I stood outside Ivan's office, my hands shaking as I gripped the stack of papers I'd spent two weeks putting together. I pressed them to my chest, trying to calm the wild beating of my heart. It felt like it was about to burst out of me, just like I wanted to run away from this moment. For a second, I thought about turning around and leaving. But I couldn't. I had to face him.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in," Ivan's voice called, casual and smooth. It twisted in my stomach. He sounded so calm, like nothing had changed, like he hadn't just broken my heart a few days ago.
I pushed the door open, and the familiar scent of his cologne greeted me. He was sitting behind his big desk, scrolling through his phone, a smirk playing on his lips. His suit was perfect—like he had everything under control. But he didn't even look up.
"Here are the documents you asked for," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
He didn't even glance at me. "Just leave them on the desk."
I set the papers down, but my feet felt stuck to the floor. I couldn't just walk away—not yet. The silence stretched between us, suffocating me. I had to say something. Anything.
"Ivan," I started, my voice shaking. "About the other day…"
Finally, he looked up. But his eyes were annoyed, as if irritated.
"Let's not do this, Ms. Villanueva," he said, leaning back in his chair. His tone was dull, distant. When we were alone, he used my first name. Or even "babe." But now, hearing him say my last name like that felt like a slap in the face.
"I've already made up my mind," he added.
I gulped. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, it's over," he said, like he was talking about something unimportant. "You and I… it's not working. It never did."
I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. "Not working?" I repeated, barely able to process it. "Ivan, I thought... I thought we—"
"We were never serious," he cut me off, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "You knew that. I made it clear from the start."
My head spun. I reached for my stomach, but my hand dropped to my side. A YEAR. We'd been together for a year. All those promises, all those moments—had they all meant nothing?
"But what about—"
"This conversation is over," he interrupted again, dismissing me with a wave of his hand, like I was just some problem to be gotten rid of.
My chest tightened, and I had to bite down on my cheek to stop myself from crying. "I worked so hard for you," I whispered. "I gave you everything."
He shrugged without looking up. "And I appreciated it," he said, his attention already back on his phone.
I just stood there, staring at him, waiting for him to do something—anything—that would tell me he wasn't the man I was seeing right now. But there was nothing.
I turned and walked out, closing the door quietly behind me.
—————————
By the time I made it back to my desk, my eyes were blurry, fighting back tears. My mind felt like it was spinning, like nothing made sense.
Before I could let myself fall apart, my phone buzzed. A message from HR flashed on the screen, and my stomach instantly dropped.
I walked into Ms. Teresa's office, my heart pounding. She gestured for me to sit, her face expressionless. She looked professional, but there was something in her eyes that said she felt sorry for me.
"Ms. Villanueva," she said, her voice serious. "We need to talk about some accusations."
"A—Accusations?" I asked, my voice barely audible. My hands were shaking.
"We've heard you've been spreading rumors about Mr. Delgado and a new employee, Ms. Ruby Cruz," she explained, her hands flat on the desk. "And that there was an argument."
I felt the blood rush from my face. "What? That's not true! I would never—"
"I'm sorry, but we've received several complaints," she cut me off. "Mr. Delgado even confirmed it."
My chest tightened. "Ivan—he said that about me?"
Ms. Teresa's lips clenched. "Yes. With the proof we have, we have no choice but to let you go."
The words struck me. "Please," I begged, my voice breaking. "This isn't true. I didn't do any of it. I swear!"
She shook her head, standing up. "The decision is final. Security will escort you out."
I felt like the floor had disappeared beneath me. Everything I'd worked for—gone in an instant. And Ivan... he was the one who let this happen. NO, he was the one who made it happen.
As the security guard walked me out of the building, I heard the whispers. Each one felt like a slap in the face.
"Her and Mr. Delgado? NO WAY!"
"I heard she made up stories about Ruby and the manager, and when that didn't work, she attacked her!"
"I always thought she seemed sweet. Guess you can't trust anyone."
"I never liked her. Glad she's gone."
The words merged together, and it felt like they were all aimed right at me. But what hurt the most was that they all believed it.
"Naomi!" A voice called from behind. It was Melissa Lopez, the only person I could truly call a friend here. She had been with me since day one. While everyone else had been competitive or jealous, she always had my back.
"I heard what happened..." she said, her voice soft with concern. "Did they really fire you?"
I gulped, my throat tight. "Y-Yeah... it's true..." The tears I had been holding back finally overflowed. "B—But I would never do something like that... I swear."
Melissa pulled me into a hug, her hand rubbing my back. "I know. I know you wouldn't. That new girl must be the one spreading those lies. I heard it from Kate. And Mr. Delgado—he's a jerk. I always knew he'd side with her. He's been eyeing her for a while."
Her words hit harder than I expected. So I wasn't crazy. I had been right about Ivan and Ruby all along.
Melissa pulled back, wiping away my tears. "Melissa..." I whispered, pressing my hand to my stomach. "I can't lose my job. Not now."
Her eyes widened. "Y-You're pregnant?" she asked, almost in disbelief. I nodded, my chest heavy with shame. I had just found out a few days ago—right before I found out about Ivan and Ruby.
——————
As the elevator doors closed, the truth hit me all at once. Ivan had betrayed me. Completely. Without a second thought. And Ruby... I hardly knew her, but she had gone out of her way to ruin me.
I couldn't stop replaying the night I walked in on Ivan and Ruby at his apartment. They were wrapped around each other, so vulnerable and exposed. Ivan didn't even try to apologize. He just shrugged and said, "She came on to me. I'm a man—it happens."
I had gone to his place that night to tell him I was pregnant. But I never got the chance. My heart shattered before I could even speak the words.
I didn't confront Ruby. I didn't tell anyone. But now, she had turned the story around and painted me as the villain.
I pressed my hand to my stomach. My baby. The only thing that still felt pure in this mess.
Even though Ivan had ended things, I still wanted him to know. He deserved to know about our child. But as the elevator took me down, I realized one cold truth: he wouldn't care. And that hurt more than anything.