The CEO’s Unexpected Child

CHAPTER 2

CATHERINE SMITH

"Why didn't you answer when I beeped? And why were you running like this as if you had seen a ghost?” Vanessa asked angrily. "Answer, girl! Why do you have this pale face?” Her voice changed, showing that she was not at all concerned about my condition.

I sighed and opened my mouth to answer, but someone spoke before me.

"Because this employee of yours was in the room where I was having a romantic moment with my boyfriend. She was looking at us on the sly, and on top of that, she assaulted me without any explanation.” Vangie exclaimed angrily.

I turned and met her furious eyes.

"She what?" My supervisor almost screamed.

I shook my head negatively.

"It wasn't my intention, but there was an explanation because she was with my fiancé!" I said, defending myself from the accusations.

"Your fiancé?" Vangie said, laughing. "My boyfriend would never go out with a girl of your level!" She looked me up and down with contempt.

"Stop playing dumb, Vangie. You know very well that Hector and I had been together for over a year, and you were being his lover all this time."

She looked at me with incredulity.

"You're crazy!" she screamed. "He's been with me for a year, girl! He shouldn’t even know you, and another thing, you shouldn’t even have been inside that room. Although I think she liked what she saw since she stayed there to see our whole show, nothing justified you assaulting both of us. You know what? I'm going to sue this place." Vangie said, and I looked at her in disbelief.

"I'm the one who should sue you two!" I said angrily.

"It wasn't you who was attacked, but me.” She showed her face where the reddish mark of my hand was visible. I hadn't even realized I had been hit so hard. "I'm going to call the police right now."

I felt my blood leave my body with her words.

"Miss, you don't have to do that much," my guardian intervened immediately.

"Don't I need to?" Vangie laughed. "Are you aware that your employee assaulted me? That I have my face marked, and this hotel is responsible for this, precisely because it hires unprepared employees like her?” Vangie asked furiously.

“Do you still want to call the police after betraying me like that, Vangie? What kind of friend were you? I thought you both hated each other! He was my fiance!” I shouted, letting all my anger out.

She opened a cynical smile and said, “Sorry, but you’re really mistaken and confusing me with someone else, girl. My boyfriend would never have a fiancée like you, just a simple maid.” She laughed shamelessly at me.

“Being a maid is a dignified job like any other, but you’re just a treacherous snake who’s clearly only after a rich husband to pounce on, which is why you’re with Hector in this hotel. But you know what? Two despicable people like you deserve each other because you’re worth nothing,” I said angrily.

She looked at me with hatred.

“You know what, Catherine?" She looked at me with anger, dropping her facade of not knowing me.

“You, who couldn’t hold onto your fiancé, it’s good that you heard all that. Now you realize that you will never be a woman to Hector or any other man, because you don’t know how to satisfy him, and you don’t even have a curvy body. Look at yourself, daughter of a poor man! Do you really think a man like Hector would be interested in you?” She laughed loudly. “Never... girl, never! Now I’m going to call the police and have you put behind bars for physical assault since you don’t even know how to behave at your workplace,” Vangie exclaimed, outraged.

“Miss, please! We’ll resolve this internally. I ask you, please, not to call the police,” my supervisor said, stepping in front of me to try to calm Vangie.

“You hire terrible employees, now you will face the consequences.”

“Miss, from this moment on, she will no longer be an employee of this hotel,” my supervisor said, and I felt my heart stop in my chest.

“Ms. Vanessa...” I tried to speak to her, but I was abruptly interrupted.

“You’ve caused a major disturbance, Catherine. The hotel shouldn’t suffer because of your lack of professionalism. Pack your things right now and leave,” she said rudely, making her decision clear.

“Please, I need this job,” I said with tears in my eyes.

Why hadn’t I remembered this before the argument? I thought, feeling terrible.

“Ha ha ha... now you need the job, Cath?” Vangie asked, emphasizing my nickname with irony. “You should have thought about that earlier. Now that this problem is solved, I'm going back to my room since my boyfriend is waiting for me. I hope that when you get your next job, you'll have more wisdom to keep it and won’t be so out of control,” she said, laughing at me.

I clenched my fists, trying to control my urge to grab her by the hair, but I couldn’t, as my supervisor was looking at me with anger.

“Miss, a suggestion: we will send a special dinner to your room as an apology for the inconvenience caused in our hotel,” Vanessa said.

“I hope that at least in this regard, this hotel is good,” Vangie shrugged and left.

“Now you, Catherine, go get your things and leave as soon as possible. I don’t want to look at you anymore,” Vanessa said, now looking back at me.

“Ms. Vanessa, please, I really need this job. My mother has many bills to pay and...” she interrupted me abruptly again.

“You should have thought of that before. After what you've done, there's no way your little friend Claire can save you now, so get out."

I saw in my supervisor's eyes that there was no turning back. I still thought about saying something, but when I opened my mouth, she said:

“I’m not interested in your complaints. Leave now. This hotel caters to very important people, and from the moment you arrived here, I knew you weren’t even fit to clean the floors that these clients walk on. Now go to the changing room, get changed, and leave the uniform there,” she exclaimed.

I felt even more humiliated, realizing that it was pointless to explain myself; she never liked me anyway. Without saying anything more, I turned to go to the locker room, doing as she instructed. When the hotel manager came to speak with me, he didn’t even want to listen. He only said that my behavior was unacceptable to the company and that the dinner for Miss Vangie and Hector would be deducted from my salary, leaving me even more devastated.

The moment I stepped outside the hotel, a heavy rain began to fall with intensity, but the rain was not as strong as the pain I felt from being so humiliated.

I walked along Second Street in that whole storm. I've lived here since I was just a little girl when my parents left Mexico. I was eight years old. I remember my father saying that we would live well here, that we would be happy. Something we weren’t even in Mexico. Since I can remember, I have seen many fights between my parents. Things only got worse here. Once, I overheard my mother telling a neighbor that my father only brought us here because there were drugs in the bags, and it was easier for him to evade the police with us. And it was, and we're still here today, but my father remains the same man, working about illegal things and never giving me a word of affection. Well, except when I said I was going to marry Hector. His eyes lit up because Hector's family has money, which is good for him. However, I didn’t care about Hector's money. On the contrary, I loved him. Well, I still love him because I don't believe we can end love for someone overnight. But here I was, walking alone while he was over there having s*x and eating the dinner I paid for.

Today I lost my friend, my fiancé, and my job.

I wondered what else I could lose. I thought, crying as I walked in this heavy downpour.

“Cath!” I heard my name being called.

I didn’t look back and kept walking.

“Cath!” I heard the voice closer now.

I turned around and saw my friend Claire running towards me, holding an umbrella. I widened my eyes, unable to believe she was here.

“Girl, what are you doing?” she asked, placing the umbrella over us.

“They had an affair, Clay.” I called her by her nickname.

My friend looked at me with compassion and hugged me tightly. I broke down in her arms.

“It’s okay, friend. Let’s go to my house. We can talk better there.”

I nodded in agreement.

I got into her car without saying a word, and after a few minutes, we arrived at her place. My friend grabbed one of her outfits, so I could take a shower after all the rain. When I came out of the bathroom, I headed to the living room where I found my friend waiting with a piece of chocolate cake and tea for us.

“Well, now we can talk, Cath.”

I sighed and nodded.

“Okay.” I sat down.

“I found out from the manager what happened and the names of the unfortunate people in that room,” she said with regret. “I tried to talk to the manager so you could stay there, but…”

“He’s not going to accept it because I attacked a guest,” I said, and she nodded in agreement while pursing her lips. “I heard everything, and I understand why you acted this way, but I also heard that Vangie won’t take this case to the police.”

“Well, at least I have some luck, but tomorrow my dad will be furious to find out that I’m out of a job. He’ll say that I’m lazy and not good at anything, as always,” I said, lowering my head.

“He’s wrong,” my friend said, trying to cheer me up, and then added,

“If you want to, you can stay here for a while until you get another job.”

“I’d really like that, but Hector lives in this neighborhood.”

“True,” she said, pouting. “I should tell you to stay here so you can confront this unfortunate man, but it’s better if you leave the neighborhood. However, if you want to come to my house during the day, you’re always welcome.”

“Thanks, Clay.”

“You’re always welcome, girl.”

I remained silent, thinking. I looked out the window and noticed that the storm was still raging. It seemed that this storm was trying to wash away the impurities from my life, but it was hurting in the process. I lay down on the couch, with Claire sitting in the armchair in front of me, watching me as if trying to figure out how to cheer me up.

“Do you want to sleep here tonight?”

“No, I’m fine, thanks. I’m going to my house. I don’t want to argue with my father any more than necessary.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I said, sitting up on the couch. “I’m going now.”

“Do you want me to drive you?” she asked, worried.

“No need. I’ll get a taxi. I need to walk and think for a bit. But thank you for everything, Clay,” I said, hugging her.

“Okay, but if you need me, don’t hesitate to call.”

“I know. Thank you,” I said, heading to the door.

After leaving her house, I took a taxi and soon arrived at mine. I entered and immediately noticed that there was no light. I thought energy had been cut off. I felt anger. Just as I was about to open my bedroom door, I noticed a figure leaning against the wall, just where the light from the window illuminated. I looked closer and realized it was my father. His tall figure was slightly hunched, and he had a cigarette in his hand. The smoke went up to the ceiling, creating shadows on his face. His eyes were as red as blood, and he stared at me, not blinking.

I took a deep breath and waited for him to speak first. But I regretted it when he started talking.

“Just as I thought. A useless person who can’t keep her job.” He started laughing cynically. “You lost your job for being an i***t. I hope you learn from your mistakes, but I doubt it, given how stupid you are. Now go to your room, pack your things, and leave my house. I don’t want to see your face here anymore. You’re good for nothing, Catherine!” he exclaimed, almost screaming.

“Father, please...”

“No! You leave my house now! Go live with that boyfriend of yours, or go be a maid somewhere else,” he said, waving his hand dismissively.

“Father, please, you’re the only family I have left,” I begged.

“Then find someone else, Catherine. Leave!” he shouted.

I looked at him with sadness and walked to my room. I packed my things, feeling that I had no strength left. My father didn’t love me, Hector didn’t love me, I didn’t even know where my mother was, and now I was homeless.

I walked out of the house without looking back. In the end, Claire was right. Hector and Vangie really deserved each other because they were both trash. But what about me? Where would I go? I didn’t know, but I wouldn’t give up. I would rebuild my life, no matter how hard it was, but first, I would cry everything out to see if I could make this unbearable pain disappear.