A DEAL WITH THE CEO

Chapter:5 Two Lines, One Crisis

Two Lines, One Crisis

ELARA POV

At first, I tried not to panic. I kept telling myself it was just stress; the sleepless nights, the terrible meals, and the constant tension at work. Anyone’s body would be confused after that.

But when a whole week passed, then a few more days, the fear I’d been trying to ignore wouldn’t let me breathe.

And of course, I had been stupid enough not to take a pill after that night with Adrian. The regret alone made my throat tighten.

“This can’t be happening,” I whispered as I touched my Tommy.

I grabbed my bag, pulled on a jacket, and headed straight to the small pharmacy two streets away. I kept my head down the whole walk. The last thing I wanted was someone from work recognizing me standing in front of a pregnancy test shelf.

I picked one quickly, paid, and left before anyone could look twice.

Back at my apartment, I locked the door and dropped my keys on the table. My hands wouldn’t stay steady. I opened the box, took the test into the bathroom, and got it over with as fast as I could.

A few minutes later, I went back to check the result.

My head went light the second I saw the two lines.

My hand slipped from the counter, and my breath came out in small, shaky pulls.

For a moment, my thoughts didn’t align, it felt like my mind was trying to run in 10 different directions.

“Oh no… this can’t be real. I’m not ready for this,” I whispered, tears already sliding down my face. “I can’t do this. Not now…”

I wasn’t ready to be a mother.

I had bills stacked on my table, parents who depended on me, and a job I was barely holding onto. I hadn’t even figured out my own life yet. How was I supposed to raise a child?

I gripped the edge of the sink and lowered my head, trying to hold in the sound clawing its way up my throat. It didn’t work. A broken sob slipped out, then another, until I couldn’t stop. My knees became weak, and I fell to the ground. Tears kept coming, blurring everything until it felt like the room was moving.

Then it suddenly occurred to me that this child wasn’t just mine alone, but also Adrian’s Clark child. That realization broke me even more. I hated him. If he hadn’t taken advantage of my desperation, I wouldn’t be in this predicament.

“I hate you… I hate you, Adrian,” I cried, the words spilling out as the tears kept coming.

I heard my phone ringing somewhere in the room. I didn’t have the strength to get up and answer it.

But it kept ringing, nonstop.

After a while, I forced myself to stand and walk over to it.

It was my mum calling.

I wiped my face quickly with my sleeve and cleared my throat before answering. “Hello, Mom?”

“Elara, sweetheart,” she said, her voice sounding tired. “I’ve been thinking about you all morning. You sound strange. Are you alright?”

I bit down on my lip to keep it from trembling. “I’m fine. Just tired from work.”

“Are they treating you well over there?”

I swallowed the hard lump forming in my throat. “Yes. Everything’s okay.”

She sighed softly. “Your father had another episode last night. The stress isn’t helping, but we’re managing. I’m just worried about you too.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, guilt tightening in my chest. “I’m sorry, Mom… I should have checked in earlier,” I said, trying to steady my voice. “Is he okay now? Did he get any rest?”

“He’s sleeping,” she replied gently. “Don’t worry yourself too much. Just take care of your own health too, hm?”

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay even. “I will. I promise. I’ll call again later.”

“Alright, my dear. Be safe.”

“You too, Mom.”

We ended the call, and the moment the line went dead, my head started pounding. My eyes felt hot and heavy. A warm wave rushed through me, leaving my skin damp. I lay back on the bed and curled onto my side. After a while, I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up the next morning with a high fever and a pounding migraine. My whole body was shaking. I checked the time on my phone and saw I was already late for work.

I sat up, felt dizzy for a moment, and reached for my phone to call my departmental head and ask for a sick day. But before I could press dial, the screen lit up with an incoming call.

HR.

I was a little nervous and hesitated before picking up the call. “Hello?”

“Miss Elara, where are you?” the HR coordinator asked sharply. “Your presence is needed in the office immediately.”

My fingers tightened around the phone.

Of all days… it had to be today.