The sun's light entered Nadia's room, spreading on the floor. The smell of tea in the air, as she tried to reduce the worry that had been with her for weeks.
Two months had passed since she found out she was going to have a baby. The shock had turned into something calmer, not peace, but acceptance. Everyday that goes by, she told herself she would be strong… stronger, that she would raise this child and make a life worth living.
It wasn't easy, not in the slightest. The fewer hours she worked barely paid for rent, and being tired from the pregnancy only made each day harder. But she kept going regardless.
Sometimes, that's all it took to survive, the relentless strive to get through those tough hours.
But it appears that fate wasn't done testing her yet.
It happened on a Thursday morning.
Nadia was at her desk, writing up a bill report when the office suddenly got quiet, the silence was almost deafening. So strong it made her look up.
The reason for the silence was standing by the glass doors, tall, confident, and sadly familiar.
Dexter Clark.
She gasped. For a second couldn't catch herself, she wondered if she was hallucinating, if the image in front of her was a cruel trick of her memory. But no, he was there, standing right there before her, a perfect gray suit, his hair styled just right, his face hard to read.
People stopped talking. Even Mrs. Langford sat up straight, clearly knowing who just walked in.
He saw Nadia right away. His eyes turned cold, and a slightly awkward smirk appeared as he started walking towards her.
Nadia's stomach hurt. Every step he took felt like opening up a wound that she worked hard to heal.
"What are you doing here?" she asked when he stopped at her desk, her voice steady even though she trembled on the inside.
"I came to talk," he said, his voice smooth, like they were old friends just catching up.
"There's nothing left to say."
"Oh, I think there is." He looked at her left hand, now bare, and then up at her face. "You disappeared after the wedding. Everyone's been talking. I had to see for myself how you've been… surviving."
The way he said the last word hurt.
"I'm doing fine," she said.
"Really?" He laughed softly, obviously making fun of her. "Because from what I hear, you're barely getting by here. Fewer hours, less money, not the happy ending you thought it would be, right?"
Nadia felt her heart drop. "Why are you here, Dexter?"
"Curiosity," he said. "And maybe feeling a little guilty, I don't know. I wanted to make sure you weren't still stuck in the past."
She stood up from the chair, her voice quiet but strong. "You have no right to be here. You've embarrassed me once, and that should have been enough for you."
Something flashed in his eyes, maybe anger or even guilt, but it disappeared fast. "You let yourself be an easy target, Nadia. You always believed too much in love. The world is harsh. You should have realized that, don't be delusional."
His words hurt her deeply, like a sharp sting.
She looked away, not wanting him to see her pain… see her vulnerable. But he looked at her closely, like he was trying to figure something out.
"What's going on?" he said softly, looking down at her stomach for a moment. "You've… gained some weight."
Her heart stopped. "That's not your concern." she said.
He moved his head to the side, looking at her more carefully. "You're about to have a baby."
The words stayed between them, heavy and unspoken.
Nadia stopped, she became still. It was no use denying it, the small curve under her shirt had given it away.
Dexter laughed softly, but without happiness obviously tensed. "Don't tell me it's my baby?"
Her eyes showed anger. "Of course it's not yours."
"Then whose is it?"
"It's someone you don't need to know."
For a moment, he didn't say anything. Then he reached into his coat and took out a checkbook.
She gasped. "What are you doing?"
He wrote quickly, ripped the check out, and aggressively dropped it on her desk. "You can't possibly want to continue with this. Take this. End this mistake before it ruins your life even more than it already has."
Nadia stared at the number written on the check, an unfathomable amount, more money than she had ever made.
Her throat felt stiff. "You're offering me money to kill my baby?"
"I'm offering you a chance to fix your future," he said calmly. "You're barely getting by as it is. What kind of life will that baby have? You can start over, maybe even leave this place, find someone new. Think about it."
She pushed the check back to him. "No."
"Nadia,"
"No," she said again, And louder this time. "You don't get to decide what I do with my life. You took everything from me once, Dexter. You don't get to take this too."
"Don't be silly. This isn't about pride."
"It's about me," she said quietly. "And for once, I'm choosing myself."
They looked at each other, her eyes showing calm strength, his showing frustration.
Finally, he sighed out loudly, his voice cold. "You always let your feelings control you."
He turned to leave, but stopped right before the door. "Also," he added without turning around, "Mrs. Langford knows you've been causing problems. I wouldn't be surprised if today was your last day here."
And then he left.
The words turned out to indeed be true.
By noon, Nadia was asked to come to the manager's office. Mrs. Langford sat at her desk, her face expressionless,no emotion whatsoever.
"I'm sorry, Miss Medina," she said, but her voice didn't sound like she was. "We've decided to terminate your employment here, starting now."
Nadia felt pressure in her chest. "Why?"
"There have been… complaints. And you've been having trouble focusing lately. The company can't deal with that, not anymore."
"Complaints from who?"
The silence after that told her everything she needed to know.
Dexter.
She tried to speak clearly, even though she was nervous. "Please, Mrs. Langford, it is very important that i keep working here."
"I know," the woman said quickly, as she started to pick up some documents. "But the choice has been made. The people in charge of pay will handle what you are owed."
And that was all it took to end things.
Nadia quietly left the office building holding the box with her personal items close to her. The sky already dark, like a storm was fast approaching. She stayed on the path for a while, not knowing where to go.
Everything that mattered to her, like her work and feeling secure, had disappeared in just a few hours.
Without really thinking, she began walking back to her place, and the noise from the cars covered up her steps. Her belly hurt, and she could not stop shaking.
Once inside her apartment, she put the box on the kitchen table and dropped to the floor.
For a short time, the room was very quiet, a heavy and overwhelming quiet.
Then, slowly, she put her hand on her stomach.
"I'm so sorry," she said, with tears in her eyes. "I'm not sure what will happen now, but I promise that I will not let you down."
Outside, thunder rumbled in the distance.
It was the sound of change…. Frightening, inevitable and near.