Stripped

Chapter Four

Charlotte went back home, after being convinced by her aunt to prepare for work the next day. On her way home, she couldn't help but reflect on the doctor's response,

"Your dad needs surgery as soon as possible, his heart is failing", but the one that gave her relief was that he was fine now. She was more determined to save up for his surgery, she just needed a few more, she couldn't ask for a loan because they were in debt ever since her dad stopped working due to his health.

After a few days, her dad was discharged home and it made Charlotte really relieved and happy to see her dad back home. She remembered her necklace, she immediately searched her house but she could not find it. Her losing her mother's necklace made her really sad, for her it felt like the only memories of her mother were gone.

A week later, she was cleaning the lobby entrance when she stripped and fell, she tried getting up but couldn't and found out that she had sprained her ankle, she sat back down on the floor, while holding her ankle,she raised her head and saw a group of bodyguards on suit lurking around,

"The boss must have just arrived" she thought to herself, as she tried her best again to stand up on her feet to greet him before he came in, the boss entered, and Charlotte fell back down, as she had put too much pressure on the ankle and it began to hurt really bad.

For a fleeting second, she raised her head up as she noticed a foot step walking in her direction, the face of the person she saw left her in shock, and her breath seized.

"crap!! wait...he is...oh no, what have I done to myself??" mumbled under her breath while still trying to maintain her composed exterior as her trembling hands held onto her ankle. Her heart raced so fast in fear, she almost could not breathe anymore.

"I'm done for, how did I miss this?", she pondered to herself as she hid her face in shame and guilt.

Lucas witnessed the fall from the cleaner, as their eyes met for a fleeting second but could care less as he made his way straight to his office walking directly past her.

Soon after he left,other cleaners helped Charlotte up and took her to the cleaning quarters and they put some aspirin on her ankle.

"Charlotte, Charlotte?", Leah called out tapping her, but Charlotte was lost in thoughts, with tears already welled up in her eyes,

"Does it hurt that much?" Leah continued.

"Charlotte!!", She yelled.

Charlotte jolted in fear as she heard her name.

"Are you okay?", Leah asked. Charlotte looked at her ankles and forced a smile, "Yes, thank you".

Days passed and her boss' identity was still terrifying for her, she never imagined the only person she has ever had a one night stand with from the club would turn out to be the her boss. She felt really guilty and ashamed that her past was catching up with her after she had done so well to move on with her life.

"I need money for dad's surgery, I can't just leave like that, god!! What do I do?, s**t!!!!" She pondered in the bathroom, with her hands running through her hair in frustration.

Then a few minutes later, a sense of realization hit her, "wait..I don't think he remembers me...yeah there's no way he would right? I was wearing a mask, there's no way", she repeated as she sighed heavily from relief. Then she made up her mind to always avoid him all cost during her work at the office, she could not risk implicating herself.

Lucas continued going to the club, as there wasn't any positive feedback from his private investigator of her whereabout, he held onto her necklace as the only identity of hers he had.

A month later, Charlotte went for a pregnancy test after the constant morning sickness and dizziness she has been experiencing for the past week and coupled with the fact that she hadn't seen her period. The test results came out, and with fear she said a little prayer in her heart before opening it.

"Shittt!!, My life is ruined", she exclaimed as she glanced through the results that came out positive. Her hands trembled in fear, and goosebumps instantly appeared on her skin,

"I can't do this, I can't keep this, a baby? At this point? I can't", she said softly as she walked through her neighborhood. "I can't risk anyone finding out, especially not Mr Lucas". In desperation to get rid of the pregnancy, she got drugs which she took.

She resumed work two days later, as she could not risk losing her job over her health, she was still in pain but she needed to work to get her pay check. Later that day, she entered the elevator with her cleaning tools to move to the fourth floor to continue cleaning, only for it to stop at the second floor for someone to enter.

She looked up and saw the person was Lucas, fear gripped her, as she looked down avoiding his gaze, "Good afternoon sir" but Lucas didn't care to reply as he was focused on his call. "I need to get out of here", she thought, the sight of him suffocating her.

Few minutes later, she started feeling excruciating pain underneath her abdomen, she tried to shrug it away, trying to stay strong because she did not want to draw Lucas' attention, but the pain became unbearable for her as each minute passes.

She fell slowly to the ground, "Ouch!! my tummy, ahhh!! My tummy" she yelled, groaning in pain holding her tummy.

Lucas was still on a call, but he noticed her on the floor when he turned back after hearing her groan but continued his phone conversation as if nothing happened.

"Please help me, my tummy!!, Ahh!!", Charlotte cried heavily as blood was gushing out of her pants.

Lucas turned around again, and he saw blood , "f**k!!!", He exclaimed in fear as he rushed over to her.

"What's happening, why are you bleeding?" Lucas worriedly asked trying to help her up. Charlotte was already feeling too dizzy to even respond as the pain became unbearable for her.

"Hey!! Hey!!", He called out fearfully tapping her, but she was too weak to respond. Lucas immediately carried her to the other side of the elevator away from the blood. And hurriedly pressed all the buttons on the elevator to take them back to the first floor to get help, then he got his phone from the floor and called for an ambulance.

"Hey!! Are you okay?, we will get to the first floor soon, please hang in there" Lucas said softly tapping her face, avoiding her from falling unconscious.

"My tummy hurts so badly, I don't... think I can make it" Charlotte softly said with her eyes half closed.

Her voice struck him, as he was left trying to place the familiar voice but he couldn't. "Have we met before?".