Chapter 4

• A week passed after I met with Lucas, but there was no sign that the man would call me again, and I still had yet to receive the million dollars. I exhaled, folded my arms on my desk, and rested my head. I’ve been feeling unwell a lot lately, even nauseous and weak. I should go to Daniel’s doctor to check my health.
• “Nat?! Are you okay? You look pale,” scolded Emma, whose desk was beside my left.
• “I’m just tired,” I replied. For the last three days, I’ve been working overtime on some financial reports for three permanent employees. The fate of being an intern like me was that the salary needed to be higher and had a contract period. Often utilized by permanent employees for their tasks. However, I didn’t just want to be used by those who wanted to use my services to do their work; I set a rate for my work.
• “Who else asked you to work overtime this time?” asked Emma, her face holding back her annoyance. I smiled and yawned briefly.
• “What matters is that they pay me,” I said and closed my eyes momentarily.
• “Natalia!”
• I gasped at the sound of someone calling my name. I quickly stood up and saw Mr. Robinson approaching me with a look of anger.
• Oh my God, what now?!
• “Come to my room, I have something important to discuss with you.”
• I followed Mr. Robinson to his office, and when I got there, I was surprised to see three regular employees and my senior sitting on the sofa with their faces down. I sat down on the single sofa and tried to think positively.
• “Are you trying to do business in a business here?” asked Mr. Robinson, who took turns looking at all of us. I lowered my gaze.
• “Answer me!” he snapped, making us all shrink in fear.
• “My son is in the hospital, that’s why I asked Natalia to do my report, sir,” said Mrs. Gaby, a widow with two children. Mr. Robinson let out a long breath. He could accept her excuse, and indeed, she wasn’t lying.
• “You two, what’s your excuse?” Mr. Robinson pointed to the two men I deliberately wanted to report to our superiors. The two of them had repeatedly used my services to help them complete several reports, but they had never paid me back. Instead, they threatened to report me to the police as a case of extortion. Still, I wasn’t about to give in because when they threatened me, I recorded our conversation.
• However, I chose to report the two first to Mr. Robinson. I had to let us all be exposed.
• “You three, get out, for Mrs. Gaby I’ll give you a waiver this time and for you two, redo the report and give it to me today.”
• I was about to leave, but Mr. Robinson stopped me with his words.
• “Not with you, Natalia, I want to ask for your explanation.”
• After everyone left, Mr. Robinson sat back down where he had been.
• “Explain what you’re trying to do here, Natalia? This isn’t the first time I’ve heard and encountered reports like this.”
• There was nothing I could do but look down and feel ashamed and sorry, but the other side of me trying to survive didn’t want to be seen regretting anything.
• “I’m sorry for all the reports you received, but I did that because there were many senior and permanent employees who abused my ability to not take responsibility for their work. Because I didn’t want to feel taken advantage of, I asked for payment for that service, sir.”
• After explaining that, I looked at Mr. Robinson from behind my lashes. The half-century man exhaled.
• “I don’t know what difficulties you’re going through, but if you continue to do that you’ll be the one at a disadvantage, even if they pay you. I as your superior will take action on this matter. From now on, anyone who does things like you did and who is involved, I will sanction them, if necessary I will immediately send their names to be expelled.”
• Hearing Robinson says that my heart seemed to want to melt, I realized that losing your job is the same as losing half of your life.
• “Yes, sir, I understand. Thank you for your understanding,” I said with great gratitude. After leaving Mr. Robinson’s room, I exhaled. It was as if my lungs had shrunk inside. I took permission to go home half an hour before work; I couldn’t stand my condition. That seemed to want to make me faint at this very moment.
• I went to the hospital where my mother was being treated and saw Doctor Daniel. However, since Doctor Daniel was in the middle of an operation, I decided to see another doctor at this hospital.
• “Any other symptoms you’re experiencing, Miss Alexandra?” doctor Carla asked after I explained my condition in detail.
• “None,” I replied shortly.
• “When was the last time you had your period?”
• The question made me pause for a moment. I grabbed my phone from my bag and checked my monthly calendar. My eyes widened in surprise.
• “Miss Alexandra?”
• I lifted my face to look at Doctor Carla.
• “I’m one week late from my usual date,” I replied with a pounding heart.
• Oh, no! Not as I thought, not as I thought. Please.
• “You’d better go to the gynecologist to make sure, Miss Alexandra, good luck.”
• Doctor Carla smiled before I excused myself from her room. With unsteady steps, I headed to the gynecologist’s room. My heart felt like it would explode because I was so anxious about this. The doctor’s assistant immediately let me in because no patients were waiting in line.
• The doctor gave me a pregnancy test kit and told me to go to the restroom in this room. I bit my lower lip on the inside, knowing the result was what I expected and feared. When I came out and sat back down in front of Doctor Amelia, I handed her the pregnancy test and said, “It’s positive.”
• “Well then, congratulations, Mrs. Alexandra. From now on, you must take care of your diet and lifestyle. If you are working, please don’t get tired. Come back next week for another check-up,” explained Doctor Amelia, to which I only responded with a weak smile. My body felt frail; my bones seemed to have turned to jelly. This fact made me feel like a heavy burden had fallen on me.
• Exiting Amelia’s doctor’s office, I clutched the doctor’s note with the prescription for the vitamins I needed to buy at the pharmacy. I moved from the door to the bench on the right side and sat there. I stare at the note in my hand without blinking. My mind went blank for a moment.
• I’m surprised when someone takes the note in my hand away. I raise my face to protest, but when I see Lucas standing right before me, I can only stare at him with a wide-eyed stare. Right now, it’s as if the air around me is thinning.
• “M-Mr. Cassano? What the-“
• “Come, come with me. You can explain everything to me later,” Lucas said with a coaxing intonation. I had no choice but to comply. He accompanied me to the pharmacy, and I followed him to his car.