*Andrea*
I refused to believe what I had just heard. No, Alejandro can’t be moving on from me already. What about our child?
“You should tell him about the baby. Trust me, he wouldn’t leave you alone if he knew about the baby.” Alison advised.
Last night, I thought hard and long before I made my decision. So here I was, in a cab, looking desolate. I stared out of the open window.
My eyes were glued outside. I knew the driver stole glances at me. He must have a lot of questions, like how a young girl could look like this.
I managed to comb my hair, but I knew that was not enough.
As the car sped across the street, I kept clenching and unclenching my hands. Would it have been better to send him a message or call him?
But then, I’ve tried and have been unable to reach him.
Or maybe I should have written a message to him and sent one to his office.
Different thoughts crossed my mind. I didn’t even realize that we were in front of his house until the driver said, “We’re here.” I paid and stepped out of the car.
The car zoomed off. I knocked on the gate. The security man must have seen me. I knew there were cameras here, and he watched over them twenty-four hours a day, so why was he not opening the gate?
I heard footsteps before the opening. Thinking that I was now allowed to step in, I entered without thinking and bumped into a hard shoulder.
I was then pushed back. I raised my head in surprise. This was the same security man who always smiled at me whenever I came, so what was wrong?
“I want to see Alejandro,” I said.
“Sorry, but you aren’t allowed to.” He said.
“What?” I asked. I shook my head. There was no time to ask questions. I would do anything right now to see him.
“I’ll make it brief. Call him or something. Tell him I’m here. He is going to call me in. Just let me see him.” I rambled on and on, trying to get him to let me in, but he didn’t budge.
“Please leave.” He said.
I refused, standing my ground. I resolved not to leave without seeing Alejandro. “I can’t leave; please let me see him.” I attempted to run past him, but he blocked me before I could.
“We’ve been ordered not to allow you in.” He said.
I shook my head, not wanting to believe what I just heard.
Just then, the gate opened, and the security man moved to the side, dragging me along with him.
A black car drove out.
It was Alejandro. I pulled my hand away from the security hold, leaping for the car.
I screamed his name. Tears streaming down my chest. I just needed one moment. I just need to tell him that I’m pregnant. The car didn’t stop, not once.
I don’t know if he saw me or not.
……….
I sat on my bed, staring blankly into space. I couldn’t get myself, not yet. I shook my head, trying to accept the thought that Alejandro and I are truly over and that he may never know about our baby.
If it was just me, I’d have let him go. I won’t go back to disturbing him, never. But my baby will grow up without a father. What if I’m not a good mother?
He would ask for his father one day; what would I say? What if he resents me just like Lucas resents Alejandro?
I hopped up from the bed, fiddling with my fingers. I don’t like the thought of having a child without his father.
“Alejandro probably didn’t see me,” I said.
Maybe if I go see him again and have one conversation with him, he’ll accept us.
I stopped the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes. I stepped into the bathroom and took a quick shower.
I wore a royal blue Collar Pleated Sleeveless Blouse and black skinny jeans. I would meet him at the office.
I hailed a cab and went to the office.
Stepping out of the car, I could barely remember the place. But it was still the same.
A wave of nostalgia hit me as I stepped inside. I wasn’t stopping; after all, I was once Alejandro’s P. A., and I don’t think nobody knew I was fired so soon.
Lesson number one: never date your boss. When you break up, you lose not only your lover but also your job.
I won’t be without a job for long. I trust that I can always find any other job once I set my mind to it.
I used the elevator. My chest tightened as memories of us rushed into my head. I could imagine him kissing me inside this elevator, and one time, it was so intense that we almost had sex.
Another time, we were almost caught. I couldn’t stop the tears this time. I just wiped them off quickly when someone joined me in the elevator.
I wondered who would be his p. a. now that I was gone
My desk was empty. It was when the realization hit me that I didn’t even get the time to clear my things.
I took shaky steps towards the door. My heart is beating loudly in my ear.
My hands trembled as I reached for the door, which was left ajar. I couldn’t bring myself to knock. My hands hung midway.
I sighed and wiped the tears from my eyes. I turned, wanting to leave, but then I couldn’t move my foot.
I inhaled sharply and knocked firmly on the door before pushing it open as per habit of mine.
My eyes widened immediately when I stepped inside.
Alejandro was inside the office with Nora seated on his lap.
Tears blinded my eyes immediately. Both paused whatever they were doing and turned to me.
“Well, I …” I stumbled on my words. My head was suddenly blank, and I struggled to think of something to say; after all, I wasn’t supposed to be here.
“Andrea?” Alejandro called out. His brows furrowed as if this was the last place he wanted me to be.
I turned back, ready to walk out. But then I stopped. I was already here. I might as well have a moment with him.
“I wanted to speak with you.” Nora moved down immediately.
“You have no right to be here. Do you want to spill more lies?” She asked, crossing her hands over her chest.
I ignored her. I wasn’t here for her.
I turned to Alejandro, taking a step forward. “Please, give me a moment.”
“Stay back,” he ordered, his eyes and voice cold. He then called someone, and in just a few seconds, two men stepped in.
“Who let her in?” He asked. Both men stared at themselves in surprise before one of them raised his hand.
“You’re fired.” He said.
My eyes widened. The man was shocked, but he knew it was better not to argue with Alejandro, lest he would never get a job elsewhere.
“Alejandro, please.” But he was deaf to my pleas. Nora stood by the side smiling. My heart crushed into a million pieces seeing Alejandro treat me like shit.
Was his love ever true?
“Don’t ever allow her in. If she comes in or I see her anywhere around this company, you lose your job.” He ordered to the other man.
I knelt, refusing to leave. “Please, Alejandro. Hear me out just once.” I pleaded. He turned his back on me as I was dragged out of the room.
“He did what?” Alison stood, “That bastard, I’ll kill him. Yes, you betrayed him, but that doesn’t give him the right to treat you like that, not when you are pregnant with his child.” She said.
“Well, I…”
“What!” She yelled. I knew it was because she was angry. “I deserve everything he decided to do,” I said.
Alison’s face scrunched up in pain as she sat close to me and picked up my hand, placing it on my stomach. “What about your child? Does this baby deserve this?” She asked.
I closed my eyes, allowing my tears to warm their way down my cheeks.
“I couldn’t tell him about the child,” I said. Maybe I should have screamed it at him or something. I didn’t tell her that I saw Nora there. It seems he has completely moved on from me.
The sight of them together had broken something in me. I wanted to run from them but I couldn’t, I had almost left, but I knew he would not run after me. He has nothing to lose.
But I didn’t want to tell him that way. I wanted to have a civil conversation with him. I believe he would listen to me that way.
I didn’t give up.
I’ll meet him again, and I’ll keep showing up in his life until he agrees to speak to me.
The next day, I got up early.
I won’t be going to his house; I wasn’t allowed in, nor could I go to his office; I would not be allowed in there either.
I bit my thumb, thinking of where to meet him.
I pushed the food on my plate, still thinking. Alison was glad I had woken up early and was seated with her at the dining table after a very long time.
“You should eat something, Andrea.” She said, her voice jolted me out of my thoughts.
After breakfast, a thought hit me.
I still have his schedule. I could meet him outside.
Alejandro would be having lunch with one of his investors in a seven-star restaurant. I got dressed and headed towards that restaurant.
I wanted to meet him before he stepped inside. I stood a few feet away from the entrance.
When I saw his car, I was quick to move towards him.
He completely ignored me, not giving me any chance to interact with him.
I shook my head sadly as I watched him step into the restaurant. I would wait for him.
So, I stood out there until he was done.
When I saw him walking out, I stepped in front of him. “Just five minutes. Please, Alejandro,” I pleaded, tears streaming down my cheeks.
The new p. a. attempted to drag me away, but many people were already looking our way, so Alejandro stopped him.
“Fine. Five minutes.” He said and led me to somewhere quiet.
“What is it you’ve been dying to say to Andrea?” He emphasizes the name. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“I am so sorry, Alejandro. Believe me, I had no intention of ever making, I mean… telling lies or anything. I didn’t…”
“If that’s what you want to say, then it’s fine you can leave. I don’t want to hear it.” He said.
I held him by his arm, stopping him from leaving, “what about all your promises? You said we’d go through any storm together. Please, Alejandro.” I pleaded.
“I didn’t think a smart girl like you would think I was serious.”
“But we had so much fun together. Are you going to…”
“We had so much fun together, and so? I’m glad that at least you didn’t get pregnant, ’cause if you had gotten pregnant, you’d have had to abort it.” My hold around his arm slowly reduced.
“Abort?”
“You heard me right.” He said.
“Don’t ever appear in front of me again, or else I’ll involve the police for using a fake name to get a job at my company,” he said, and I watched him leave.
I still couldn’t forget that day.
My world had shattered completely. As I stared outside the cab heading for the airport, I resolved to never return.
It was clear Alejandro didn’t want my child, so I’d go far away from him and raise this child myself.
I decided to distract myself from thoughts of him by scrolling the Internet.
One particular post caught my attention: “Alejandro Costa, CEO of Costa Enterprise, remarried Nora Jones.”
Alison grabbed my phone immediately and switched it off.
“No more. He doesn’t exist for you anymore.” She said.
I nodded, allowing tears to flow down my eyes.
This was the last time. Just one last time. I would never cry about him ever again.
I am putting him behind me.
For good.