I'll make sure Anya won't be like this."

"Yeah, right! If you keep acting like this, you might get kicked out of Anya's life for real."

Cedric still maintained his annoying smile. Yes, that annoying smile!

"Enough, enough. Maybe it wasn't Cedric's fault. We all know Anya's brain is in her knees." Naomi, always making my mood drop with her words! I pouted because of it. "Let's get some coffee, Don."

"Am I being left behind again?" I finally spoke up, even though I sounded like a trapped mouse, but at least I couldn't stay silent. How could Cedric leave me again?

"Of course, pretty girls don't bring along people with IV tubes."

***

After they both left, I was overwhelmed with fear about my world that revolved around my work, activities, and the many things I still wanted to achieve. If I didn't work, everything would lose its meaning. It's not about whether I might get another job or that God controls our fortune. I firmly believe in that. But we still need to try our best, right? Not just wait and wait.

"What's wrong with you?" Cedric finally asked. Maybe he noticed that I had been silent since my friends left. Cedric had been busy arranging Krystal's belongings in my hospital room. Also, some clothes prepared by Naomi for me. I didn't know the story and events that led them to be here at the same time. Aren't they supposed to be working?

"What time is it?" I asked Cedric in confusion, sounding a bit absent-minded.

"It's five in the afternoon."

So, I fainted for a long time, huh? Should I ask Cedric how long I was unconscious? But it seemed embarrassing. If I woke up at six in the morning, then... I've been sleeping for more than six hours. This is not fainting; I just slept!

"Where's my phone?" As far as I remember, I was holding it earlier. Replying to Krystal's message briefly, then my boss arrived. After that, the doctor came and examined me. And I forgot where my phone went. Oh, Anya! How old are you to forget something like this?

"Discharged. Let me get it for you."

Soon, Cedric handed me back my phone that was previously in my grip. I checked and saw many messages but ignored them. Then came Krystal's latest message, making my eyes well up again. Seriously, this is really hitting me at my lowest point. I feel so useless as an employee. Just because I'm pregnant, I'm struggling. And I didn't want to be pregnant like this! My job is like my lifeline. If it's cut off... my life is over. What job can I do as an old pregnant woman later on? Not to mention the baby, who will take care of them while I'm working?

Would this baby go through the same things I did? Even if I leave them to work, I'll still be like a mother to them.

"Joice? What's wrong?" Cedric asked, and his voice sounded very concerned. Gently, he placed his hand on my right shoulder, probably trying to get me to look at him for a moment. But I couldn't do that. How could I cry in front of Cedric?

"Joice? Is your head hurting again?"

I shook my head.

"Is your stomach upset?"

Again, I shook my head.

"Do you want something?"

Damn, Cedric is so nosy! He's like a reincarnation of Dona, huh? When we met, Cedric rudely wiped away my tears with his thumb. His eyes didn't wander anywhere.

"Are you unwilling to talk?"

"Who are you?" I asked, annoyed, and rolled my eyes.

"Cedric."

I sighed, feeling annoyed.

"That's better. If you look fierce, it's much better than crying. Not pretty."

"Aish, I'm being wooed by someone like you."

Cedric chuckled. "I'm not allowed, huh? Do I have to be like Mr. Kelvin or Mr. Dewa first before I can woo an Anya Joice?"

His tone was casual, but honestly, it hit my heart hard. I couldn't resist him, so it's better to cut off this gaze and direct it elsewhere. That's better.

"I don't know what's bothering you, Anya." Cedric sat back in the chair next to my bed, placing some of his hands on my right shoulder. He gently stroked it, and I couldn't resist him.

"I was really worried about you earlier."

"Because I'm pregnant?" I hesitated after that. If I weren't pregnant, I wouldn't have fainted.

"No. It's because it's you, Joice."

I'm not stupid to interpret Cedric's words. "Do you like me?"

He was silent.

"Since when?"

As he diverted his gaze to somewhere else, perhaps out of embarrassment or something, it made me angry. He's got nerve ignoring my question.

"Since when, Cedric?"

He scratched his ear, maybe because it was itchy, or maybe not. Perhaps it was to cover his nervousness. "Since the first day I started working here."

"So... are you planning to harm me? Stalk me? And when you get a chance, you won't miss it? Is that it?" I didn't know where this thought came from, but really, I blurted it out without thinking. Making Cedric look at me with a look I couldn't understand at all.

"That's something I would never do to your life, Anya."

I didn't fully believe him.

"And remember, it was you who initiated it, not me. You were the one teasing, and I couldn't resist. You're like the unattainable version of myself."

I was dumbfounded by what he said. Damn it! Why did it all end up being turned back on me?

"So what do you want?"

"Let's get married."

Not to insult him or anything, but marrying Cedric would be like digging my own grave!

"You don't need to worry about anything else except your pregnancy, Joice. Here," Cedric gently touched my belly. "There's my flesh and blood in there. And I'll fight with all my might for both of you."

"How?"

"Now, I work at two places. You know what my daytime job involves. At night, there are a few places where I can make some money too."

"So, you're a gigolo?"

Cedric shook his head firmly. "No way! Not like that!"

"Then what?"

"I play live music there. I play the guitar."

I furrowed my brow, finding it hard to believe right away. Cedric? Playing the guitar? Having a band, you mean? Wait, that's not too important. The two women are the priority.

"What you saw the other day was entirely my fault. I should have never accepted my friend's invitation to 'accompany' him there."

"But it still looked like that."

"I won't be like that again. I promise. Just playing in a band. The money is good for savings in the future." Cedric raised his pinky finger towards me, fiddling with it for a moment, waiting for us to interlock our pinkies.

"We're acting like kids," I wanted to laugh but held back because of my pride. So, I held it in.

"If acting like kids in front of you makes you happy, I'll keep doing it without a problem."

I made a disgusted expression. "How old are you, anyway?"

Cedric blinked, perhaps not expecting that I would ask such a question. I myself didn't know why there were so many spontaneous questions about Cedric today. Maybe I'm going crazy.

"I'm five years older than you."

My jaw almost dropped; my mouth wide open. If a swarm of flies came by, they would probably fit a lot in my mouth. Oh my God!

"No way!"

"Do I need to show you, my ID?"

Seriously! I can't believe this! I always thought Cedric was two years younger than me. I'm twenty-nine years old. From his face, I assumed Cedric was twenty-seven, but it turns out... oh my God!