My brows were furrowed as I fixed my gaze on the young man. I could see the way his gape traveled between me and Peter.
The muscles of his face tightened like he was gritting his teeth. Instantly his gape drifted to me. I don't know how or why, but I felt as though he pitied me. But that didn't last long as he rolled his eyes and placed his hands in his coat.
"How dare you? Can't you show respect to the CEO?" The executive director yelled at me. I had no idea what he was talking about. I squinted my eyes looking at them. There were six older men and just the young man. I knew all their position except for one whose face seemed new to me.
"Maybe he is the CEO." I lowered my head at him.
"Good morning CEO."
"You delinquent! You don't know who you work for? How long have you been in this company?"
The executive director yelled at me again.
"I'm sorry sir, I'm sorry sir. I've been working for five years but I'm a junior staff, I knew the former CEO sir." I lowered my head bitting my teeth.
"Peter, write down her name to be among the staff to be fired. Fool." The manager yelled at Peter and they all walked away.
"you should have stayed put, now you are getting yourself fired." He walked away living me to myself.
Tears rolled down my cheeks. "I shouldn't get fired not now I'm expecting a baby."
"Eloise. What happened?" Emily held my shoulders.
"I'm going to get fired." I mourned.
"How come you didn't know the CEO, he is that young man there."
"What?"
"Yes, the young man amongst the CEO."
...
"Why were arguing with Peter?" Eloise asked me.
I sucked my lips in as I ran water through my face. Staring at my reflection in the restroom mirror-i looked pitiful myself.
I wasn't going to tell her I was pregnant.
"I heard Peter and Diane talking, they said you had an accident the day your dad died. Why don't you ever tell me anything? Don't you consider me to be your friend?"
"I'm sorry Emily...I was..." I suddenly felt a surge of liquid rushing from my stomach to my bottleneck. I quickly ran to the toilet and as soon as I opened my mouth I vomited.
"What's wrong with you?"
I quickly helped myself up and pretended with a smile. I told her I was okay and then I rushed to the mirror and washed my hands. But suddenly I had the same feeling again and I ran to the bathroom.
"You are pregnant?" Her voice came as shock.
I wanted to keep this to myself but still, the thought of loneliness gripped my heart making every minute unbearable. I savaged my lower lips and then released them to let out the grief that engulfed me.
"I'm pregnant," I said to Emily with a quivering voice and eyes that looked weary cause of tears.
"What? That's great news." Emily wrapped her hands around my shoulder.
"Why are you still sad, you've always wanted to get pregnant."
"Peter said it isn't for him." I gulp my saliva. Everything Peter said finally hit me.
"What? Why would he say so?"
"He said he never released sperm in me for the past eight years because he never wanted a child with me." I gripped her hand on my shoulder and wailed.
"That bastard. He always said you are barren, he mocked you and all these while it was his doing?" Emily's voice pierced my ears. "Now you are pregnant for him and he wants to accuse you of what again? Infidelity?"
I clamped my hands together as hot tears prickled my cheeks. I lifted my head to look at Eloise but then she wasn't there before I could question myself the restroom slammed making a loud sound that sent a shock through my veins.
It was Emily, she was going to cause a scene.
I rushed to meet with her but before I could get to where she was she slapped Peter.
"You ingrate. How dare you." She slapped him again.
"Emily stop that." I ran and held her back but Peter slapped her.
There was a moment of silence, engraving the incident in each of the staff's minds.
How dare he? He raised his hand about to hit her again but I quickly stepped in between them and pushed him to the ground. This might be the last straw. He isn't going to forgive me for this and I wasn't ready to ask for forgiveness-I think.
"How dare you?" Diane yelled and instantly I felt her cold hand stroke my cheek. When I touched my face I could feel blood gushing out as she hit me with a sharp object.
I looked at her hand and the diamond part of her ring was turned inside. She hit me with the diamond.
I removed my hand. My palm was covered in blood. My eyes kept flinching, my lips shaking in shock. How can a human be so wicked?
"You slut, you got pregnant for another man and want to pin it on Peter, it's not his child. Who knows if you are even pregnant, desperate whore."
The murmurs of the other staff filled the air as everyone's eyes were probing at me.
I couldn't bear it anymore. I raised my hand and slapped Diane.
"Who is sleeping with someone's husband." Even if they all knew about it, I wanted to drift the gossip away from myself. "You are planning to marry a man that isn't divorced yet?"
"Eloise!" Peter's voice sent shivers through my spine. He gently held Diane's face and then glared at me.
"What have you done?"
"What? Can't you see what she did to me?"
"You deserve every bit of it."
"I deserve to be humiliated like this?" I asked him surprised. For thirteen years I've always believed peter to be a good man, but seeing how is acting today, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of man did I marry? What man wouldn't want a child from his wife?
I stride each step carefully and slowly towards them. He stood in front of Diane protecting her
from me.
"What the hell is going on here?" A voice yelled from the top floor. I veer immediately. It was the same man, the man who happened to be the CEO.