The Worst Friend
1145 Words
"Knock. Knock. Knock."
"Excuse me, Mrs. Soraya. I'm Dave, Mr. Alan's secretary," Dave called from behind the door.
"Yes, come in," Soraya replied, slipping the brown envelope into her desk drawer.
"Mr. Horison and Mrs. Vior are waiting for you in the lobby, ma'am," Dave said politely.
"I almost forgot about my dinner appointment with my father and mother-in-law. All right, I'll head down right away."
Soraya grabbed her handbag and hurried out.
Dave escorted her to the lobby before returning to Alan's office. Following Alan's instructions, he exchanged Emily's contract envelope with a fake one.
"Done."
Dave let out a relieved sigh after swapping the two contracts.
Who is Emily? Why did Mr. Alan sound so panicked on the phone? He was terrified these contracts would get mixed up. What's inside them? They look exactly the same from the outside.
Soraya enjoyed dinner at her favorite restaurant, a bright smile on her face. Her father and mother-in-law treated her with nothing but warmth.
"Soraya, do you and Alan already know the baby's gender?" Mrs. Vior asked.
"The baby's gender?"
Soraya blinked in surprise.
"Not yet, Mom. Our baby is still a little shy. Every time we have an ultrasound, the baby hides."
She gently rubbed her stomach.
"Your belly is still very slim for someone who's four months pregnant," Mrs. Vior observed.
"Yes, Mom. Maybe it's because I still exercise regularly and watch what I eat."
"I can't wait to see your belly grow bigger. That will mean our grandchild is almost here. Your father and I want to come with you to your next doctor's appointment. When is it?"
"About two weeks from now, Mom. I'll let you know. This baby is so lucky to be loved so much, even before being born."
Soraya smiled, her voice filled with emotion.
**
"Sir, dinner is ready. I made your favorite tomato soup."
Emily gently guided Alan toward the dining table.
Alan walked slowly, his cane in his left hand. Simply having Emily beside him filled him with quiet happiness.
Emily focused entirely on helping him walk and nearly bumped her pregnant belly into the corner of the table.
"Watch out!"
Alan instinctively pulled her into his arms.
Emily gasped.
"Emily, you have to watch where you're going. Your stomach almost hit the edge of the table."
His face was full of concern.
"How did you know?" Emily asked, staring at him in confusion.
"I know every corner of this house, Emily. The important thing is that you have to be careful. Our child is growing inside you."
Alan gently took her hand.
Emily blushed at his gentle scolding before guiding him to his chair.
Alan lowered himself onto the chair.
"Now, open your mouth. Guide the spoon in my hand so it reaches your mouth."
"You're going to feed me?" Emily asked.
"Of course, Emily. Our baby will enjoy eating if I feed the baby's mother. Now, open up."
Emily accepted the bite and finished it before feeding Alan in return.
The two of them continued eating, taking turns feeding each other while sharing lighthearted jokes that soon had them laughing together.
"Well, someone seems to be having a wonderful time. What's so funny? I could hear your laughter all the way from the front yard."
Soraya's voice interrupted them.
"Sister Soraya, you're home?" Emily asked instead of answering her question.
"Emily, I'd like you to change the way you address me. From now on, call me Mrs. Soraya."
"Yes, ma'am."
"When you're finished eating, clean up the dishes and the leftovers. I'll raise your salary since you've been taking care of my husband."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Emily cleared the table and washed the dirty dishes in the sink.
"Why are you treating Emily like she's a maid?" Alan protested.
"Honey, why do you look so upset? I only did this because your parents were worried about you. They asked who stays with you while I'm at work. So I told them you're home with Emily, the housemaid. Don't worry, all the heavy housework is handled by a cleaning service. I'm not cruel enough to make Emily do everything."
"Weren't we supposed to introduce Emily as a cousin whose husband is away working at sea?" Alan asked.
"What's the difference? To me, it's exactly the same. Whether she's a maid or a cousin, she's still a stranger living in this house. Now I want to take a shower and get some rest. Don't argue with me."
Soraya spoke sharply.
"Emily, once you're done in the kitchen, please take Mr. Alan upstairs."
"Yes, ma'am."
Alan watched Emily's innocent face from across the room.
How can she stay so calm? She's not angry at all about the way Soraya treated her.
Ten quiet minutes passed.
The only sound filling the room was the steady splash of water from the sink.
"Sir, let me help you back to your room."
"Wait a moment, Emily. I want to talk to you."
Alan gently caught her hand.
Emily sat down in the chair beside him.
"Go ahead, sir. I'm right here beside you."
"I want to apologize for my wife's behavior," Alan said.
"What are you apologizing for, sir? There's nothing to apologize for. I'm perfectly fine."
Emily smiled warmly.
How can Emily still smile so warmly after being humiliated by Soraya?
Emily carefully escorted Alan back to his bedroom.
"Sir. Ma'am. I'll excuse myself now," she said before turning to leave.
"Emily. Sit over there."
Soraya pointed toward the vanity beside the bed.
Emily quietly obeyed.
"Emily, tell me how you've been feeling during this stage of your pregnancy."
Soraya sat on the edge of the bed and affectionately leaned against Alan's shoulder.
"My belly has started getting bigger. I can already feel the baby moving. Sometimes I get cramps whenever I'm too tired."
Emily smiled happily as she spoke.
"Starting tomorrow, you're not doing any more housework. I'll hire a maid," Alan protested.
"Honey, you know I don't like having strangers in this house. Why have you suddenly become so protective of Emily? I'm getting jealous."
Soraya pouted.
Emily lowered her head, feeling uncomfortable after hearing Soraya's complaint.
"Our child is growing inside Emily's womb. How could I stand by and watch her struggle? I'll hire a maid who doesn't live here. You won't even have to see her."
"Fine. Do whatever you want."
"Emily, when is your next prenatal checkup? I'll arrange the schedule because my in-laws want to see how their grandchild is doing."
"What do you mean? How are we supposed to pull that off?"
Alan stared at her in disbelief.
"I already talked to Tyson. He'll take care of everything. Your parents are starting to get suspicious because my stomach is still flat. That's why I bought this fake silicone pregnancy belly."
Soraya confidently fastened the silicone belly around her waist.
**
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- Writer
