The CEO’s Unexpected Child

CHAPTER 5

CATHERINE SMITH

I was paralyzed, watching the family enter the meeting room with their noses in the air. "Why, out of all the people in the world, did it have to be Hector's family who bought this market?" I wondered, feeling a pit of dread form in my stomach.

With them in power, I knew I wouldn’t even have a chance to keep this job. My resignation letter will be signed today.

Damn!

Mrs. Beatriz walked around the room with an air of superiority, her husband Maximo by her side. Hector followed, with Vangie close behind, but they weren’t holding hands, so I figured he hadn’t officially started a relationship with her yet.

“I introduce you to the Miller family,” Ben, the supermarket manager, announced, his voice filled with forced enthusiasm. “They are the new owners of the supermarket. Let’s welcome them with a huge round of applause.” The room erupted in applause, but I stayed frozen in the corner, unable to move.

“I’ll let them introduce themselves now. I’m sure we’ll have an excellent year ahead,” Ben added.

Excellent year? Impossible, I thought bitterly.

They still hadn’t noticed me in the corner. Maybe, just maybe, if they didn’t see me, I could continue working here. But that was just a sweet illusion.

“Good afternoon,” Mr. Maximo began, his voice commanding the room. “I’m Maximo Miller, the new owner of this establishment. This is my wife, Beatriz, and our son, Hector. This is Vangie. She will be your new supervisor and is a great friend of the family.”

Friend of the family? I thought, a wry smile tugging at the corner of my lips. She was never officially acknowledged.

“What is this woman doing here?” Beatriz’s voice cut through the air, and when I looked up, I saw her gaze locked on me, her eyes filled with contempt. “Is it possible that the world is so small that such an unqualified person could end up working with us?” Her disdain was evident, and the confused looks from the other employees showed they didn’t understand what was happening.

“What are you doing here?” Hector asked, surprised.

“Look at that… She actually got a job! Incredible!” Vangie added, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

All eyes were on me, and I felt my face burn with embarrassment. Were they really going to humiliate me in front of everyone? I thought, shocked by the unfolding scene.

“Miss Delos Reyes is a cashier, Mr. Miller, and one of the best,” Ben said, clearly confused by the situation.

“It doesn’t matter what kind of employee she is. My store is not hiring people like her,” Maximo stated with cold finality.

“Indeed not. Hey, girl, you can leave right now. You’re fired,” Beatriz said, waving her fingers dismissively as if I were some kind of insect. I noticed the smile forming on Vangie’s lips while Hector remained silent, just staring at me.

The whispers from my coworkers grew louder, and I felt my face flush with anger and humiliation.

I took a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure. I couldn’t afford to lose control here, especially after the trouble I’d gotten into the last time I lost my temper.

I stepped out of the corner, holding my head high as I pulled the supermarket brochure from my pocket. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with such a wonderful team. You are all amazing. I wish you good luck with your new bosses. You’ll need it,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

Hector's family looked shocked as I started to walk out the door. “What did she mean by that?” I heard Beatriz’s voice echo down the hallway.

As I entered the dressing room to grab my bag, I was displeased to find Vangie inside, grinning at me.

“Look at you, the best girl from Second Street, now working in Los Angeles,” she sneered, her voice laced with irony.

She was just trying to provoke me. I ignored her, checking my bag to ensure all my belongings were there.

“Will you not speak to me?” she demanded, her voice rising in anger.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t know you,” I replied coolly, mimicking the way she had dismissed me years ago. I could see the anger flare in her eyes as she realized she was being ignored.

“Do you think you can just ignore me like this? Do you think that, because you moved to Los Angeles, you’re someone important now?” She laughed cruelly. “You’re just a poor girl making a living as a cashier. And look at you, you’ve gained weight. You’re not that skinny girl anymore. Your fat is all out of proportion. I bet it’s from having those fatherless children and—”

She didn’t finish her sentence because I grabbed her arm tightly. Vangie’s eyes widened in fear.

“You can say whatever you want about me, Vangie. None of it will affect me. But if you say anything about my children, I won’t hesitate to rip that fake hair off your head in front of everyone. And let me tell you this... you brag so much, but I don’t see Hector acknowledging you. To his family, you’re still just a ‘friend.’ So, in their eyes, we’re equal. But unlike you, I won’t accept being just an option. All you know how to do is humiliate others.” I released her arm with a shove.

She glared at me, her temper barely in check. “I’ll make sure you can’t get a job in this city,” she hissed.

I laughed, a bitter sound. “Who do you think you are, Vangie? You don’t control all of Los Angeles. And from what I can see, it’s Hector’s family with the money, not you.” I stared at her down, watching a vein throb on her forehead. But before she could respond, someone else spoke up.

“Precisely because I have money, I’ll ensure you can’t work anywhere else. A girl like you shouldn’t even have been able to get a job in such a competitive city,” Mrs. Beatriz said, entering the locker room with a smug smile.

I clenched my fists, seething at the sight of the woman who had always taken pleasure in belittling me.

“That’s right, Mrs. Miller, look what she did to my arm! This woman is a savage,” Vangie whined, showing her red arm to Beatriz.

“You’re a terrible girl. It’s a good thing my son broke up with you,” Beatriz said, shaking her head in disapproval.

I couldn’t help but smile as I finished packing my belongings. When I was done, I turned to face the two women.

“Mrs. Miller, your son did me a great favor by betraying me with Vangie. He freed me from a miserable future with you,” I said, watching Beatriz’s eyes widen in shock. I had always bowed my head to her, but those days were over. I had found the strength to overcome the world’s hardships while raising my children.

“Children change us.”

“I’m sure you just wanted to take advantage of my son. A poor woman like you was desperate to latch onto a man with my son’s status, but thankfully, you didn’t succeed,” she spat, trying to regain control.

My smile grew. “I never wanted anything from your son, Mrs. Beatriz. But you have someone by your side who wants everything from him. Unfortunately for her, she’ll never have it. She’ll remain nothing more than a ‘great supervisor,’” I said, glancing at Vangie, who glared at me with pure hatred. “And another thing... I’m no longer that girl you used to humiliate. So, be careful what you say to me because I won’t stay silent while you mistreat me,” I warned, my gaze steady and unyielding.

Beatriz stared at me, disbelief etched on her face. “Oh, I see you’ve become a completely uneducated girl. But what else could we expect from someone like you? It was inevitable that you’d turn out this way. But you know what? Get out of my store now. You are no longer part of this team, and I will keep my word. You won’t find a job in this city, not even as a cleaner in another supermarket,” she declared, her voice dripping with contempt. “And don’t even think about getting close to my son again. He won’t reunite with someone like you.”

I shook my head, smiling sadly. “Mrs. Beatriz, you’re new to Los Angeles, so I doubt you have the power to stop me from working. But that’s fine. I wish you an excellent year. And don’t worry, you can hand over your son’s ‘angel’ to Vangie. She suits him perfectly. Now, I expect to see my final wages reflected in my account. Goodbye.”

I didn’t wait for her response. I left the supermarket with my head held high, aware of the eyes of the employees watching me.

But as soon as I turned the corner, out of sight of the supermarket, tears started streaming down my face. I’d been fired again! And with three small children to care for! I had tried to stay strong in front of that family, but their words cut deep, and I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to find another job.

I wandered aimlessly through the city streets, shaking my head in despair. The advantage of being in a big city like Los Angeles was that no one noticed me because they were too absorbed in their own lives.

After walking for a while, I caught a bus to the neighborhood where I lived. The journey was long, giving me plenty of time to think. Vangie, Beatriz, and that damn Hector would pay for this.

I got off at the bus stop, still crying, and walked the rest of the way to my small apartment. I lived in an ordinary residential area, where people weren’t rich but also weren’t struggling. I had managed to move there after landing a good job, but now that I had lost it, I didn’t know how long I’d be able to stay.

I climbed the stairs to my door and found my friend Ellen waiting for me with a worried expression.

“What happened, girl?” she asked, noticing my tear-streaked face.

I didn’t have the strength to answer her, so I hugged her and burst into tears.

“Ellen, they fired me again! And this time, it was that damn family! What am I going to do now?”

Ellen held me tightly, stroking my hair as I sobbed into her shoulder.

“Everything will be alright, my friend. We’ll find another job for you. And if that fails, I can help you until you get back on your feet,” she reassured me.

I shook my head, feeling hopeless. “It’s not just that, Ellen. I’m tired of this life, this cycle of poverty. Every time I think things are getting better, something comes along and knocks me back down. How am I supposed to take care of my children when I can’t even hold a job?”

Ellen pulled back and looked me in the eyes.

“You’re strong, stronger than you realize. You’ve already overcome so much, and you’ll get through this too. And you’re not alone. We’re in this together.”

Her words gave me a small glimmer of hope, and I wiped my tears away. Maybe, just maybe, I could find a way out of this mess.

But as I stepped into my apartment and saw the picture of my children on the wall, the despair returned. How was I going to keep a roof over their heads? How was I going to provide for them when I couldn’t even keep a job?

I sank onto the couch, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. I had to find a solution, but at that moment, all I could do was cry.