I stumbled through the city streets, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. Alexander's words kept echoing in my head, over and over again. You're pregnant, Jessie. I know. How could he know something like that when I didn't even know for sure myself?
No. It couldn't be. I had been careful. This was just stress, the result of everything that had happened between us. But even as I tried to convince myself, the signs were there—the missed period, the exhaustion. My stomach churned, not just from the nausea I'd been feeling, but from the weight of everything crashing down on me.
I found myself outside a drugstore, staring at the brightly lit sign. I didn't remember walking here. My feet had carried me on autopilot, like my subconscious already knew what I had to do. For a moment, I hesitated, standing frozen in place as people passed by, oblivious to the internal storm I was facing.
But I had to know. I couldn't live with the uncertainty hanging over me.
With trembling hands, I walked into the store and grabbed a pregnancy test from the shelf. The cashier didn't look twice at me as I paid, but I felt like every eye in the store was on me, like they knew exactly what was going on in my life. I hurried out, clutching the small paper bag in my hand as if it held my entire future.
Back at my apartment, I locked the door and stared at the test for what felt like hours, my heart pounding in my chest. My hands were shaking so badly that I nearly dropped it. I didn't want to do this. I wasn't ready for the answer, whatever it might be. But I couldn't avoid it any longer.
I went to the bathroom, trying to calm my racing thoughts. It was a simple process—just follow the instructions and wait. But in reality, it felt like the most significant moment of my life.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as I waited for the result. I paced the small bathroom, my nerves frayed, my mind filled with a thousand what-ifs. What would this mean for me? For Alexander? For his marriage, his career? For my own life, which had already been turned upside down by this secret affair?
When the timer finally beeped, I forced myself to look at the test, my heart lodged in my throat. And there it was, clear as day.
Positive.
I sank onto the bathroom floor, the cold tile pressing into my skin as I tried to process the reality of what I was seeing. I'm pregnant.
Tears stung my eyes, but I wasn't sure if they were from fear, shock, or something else entirely. I had no idea how to feel. Part of me was terrified—this was the last thing I had expected, the last thing I wanted. And yet, there was another part of me, a small flicker deep down, that felt… something else. Not quite joy, but maybe hope.
But then I thought about Alexander. His life was so complicated, so far removed from mine. He had a wife—a wife who was already furious about what had happened between us. How would she react to this? I could already see the headlines in my mind: Billionaire's Affair Leads to Pregnancy Scandal. My life would be under a microscope, scrutinized and picked apart by the media, by society.
I couldn't let that happen.
I pulled myself up from the floor, wiping away the tears that had fallen without my realizing. I had to make a decision. I couldn't let this pregnancy destroy both of our lives. Alexander had already done so much for me, giving me opportunities I never thought possible. I couldn't be the one to ruin everything.
I grabbed my phone, my fingers hovering over the screen. I had to tell him. He deserved to know, even if I wasn't sure what I wanted to do yet. But before I could bring myself to text him, my phone buzzed with a new message.
It was from Alexander. Of course, it was.
We're not done talking. I need to see you. Tomorrow.
I stared at the message for a long moment. The thought of facing him now, after what I'd just discovered, felt overwhelming. I wasn't ready to have this conversation. But avoiding him wasn't an option either.
I took a deep breath and typed out a short reply.
Okay. Tomorrow.
I hit send, and then I threw my phone onto the couch, pacing the living room as my mind raced. What was I going to say to him? How could I tell him that he was right? That everything he feared—and maybe hoped—was true?
My thoughts spiraled, and suddenly I felt nauseous again, but this time it wasn't just from the pregnancy. It was from the weight of everything that had happened between us—the betrayal, the secrets, the guilt. I'd let myself get too close to him, and now I was trapped in a mess I didn't know how to fix.
I sat on the edge of the couch, my head in my hands, trying to breathe through the overwhelming emotions. How had my life gone from normal to this in such a short time? Just a few months ago, I was a simple secretary, content with my quiet life. Now, I was pregnant by my billionaire boss, caught in a scandal that could ruin both of us.
I didn't sleep much that night. My mind was too full of thoughts—about the pregnancy, about Alexander, about the future. By the time the sun rose, I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. But I knew I had to face the day. I had to face him.
I arrived at Alexander's office that afternoon, my heart racing as I stepped inside. His assistant gave me a curious glance, but I didn't stop to chat. I had too much on my mind. I knocked on his office door and waited for his voice to call me in.
When I walked inside, he was standing by his desk, his expression unreadable. There was a tension in the air that hadn't been there before, a sense of urgency that I couldn't ignore.
"Jessie," he said, his voice softer than I expected. "Thank you for coming."
I nodded, my mouth dry. "I—"
But before I could say another word, he stepped forward, closing the distance between us. His eyes searched mine, and for a moment, I forgot what I was going to say.
"I know this is complicated," he said, his voice low. "But I don't want to run from this anymore. Whatever happens between us, we'll face it together."
My heart ached at his words, but I knew it wasn't that simple. Nothing ever was.
"I'm pregnant, Alexander," I blurted out before I could stop myself.
The silence that followed was deafening. His expression didn't change right away, but I saw the shock flicker in his eyes, the brief moment of disbelief before the reality sank in.
"You're… pregnant?" he repeated, as if he needed to hear the words again to believe them.
I nodded, my throat tight. "Yes."
He stood still for a moment, staring at me as if trying to process the weight of what I'd just told him. And then, slowly, a smile spread across his face.
"Jessie," he said softly, stepping closer. "This changes everything."