PREGNANT AFTER ONE NIGHT STAND

“Anya is so clueless, it’s like she’s on cloud nine. It’s so annoying! Can I yank her hair? I mean, can you do that to a pregnant woman?” Dona said, barely finishing her sentence before Naomi landed a heavy punch on her head.

“Dammit, Naomi!”

“Don’t be so rude! Geez! Do you want your foul language to reach the baby?!” Naomi scolded.

Dona then gently, albeit grudgingly, caressed my belly. “I’m sorry, Aunt Dona, okay? Your mommy can be a bit… difficult. She needs to be straightened out. Let’s just be mad at Aunt Naomi instead. She’s the harsh one, too aggressive.”

Naomi sneered while I immediately moved Dona’s hand away from my belly, although she got a sharp flick from me. “Hurry up! You wanted to tell a story, right? I’m getting sleepy!” I said impatiently.

Instead of sleeping, we ended up having a long pillow talk, something we hadn’t done in ages. After leaving Cedric’s grand house, they arrived not long after. I was sure Cedric must have messaged them about my return, as their timing was too perfect. Who else but Cedric annoyingly thoughtful like that? And he chose to stay away, knowing I was ignoring him ever since we got back into the car to go back to the apartment.

However, I could still hear him say, “Stay with Anya for now, and if anything happens, message me immediately.”

They obeyed him like he was their boss. It irritated me so much to know that it was indeed true. I didn’t respond to any of his words, sweet nothings, his coaxing, not even when he wanted to touch my belly, something he had done often lately. I brushed him off. No way!

He made a mistake, and I had every right to be angry.

“Can you calm down? If you can’t, I’m out. When you’re angry, you can’t think logically,” Naomi said.

I pouted. “Now you both should think about why I’m so angry. You’re both my best friends. Do I take this friendship more seriously than you do?”

“Why are you saying that?” Naomi asked, sounding displeased. I should be the one sounding like that.

“If you consider me your friend, you should have told me what was going on. At least I could have analyzed it and not be shocked by everything that happened today.”

Naomi seemed like she wanted to argue but stopped. Instead, she moved closer to me and gently rubbed my shoulder. “Cedric himself asked about this, Anya. He wanted to tell you directly without us telling you first.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“We didn’t refuse. We’re angry at Cedric too. Why didn’t he be honest with the three of us, especially you? We warned him that you would be angry and disappointed if you found out about this so late,” Dona added, looking at me.

“He said he had a special reason that he couldn’t share and was willing to take the risk. Well, here we are,” Dona said, now coming closer to me. “I know you’re disappointed and angry, Anya. With us too. But I really wanted Cedric to explain all of this to you.”

“Don’t get me wrong, Dona went berserk on Monday. He almost punched Cedric,” Naomi added.

I widened my eyes. “Really?” I looked at Naomi with disbelief and then back to Dona, in awe. Cedric? Oh my! I was certain that if Dona’s male ego was provoked, He’d go ballistic. Maybe this was what it meant, huh? I don’t know.

“I’m a loyal friend, Anya, even though my mouth is full of nonsense.”

For a few hours filled with suffocating disappointment and unanswered questions, I laughed. “But I’m still mad at both of you.”

“It’s up to you, Anya doesn’t know when she’s fortunate.”

The three of us exchanged glances, and then our laughter filled the room. The slight discomfort and many questions I had were somewhat relieved. At least, when Dona spoke like that and was responded to by Naomi, it was the truth.

“But, Anya, did Cedric explain his reasons to you?” Naomi continued gently rubbing my shoulder, occasionally running her fingers through my hair.

I nodded softly.

“What did he say?” Naomi still continued her gentle caresses.

“He did all of this for Krystal. His father entrusted it to him, but he refused. Cedric prefers music and said he has other businesses.”

“Didn’t you ask what kind of business it is?”

I shook my head slowly.

“Are you stupid or what?” Dona could use a tone that irritated me and made me regret at the same time. I felt incredibly dumb for not asking that earlier.

“What if he’s a drug dealer? A mafia? Human trafficking?” Naomi grabbed Dona’s slightly long hair playfully. She said she wanted to grow it a little bit to have bangs. She wanted to get some highlights too, after seeing how stunning Krystal looked with her new hair color.

“Your mouth is full of garbage!”

“Naomi intentionally wants me to go bald!”

“You should both drop dead!”

“SHUT UP!” I shouted. Were they insane? Didn’t they realize that I was pregnant? They could fight or wrestle downstairs!

“I’m right, Nao! How would Anya react if Cedric’s business is in the dark world? It’s dangerous, right?” Dona said.

“Come on, Dona Tesla!!!” Naomi yelled.

“My name is Dona Hasta!”

“SHUT UP!” I repeated with a louder tone than before. It worked. They both fell silent, staring at each other with a readiness to attack. Clawing at each other’s faces or even pulling each other’s hair. Just like little kids fighting over something.

Less than two minutes later, they burst out laughing together. Indeed, my two best friends deserved to be called the crazy duo. After they calmed down a bit and their laughter subsided, I continued talking. “How could I ask Cedric when I’m still confused and shocked by his explanations?”

“Are you still confused now, Anya?” Naomi asked.

“Yes, still, Naomi. Everything he told me was so sudden. It feels like a dream.”

“How did Cedric’s family treat you?” Dona asked. Her question made Naomi put on a serious expression.

“That’s also like a dream to me, Dona.”

Seeing them silent but looking at me with confusion, I let out a sigh. “They all welcomed me with open arms. As if they had been waiting for me eagerly. No cynical looks or hatred towards me. You know, typical of wealthy people when their child brings home a pregnant woman. They’re suspicious that I might be deceiving and becoming a leech for them.”

“How about Cedric’s mother?”

Again, a frustrated sigh escaped me without my control. “Especially her. Not a single moment passed without me by her side. Always me. Everything was about me. Krystal was pushed aside. I even noticed that Krystal was closer to her father. While Cedric was close to his mother.”

Both of them nodded slowly.

“They talked about my marriage.” My eyes wandered off, and the memory replayed vividly in front of my eyes. Especially the part where Iriana, I finally knew her name, looked at me with happiness. She said I should get married soon so that I could live with her and keep her company while she was always left alone due to her busy work.

Thinking about it scared me!

I didn’t know initially that Cedric was Krystal’s biological brother. My thoughts earlier in the day were about meeting his mother, who was very friendly and was talking about our wedding because Cedric had told her that she wanted us to get married soon. It’s okay, I understand that. I know it can’t be delayed any longer.

My desires are not extravagant either. Just a simple wedding attended by close friends and family. The essence of a wedding is to make it sacred and legally recognized in the eyes of the law and religion, right? My parents don’t even know where they stand. I can honestly tell the cleric later so that someone can act as my guardian during the marriage. That’s it. Not much expense is needed, and we would be officially married. Simple, right?

Then his mother could return to her hometown and maybe continue whatever they were doing before, of which I had no idea. They would go back to their lives, and Cedric and I would be busy with our work and our new life as husband and wife.

That’s how it should be, right?

But what if I suddenly get hit with a nuclear bomb like this? All the images I had earlier were shattered! I couldn’t imagine it anymore, especially when his mother said, “If possible, Anya, you should resign. Let’s both take care of and guide the child with me, okay?”

Naomi’s words had no lies in them. I don’t know how to prepare myself for this, as it is now part of my reality. Cedric was in front of me, and everything I remembered about this man has taken on a new form. Not much has changed, only the brand of clothes he’s wearing now.

I’m not trying to emphasize materialistic things here. No, I’m not highlighting what Cedric has. Even if he were just an office boy, I would have accepted him. If wealth were the only thing that mattered to me in a man, why didn’t I accept Kelvin? From the beginning, I knew he attracted my attention, even though I found him annoying.

I hate being lied to.

If Cedric were just an office boy, I would still accept him. In fact, if anything were to happen with my job and it affected Cedric as well, my mind had already considered what we would go through together. It would be a joint decision since we would be living together, right? Raising a child also required an agreement.

For example, if I needed to use my savings as capital for a business, something we would live on together. Although I wasn’t sure what kind of business I wanted, at least I had a sense of what I wanted to do. All we needed to do was talk it out further and make it more focused, setting aside our egos. I couldn’t talk to Cedric while still prioritizing my own life. There was a baby between us, and I had to balance Cedric’s needs as well.

Yes, right?