Caitlin stood by her apartment’s open window, staring blankly at the sky. The chill of the wind made her shiver, but she was too afraid to look at the test result in her hand. She covered it with both palms, her posture now resembling someone deep in prayer.
“Please, let this just be exhaustion from work. I don’t know what to do if I’m pregnant and alone,” she whispered, trying to convince herself.
Drrtt... drrtt... drrtt...
The phone in her pocket vibrated, jolting her. Startled, she accidentally dropped the test kit—watching it disappear down the side of the building. Oddly enough, a wave of relief washed over her. Now she wouldn’t have to face the truth, whether it was positive or negative. Just one night together and she might be pregnant. It would be a dream come true for a married couple trying to conceive. But for Caitlin and Daniel—a one-sided love—he would never love her.
“Hello, Dan,” Caitlin answered.
“Cat? What’s wrong? You sound weird. Did you just see a ghost?” Daniel asked.
Caitlin gripped her hair with one hand and bit her lip, frustration building at the sound of his voice. She was on the verge of telling him she’d just lost her pregnancy test—terrified that she might have to carry the consequences of that night alone. Terrified he’d get angry and ask her to get rid of the baby.
“It’s nothing. You startled me… I was sleeping,” Caitlin lied.
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine.”
If Daniel were here, he’d surely know she was lying. But wherever he was, Caitlin missed him. And yet, she was scared of pushing him away. She leaned against the wall, glancing down—there was no sign of the test anywhere.
“Why did you call?” she asked.
“I just wanted to tell you I’ll be away for a while—some business came up. I won’t be able to see you. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Dan. We haven’t seen each other in nearly a month. I don’t have the money to pay you anyway.”
Should she tell him? About the possibility that she might be pregnant? Would he accept the baby? He didn’t seem like someone who wanted to be tied down. And even keeping the baby didn’t guarantee happiness. Every option felt impossible. Her tears began to fall.
She longed to ask him—like lovers do. Where are you going? What business? When will you be back? Could she say she missed him? That she wanted him here, to hold her and promise everything would be okay? But all those thoughts stayed locked in her head. Not a single word escaped her lips.
“I’m sorry,” Daniel said.
Caitlin pulled the phone away from her ear for a moment, struggling not to sound like she was crying. Then, she brought it back and simply said, “Okay.”
“I’ll hang up now.”
When the call ended, Caitlin finally let herself cry. She wouldn’t see him again. That much was clear. All their time together—maybe for him it had all just been about the money. She had read too much into his kindness. Her chest ached from the thought.
How was she going to face this baby? Deep down, she already knew—without the test—that something was growing inside her. Her body had started to change. In the end, Caitlin cried herself to sleep, regretting the night she’d given in. She should have said no, no matter how much she wanted him.
***
The next morning at work, Caitlin was too lost in her own thoughts to notice the strange looks from coworkers. In the elevator, she heard whispers—but she didn’t care. She was here to work, not to get caught up in office gossip. At her desk, Joana rolled her chair close and leaned in to whisper something that left Caitlin stunned.
“Any idea who started the rumor?” Joana said, pulling away.
Caitlin opened the company website. The anonymous forum always had the latest gossip. She’d lost count of how many employees had been fired after affairs with other coworkers came to light. The company was strict about maintaining its image. Any misconduct meant immediate dismissal.
She found one thread with hundreds of thousands of views. Someone had posted a rumor about Caitlin being pregnant by a gigolo. Exhibit A: a photo of her buying a pregnancy test in secret. Exhibit B: a photo of her positive test—two pink lines. Caitlin blinked, confused. She had dropped the test, sure—but she hadn’t thought anyone would be shameless enough to pick it up. Someone had clearly been following her.
“What the hell?” she whispered.
The post went on to claim that the father was a man named Daniel—a gigolo. There were even photos of them together at a café and of him turning into her apartment building. Caitlin was furious. Who had the audacity to expose all this?
And yet… she couldn’t deny it. She was pregnant with Daniel’s child. But was he really a gigolo? That question haunted her more than anything. It made her feel worthless—like he could sleep with anyone, and she’d been nothing special.
Ariana approached her desk and laughed mockingly. “The news is everywhere. You’re getting fired for sure.”
Caitlin stayed silent. No point yelling at a woman like Ariana. Soon after, her boss arrived and asked her to come to his office. Caitlin followed without protest. She knew this was it. Inside, she had no defense. She signed the voluntary termination papers quietly.
“At least you’ll get severance pay. That should help while you find another job,” her boss said.
Caitlin signed and walked out with her head down. She grabbed her bag and left—though she’d barely even arrived. Where was justice in all this? How had her relationship with Daniel been leaked? Did he know?
Dark thoughts crept in. What if Daniel had exposed her on purpose—for money? Had their time together meant nothing to him? Was he the kind of man who calculated every move for profit? Could he have teamed up with Ariana?
“Ugh, I don’t know anymore,” she said weakly, hailing a cab.
Caitlin returned to her apartment and cried—again. She hadn’t even fully come to terms with her pregnancy, and now this. Where was Daniel when she needed him? Why did it feel like he had completely abandoned her?
“What am I supposed to do now?” she whispered, breathless. She grabbed a tissue blindly and collapsed to the floor beside her bed.