“He’s on a call,” I mouthed.
She nodded and turned back to her typing, fingers flying across the keyboard.
I couldn’t help but overhear Anton’s words, drawing my attention back to his office. “Johan, I don’t know what to do.”
Johan—his brother. My ears pricked at his brother's name. Could this be about their father’s health? My heart clenched, and curiosity rooted me to the spot.
“What? Getting back with Reeva?”
I took a step away from the door as my heart stopped. This was an entirely different scenario than the one I had imagined. A warning inside urged me to turn and leave, to return to my desk and pretend I’d heard nothing. But my feet wouldn’t move; I was glued to the spot by curiosity. A part of me wanted to understandwhy he was talking about getting back with his ex-girlfriend with his brother—someone he’d only briefly mentioned before.
“Yes...her pregnancy...”
Pregnant? With Reeva?
Suddenly, my ear buzzed, louder and louder. My lungs constricted, and no matter how hard I tried to breathe, it felt like a desperate struggle to get to the surface of an ice-cold river, always just out of reach.
This had to be a misunderstanding. I must have heard wrong.
“She already had a paternity test done. I don’t know how any of this is possible-”
I stepped back, I pivoted and walked away. “I'll come back later,” I murmured to Olivia as I hurried past her.
Lost in a daze, I didn’t even realize I had pushed the elevator button until a louddingand the opening doors snapped me back to reality.
Thankfully, I was alone for the elevator ride. With each passing floor flickering across the lighted display, my heart sank further, settling somewhere near my feet.
I felt utterly hollow inside.
Anton’s ex was pregnant, the paternity test was out—so the child was his, his brother suggested he get back with her...wasn’t that the normal course of things? After all he was the oldest of the Waltons brothers and pushing mid-thirties.
Tears welled up as I stared blankly ahead, the numbers on the elevator panel blurring together. My face and throat burned. My chest ached with each heartbeat.
The elevator dinged as it reached my floor, bringing me out of my daze with the harshness of cold reality. I was still at work and needed to maintain my professionalism. Wiping away my tears, I was determined not to let anyone see me like this. I walked briskly to my desk, avoiding my colleagues’ gazes.
However, tears threatened again as the same haunting thoughts echoed in my mind:Anton’s ex is pregnant, and he might get back with her.
I kept my head down, reached my desk, and sank into my chair. Time blurred as I stared at the computer screen, unsure whether minutes or hours had passed.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Startled, I looked up, blinking a few times before the person standing in front of me finally registered.
It was Winnie. She was one of the women who had confronted me in the bathroom during my first week here. All her accusations flashed through my mind then. Ironically, she and her friend had pegged me correctly—if not then, certainly now—as a woman involved with my boss.
A sob welled up at that thought, but I forced it down and nodded. “I'm fine.”
It was obvious she wasn’t convinced by the skeptical look she gave. “Alright then, this is your badge.” She thrusted it my way. “I found it by the elevator.”
I took it. “Oh thanks. I must have dropped it this morning.”
She nodded and walked away.
Overwhelmed by emotions, I realized I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t remain at this desk, pretending my heart wasn’t shattering into a million pieces. I knew there were risks in dating Anton, but something like this never crossed my mind. I thought I was guarding my heart, that I would date-smart and not get too attached. Now, I had to face the consequences.
After believing that Anton and I could be something more than just colleagues, imagining him reunited with his ex was unbearable. I couldn’t see myself continuing to work here. The thought of encountering him on these premises made staying impossible.
Driven by these thoughts, I quickly packed all my belongings into my oversized handbag, leaving all the case files behind. As I passed by other desks, I hoped my colleagues assumed I was taking a quick break, not realizing I was walking out on my job after just over two months.
