[3] a

"Anya, aren't you eating?" Naomi asked, looking puzzled, I suppose. My best friend seemed to be helping Dona destroy my kitchen.

Speaking of the two of them, don't forget about Dona, who now ruled my kitchen as if she owned it. They dropped by after work, uninvited. I didn't want to entertain any visitors, but what could I say when they were already in the lobby asking to be picked up.

"Later," I replied lazily. I preferred to sit back as I was still tired. Plus, I suddenly felt annoyed. I quickly opened my bag and took out the paper with Cedric's name on it. That darn guy!

I crumpled the paper and immediately threw it into the trash can near the TV. "Damn it!"

"Why are you upset?" Dona asked, approaching me with a plate of freshly fried potatoes. The hot aroma still wafted, indicating that they had just been taken out of the frying pan. "I'm really hungry. Anya didn't want to get food first. She said she was afraid you'd faint."

I rolled my eyes irritably. "Both of you are so annoying." I grabbed the fries without bothering to wash my hands. As a result, Dona patted my hand's back lightly, giving me a look of disdain. With a hiss like a snake, she told me to wash my hands.

Seriously, I felt too tired to move. Maybe I was just too exhausted, which made me like this.

"You were cursing someone earlier," Naomi said, sitting beside me. She placed a tray with three cups of cold juice that looked refreshing. Before I could even think about grabbing one, Dona was still giving me a cynical look.

"Anya, don't be gross! Wash your hands!"

I pouted afterward.

"How was your day?" Between the two of them, Naomi was the one who cared most about my life. She always acted as an older sister to me, as well as a pal to her jerk friend, Dona. Questions like this sometimes made me feel like I wasn't so alone.

"Just normal, you know how Queen Krystal is."

Naomi nodded in agreement.

"I met Cedric earlier," Dona said while munching on the tomato sauce-covered fries. She was the number one fan of tomato sauce. Since they both often dropped by here, I always had enough stock of that sauce. No matter what kind of food, Dona would always dip it in tomato sauce. I was amazed, a guy who likes tomato sauce?

I slowed down my juice intake.

"We work in the same office, so it's normal to meet. If suddenly you don't meet Cedric, that's what's suspicious. Unless he suddenly resigns because he was told you're pregnant, Anya."

Dona burst into laughter. "I agree with you, Nao."

"It doesn't matter if he resigns. It has nothing to do with me," I retorted. And it was true, right? What did I care? Nothing. All day, I only thought about what was in my belly. Not Cedric. He didn't even have the intention to tell me he was pregnant, let alone anything else. So, what fundamental reason did I have to think about him?

None.

Suddenly, a sofa cushion landed perfectly on my shoulder, almost hitting the side of my head. Oh, my goodness! Naomi!!!

"How long are you going to delay, Anya?"

I sighed softly as I put the cushion back in its place. "I didn't intend to tell him."

Dona choked on the fries, probably because she quickly grabbed her glass and greedily gulped down its contents. "Don't be crazy! Your child needs a clear status, and a clear father, Anya!"

"Dona is right. Don't be selfish," Naomi added.

"What should I hope for? Is he going to take responsibility? If he does, can he balance my life right now? Cedric is just an office boy, you know?"

"Are you crazy!" Dona half-shouted. "You haven't even talked to Cedric yet, and you're already underestimating him."

"Not like that, Don. Well, I'm just being realistic. In terms of salary, I'm clearly different from him, right?"

Dona went silent.

"In terms of position, okay, I'm just an ordinary employee compared to Queen Krystal. But at least my position is decent. And now, my position is threatened because of the pregnancy. If I get fired, is Cedric going to take responsibility for him as an OB? Is that it?" I said with frustration. I didn't care how my words reverberated perfectly in my apartment.

Dona looked at me, not with an emotional gaze but with a look of concern. Maybe she was already thinking, what about me now? The one facing it directly? Okay, this is my fault. But that doesn't mean I'm no longer thinking of finding a way out, right?

Naomi seemed to be stressed as well. The proof was that she kept sighing, rubbing her nose. "So what are you going to do now, Anya?"

***

I didn't know what to do this morning. I woke up too early; I usually wake up at five, but this time, my eyes refused to close even though it was only four. When I sipped the warm tea, it led me straight to the toilet. I sat there silently, trying to calm down my upset stomach.

The feeling? Not good at all! Even the thick and bitter liquid felt uncomfortable in my throat. Oh God! I had no idea why this was happening! I couldn't even manage to get up and wash my face. But I couldn't stay like this, right? With whatever energy was left, I left the toilet. My goal was to reach my phone. At least, I needed to inform Naomi or Dona. Fortunately, they could stop by first, and I could catch a ride with them. There was no way I could drive in this condition. I still valued my life.

My phone's digital clock showed six in the morning. That meant I had spent almost an hour in there, getting rid of everything inside me. No traces remained, I believed. No wonder I felt so weak and powerless.

Anya P: Naomi, can you drop by? I'm vomiting.

After managing to send that message, I decided to close my eyes for a moment. I tried to normalize the uneasy feeling and the urge to vomit again. The vibration of my phone interrupted me.

Naomi: On the way.

At least, among the many things that made me feel alone, I still had Naomi. Maybe Dona too.

***

I forced myself to work, ignoring Naomi's nagging all the way to the office. Well, I felt much better now, even though I hadn't taken a shower. Trust me; I didn't smell bad. I just wiped my body with warm water, no shampoo. It's okay for just today. Usually, I'm diligent in grooming my long hair.

"If you faint, don't ask for my help!" Naomi said fiercely as we arrived in the basement. Naomi's floor was different from mine, although we still worked for the same company. She was on the 21st floor, while I was on the executive floor, the 22nd floor. On the 21st floor, it was more about the central operations like finance, HR, and finance.

I just smiled without guilt. Well, since she arrived, I felt a little better, even though I was showered with suspicious looks. She said I was pretending to be healthy just to work. I shook my head in wonder at her thoughts.

As we walked around the lobby, someone patted my shoulder. When I turned, I found an oriental-looking man with maybe his best smile?

"I sent you a message last night. No response," he said as he walked beside me. Oh, I remembered. My phone was indeed demanding my attention last night, but I fell asleep quickly because I was tired. So, I chose to sleep right away instead of replying.

"Sorry, Vin. I fell asleep."

He just shrugged. "Dinner next weekend?"

I slowed down my steps, glancing at Naomi, who seemed indifferent. She continued walking as usual, probably not realizing that I was already far behind.

"I don't know if I have any plans next weekend," I replied to Kelvin. He was the IT manager in my office. As Dona said, if I might be pregnant with Kelvin's child, he still understood. Considering how often he approached me. However, I often gave signals that I wasn't interested at all.

Seriously.

I don't know why I felt uncomfortable every time I was close to this man. He looked good and had a decent position. I guess he could genuinely love someone. But still, I couldn't feel any romantic vibes. Sounds cheesy, right?

"I'll wait for your update, okay, Anya?" He stopped walking just like me. Waiting right in front of the elevator. I glanced around slowly so that it didn't look like Kelvin left me alone.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Naomi asked.

I let out a relieved sigh. I thought I was alone with Kelvin. "I don't know yet."

"You have to eat, Anya. Remember, you're not feeling well."

"Are you sick? If you're sick, why did you come to work?" Kelvin asked, his voice sounding slightly panicked. "No wonder you look pale."