Chapter 27
1382 Words
Chapter 27
The hum of the office faded into white noise as I pored over the latest financial reports from InnovaTech. I'd been at it for hours, determined to find something – anything – that could give us an edge in the ongoing merger negotiations. But despite my best efforts to focus, my mind kept drifting to the coffee date with Derek scheduled for tomorrow morning.
A burst of laughter from the break room pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced up to see a group of junior associates huddled around the coffee machine, their voices carrying through my open office door.
"Did you hear about Hawthorne's hot date last night?" one of them – Sarah, I think her name was – stage-whispered.
I froze, my hand hovering over the keyboard.
"No way," another voice chimed in. "Hawthorne actually went on a date? I thought he was too busy being a robot lawyer to have a personal life."
Sarah giggled. "Well, apparently his mother set him up with some society girl. Vivian something-or-other. They were spotted at Le Bernardin looking very cozy."
The words hit me like a physical blow. Derek had gone on a date? With some society girl his mother picked out? And to Le Bernardin, of all places – the restaurant where we'd had our first real conversation about the baby, where he'd looked at me with such tenderness it had taken my breath away.
I felt a surge of jealousy, hot and unexpected, rise in my chest. But I quickly tamped it down. I had no right to feel this way. Derek and I weren't together. No one even knew he was the father of my child. To the world, we were just professional rivals, nothing more.
Still, the thought of him with another woman – a society girl, no less – made my stomach churn in a way that had nothing to do with morning sickness.
I shook my head, trying to dislodge the poisonous thoughts. This was ridiculous. I was Sophia Chen, rising star of Zhang & Associates. I didn't have time to worry about Derek Hawthorne's love life. I had a case to win.
With renewed determination, I threw myself back into the financial reports. I would show them all – Derek, his mother, these gossiping associates – that I was more than just another lawyer. I was a force to be reckoned with in my own right.
Hours passed in a blur of numbers and legal jargon. It wasn't until my phone buzzed with a message from Lily that I realized how late it had gotten.
"Hey sis, still on for dinner? I'm starving and there's a bowl of pho with your name on it!"
I glanced at the clock, surprised to see it was well past eight. With a sigh, I started gathering my things. As much as I wanted to keep working, I knew Lily would come drag me out of the office herself if I tried to cancel.
As I made my way to the Vietnamese restaurant where we'd agreed to meet, I couldn't shake the hollow feeling in my chest. The excitement I'd felt about tomorrow's coffee date with Derek had been replaced by a sickening mix of hurt and anger.
Lily was already seated when I arrived, a steaming bowl of pho in front of her. Her face lit up when she saw me, but her smile quickly faded as she took in my expression.
"Uh oh," she said as I slid into the booth across from her. "I know that look. What happened?"
I sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Nothing. Everything. I don't know."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Very enlightening, sis. Come on, spill. Is it the case? The baby? Or is it tall, dark, and legally handsome?"
Despite myself, I felt a small smile tug at my lips. Leave it to Lily to cut right to the heart of the matter. "All of the above?" I offered weakly.
As our food arrived, I found myself pouring out the whole story – the gossip I'd overheard, my conflicted feelings about Derek, the pressure I felt to prove myself at work. Lily listened intently, making sympathetic noises at all the right moments.
"And the worst part," I concluded, stirring my now-cold pho listlessly, "is that I have no right to be upset. Derek and I aren't together. No one even knows he's the father. We're just... I don't know what we are."
Lily reached across the table, squeezing my hand. "Sophia, honey, you have every right to your feelings. Just because you're not officially together doesn't mean it doesn't hurt to hear about him dating someone else."
I shook my head, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. "But that's just it, Lil. I don't want to care. I want to be the cool, professional Sophia who can handle anything. Not this... emotional mess."
"Oh, sweetie," Lily said softly. "Being emotional doesn't make you weak. It makes you human."
I snorted, remembering the gossip about the glamorous Vivian. "Right. I'm sure Derek would love to know how the secret mother of his child is jealous of his society girlfriend."
Lily's eyes narrowed. "Okay, first of all, we don't know that this Vivian is his girlfriend. It was one date, probably set up by his meddling mother. And second, have you actually talked to Derek about any of this?"
I squirmed in my seat, suddenly finding the pattern on the tablecloth fascinating. "Not... exactly. We're supposed to meet for coffee tomorrow morning."
"And let me guess," Lily said, her tone knowing. "You're planning to be all cold and professional, right?"
I felt heat rise to my cheeks. Sometimes I hated how well my sister knew me. "Maybe," I mumbled.
Lily sighed. "Sophia, you can't keep pushing people away because you're scared of getting hurt. Especially not the father of your child."
Her words hit home, but I couldn't bring myself to admit she was right. Instead, I straightened my spine, putting on the mask of professional detachment I'd perfected over years in the courtroom.
"It doesn't matter," I said, my voice clipped. "Derek and I have a professional relationship and a baby to think about. That's all. Whatever I thought might be happening between us... I was clearly mistaken."
Lily looked like she wanted to argue further, but something in my expression must have warned her off. Instead, she just squeezed my hand again. "Okay, sis. If that's how you want to play it. But promise me you'll at least be open to hearing him out tomorrow?"
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. As we finished our meal and said our goodbyes, I couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in my gut. Part of me wanted to cancel the coffee date, to retreat behind the safety of legal briefs and courtroom battles. But a larger part, the part I was trying desperately to ignore, was still holding out hope.
Back in my apartment, I found myself staring at my phone, Derek's contact info illuminated on the screen. My finger hovered over the call button, Lily's encouragement warring with my own fears.
In the end, fear won out. Instead of calling, I typed out a quick message: "See you tomorrow for coffee. Let's keep it brief – I have a busy day ahead."
His response came almost immediately: "Of course. Looking forward to it, Sophia."
I stared at the words, trying to decipher any hidden meaning. Was he really looking forward to it? Or was he just being polite?
As I got ready for bed, I made a silent vow. Tomorrow, I would be the epitome of professional coolness. I would show Derek Hawthorne – and myself – that whatever had happened between us was in the past. We were colleagues, co-parents at most. Nothing more.
But as I drifted off to sleep, one hand resting protectively over my growing bump, I couldn't quite silence the small voice in the back of my mind. The voice that whispered of what might have been, of the future I'd dared to imagine with Derek by my side.
Tomorrow, I told myself firmly. Tomorrow, I would put those dreams to rest once and for all.
Even if it broke my heart in the process.
- Writer
