Chapter 4 He's Cruel

• Two months had gone by, and Caramel was convinced that nothing could scare her more than her father. But every time she recalled what had transpired in that room, shivers ran down her spine. Just when she thought she could move past it, another issue arose.
• She refused to dwell on what had occurred between her and Thiago. Everything felt surreal to her. She couldn't comprehend it, but she was truly lost in him that day. But how?
• "You're pregnant!"
• Rose's voice broke the silence.
• Caramel let out a sigh as she gazed at the test result. "I..."
• "How did this happen?" Rose's confusion and curiosity were evident on her face.
• "I had sex with a stranger."
• "What? Who?" Rose's voice reverberated in the room. She hurried to Caramel's office as soon as she saw the result.
• Caramel pursed her lips and locked eyes with Rose. "Like I said, it was a stranger."
• Rose scoffed, clearly unconvinced. "Are you joking, Cara? You're the last person I would expect to have sex with a stranger. You don't even have a boyfriend. Well," she shrugged, "you have a fiancé. But that's beside the point. How and why did you end up with a stranger? Did it hurt? Did you enjoy it? Was it your first—" she stopped when Caramel raised her hand, signaling her to stop.
• "I know. I was foolish, and you may not believe it, but it's already done."
• Rose stood up, arms crossed. "You're not leaving my office until you tell me about that man."
• Caramel gave up. What Rose wants, she gets. She knows she shouldn't lie to her. Among her four friends, Rose is the closest one to her. They even know every part of their body. They even memorize every mole they have. That's how deep their friendship is. However, she never calls themselves 'best friends'.
• Caramel took a deep breath and exhaled some heaviness in her chest. "It was Thiago."
• Rose's eyes widened. "Wait—what? Are you sure? You said it was a stra—" She paused when she saw how she glared at her. "Fine. I get it. But seriously. It was Thiago, as in Thiago Scott? The famous ruthless CEO?"
• Caramel nodded.
• Rose touched her forehead as she sat on her chair and stared at her. Silence filled in inside for a minute as if she was processing it all. She shook her head grabbed the pregnancy test on her table, and stared at it.
• "This means he's the father?"
• She let out a soft chuckle. "What do you think?"
• Rose didn't look at her; still, her attention was on the kit. "But how? Yes, I know you had s*x. However, how did you two end up in that situation?"
• Caramel sighed once again. "You wouldn't believe it. You might laugh about it too, but things really went fast, and that's not the only thing that had happened."
• Rose finally turned her gaze on her. "What do you mean."
• She bit her lower lip as she remembered what had happened after. She was sure she had fallen asleep for a while, and when she woke up, someone wanted to kill Thiago.
• "I saw a man. I knew it was a man. But he's all wearing black and has a cover on his face. One thing I was sure of: he wants to kill Thiago."
• Rose frowned. "But why? And how—"
• "I don't want to think about it anymore. Thiago was known as the heartless, cruelest man in town. Rumors said he already killed many. However, that night, I… I saved him, and after that, when I rushed towards the bathroom to get changed and got out, they were gone."
• "Don't you think this is bad? You already got associated with Thiago. What if," she bit her thumb, "what if he will get back to you? Thiago and that man? Remember, you witnessed it."
• Caramel thought about that, but two months passed, and no one bothered her.
• "I don't think so. I don't see any suspicious things that go around me. I still go home late at night sometimes, and I still feel safe. But suddenly, seeing this result," she grabbed the kit in Rose's hand and stared at it, "I feel a little bit scared."
• "What if Thiago finds out? What will you do, Cara?"
• Caramel shook her head and put down the white kit. "I don't know. I didn't think of that. Maybe that clash we had that night is just nothing to him. I don't even care at all. But what I fear the most is that what if my father finds out?"
• Rose nodded. "I agree. You are engaged also. And you knew Drake's mother is a celebrity. What if the media will have a scoop on this? What's your plan?"
• She didn't reply and thought of it for a while. She knew this would bring shame to her father. And she fears that he might think of a cruel thing to get rid of her pregnancy. In a few months, she will get married to Drake. But how can she really escape this?
• "Are you brave enough to admit that you had s*x with a stranger in front of your father?"
• That question hit her chest, making her heartbeat go swiftly.
• "I don't know…" she whispered.
• Rose stretched her hand and held hers. "Whatever might happen, I am always here, Cara. If you need help, you can count on me."
• Caramel doesn't know, but suddenly, tears start to form in her eyes. "Ro… I thought I could handle this, but I don't want to get rid of my pregnancy. I am not a murderer. What if… Dad will make me abort—"
• "Shh… he won't. Don't think negatively. Remember, you're pregnant. It might affect the baby. How about this: I will help you tell this to your father, and we'll decide what to do based on his reaction?"
• She shook her head. "I can't. I'm scared."
• "Listen, Cara. Don't you think this is the best solution to get rid of your arranged marriage? If Drake finds out, he might back out."
• "N-No… you don't understand. My father is consistent enough in merging the Meyers and Carters. It is the business which is more important than me."
• Rose arched her left brow and let go of her hand. "But Drake agreed."
• "It's pure business, Ro. There's no like or love involved."