"You're going to marry him?" Natasha, my best friend asks. The twinkle in her eyes are undeniable, showing off her excitement.
I shrug, not knowing what to say at first. I later come up with, "Maybe..."
"Maybe?" Chloe, my other best friend asks. Her eyes are blazing with a fury I'm not sure where it is coming from, "Isn't this whole thing supposed to be an undercover?"
"But he's so hot." I cry out.
"And super rich." Natasha backs me up.
"And a drug dealer. Wanted by the FBI," Chloe didn't bother to hide her sarcasm, "Have you forgotten that?"
Even though I'm not supposed to be talking about a high profile case with my girlfriends, I couldn't help but to confide in them. The only reason I'm breaking the code of conduct is because I needed to get it off my chest. But the backlash I'm getting from Chloe is unexpected.
What I also didn't expect is the sudden grumble in my stomach. The whole pasta I just had for dinner in our favourite Italian restaurant starts rising up my gut and threatening to spill off my mouth.
I rush towards the restroom.
Five minutes later, I walk back to our table, feeling flushed and exhausted. The whole restaurant smelling so nasty. I find it weird. I've always loved the smell of this particular restaurant. It is the main reason we choose it for our weekly hangout spot.
"What?" Natasha asks after shutting off her phone.
"I kinda feel sick."
We decide to dismiss earlier than usual. I call my doctor on our way home to book an appointment.
I step into the apartment I share with George, hoping that a cold shower will help me cool off. George stands on hearing me come in.
"Seriously?" he asks, his skin reddening with anger.
"How many times am I supposed to apologize for not wanting to break the code of conduct for you?!" I flare up. My voice raises more than I want it to.
"But you can break the same fucccking code of conduct with your silly girlfriends?!" he shouts back.
"What?"
How did he know that I confinded on the girls?
He answers the unspoken question by playing a recorded audio. I hear my voice in the background gushing about Micheal. How hot he was in bed. The possibility of becoming the future Mrs Bavarish. The other stupid stuff I blabbed about him.
"Does this shit answer your question?"
The resignation lacing his tone tells me what might come up next.
While the cold water sprays down my back, I boil inside. Hating that Chloe had the mind to betray me like this. Who else would she send the recording to? Dave? Or to my entire colleagues, to announce what a terrible partner I am.
I get to work the next day half expecting my colleagues to glare at me. Or Dave to push me into his office and whoop my ass for breaking the code of conduct. What I meet instead is an emergency meeting.
Micheal and his team strikes again. This time, harder. Their network is expanding faster than we had initially thought.
As the head of the investigative team continues reading out the report, Dave keeps throwing side glances at me.
When I decide to raise my brows quizzically at him, he returns it by mouthing, "Marry him."
My stomach begins churning. I rush out of the conference room and towards the restrooms. This is the third time I'll be vomiting in the last 24 hours. At this point, I don't know whether it's something that I ate or maybe there is something in the air that I'm getting allergic to. Or…
Just then it hit me. I stare back at my reflection in one of the mirrors in the restrooms with widened eyes. I can't remember the last time I saw my monthly period.
I dash out of the office building and towards the closest pharmacy stores I could find along the streets. On grabbing a pregnancy test kit, I decide it's best to get the test done at home. If somehow I find out that my life is beginning to fall apart, let it crash while I'm lying on my bed.
I call the office and take a sick leave as I wait for the prep time to pass. This is the longest five minutes of my life. I can't remember the last time I was this nervous. It certainly must be the day of my swearing in.
With fidgety hands, I grab the test stick and look down at the lines. There are two of them. Which could only mean one thing. My back slams against my bathroom tile and I begin sliding down to the floor. The world crashing beside me. Tears blurry my view.
I'm at the peak of my career. A career I've worked hard for seven solid years. I should be getting a promotion. Getting an award of recognition for my excellent works. Not my birth control pills failing and me falling pregnant.
I manage to drag myself up from the floor when I hear my phone ringing. A sigh of relief rushes off me on seeing the caller ID. Thank God it is not Dave. I don't think I can handle any more pressure at this minute, so I ignore the call.
One look at the mirror tells me how pale my skin has become as a result of panic. My life is spinning in a million directions and I have no idea how to control it.
"Hey babe." I say on picking up Natasha's call moments later.
"You sound stressed."
"I am. I just found out that I'm pregnant."
"Wh-what?!"
The shock straining her voice triples my anxiety.
"Howww?" she continues.
"I had sex, Natty. That's how people get pregnant, remember?"
She snorts. "Well I'm glad you still have it in you to sound sarcastic."
I sigh out loud. I can feel my head banging hard.
"Hope you also know who the father of your unborn baby is?" she asks.
The ground begins spinning. I had sex with both Micheal and George. Both unprotected. I definitely don't know who the father of my baby is.