Chasing the Unexpected

“A friend of yours?”

A flash of disgust crossed Lucia’s eyes. “No, someone | dislike.”

“Anyone you dislike must not be a good person,” the colleague said, trying to flatter her.

Lucia appreciated it. “Let’s not talk about it. It’s a mood killer.”

When Nyla arrived at the restaurant, Valarie was just getting there too.

Linking arms, they walked in together.

“How did the interview go?”

“It went alright, but I’m not sure if I’ll get the job.”

“If you don’t, just try another company. There are plenty of pharmaceutical companies in the city. Any company would be lucky to have you.”

“Thanks for the confidence, but I haven’t worked in a lab for years.”

Drug research required a lot of experience, and aside from the three years Nyla had spent in the lab during her graduate studies, she didn’t have much professional experience.

“Don’t

worry. Once you start working, you’ll catch up quickly,” Valarie said.

She knew that Nyla had always been dedicated, often working tirelessly for results and data. “Enough about that. Last night on the phone, I heard a man’s voice. What’s going on?”

Valarie blushed, avoiding Nyla’s gaze. “Did you? Are you sure?”

Nyla stared at her. “Valarie, I’m not hard of hearing. I clearly heard a man at your place last night.

Valarie’s cheeks reddened further. She knew she couldn’t avoid it. “Alright, alright. It was my boss… We’re dating.”

Nyla didn’t respond, her eyes fixed on a spot in the restaurant, growing red.

Valarie’s heart sank. Following Nyla’s gaze, Valarie saw Clark sitting with a woman who was crying and occasionally giving him a longing look.

Chapter B

Valarie couldn’t believe Clark would be so brazen, openly bringing his mistress to a public place. “Is that the woman he’s seeing?”

“Yes.” Nyla tried not to care, but seeing them together felt like a hand tightening around her heart. It made it hard to breathe.

“I’m going to confront her! How dare she flaunt her affair in public!”

Nyla quickly grabbed Valarie’s arm. “Don’t.”

Confronting them would only humiliate herself further.

“How can you stand this…” Before Valarie could finish, she saw Nyla’s near–tearful expression and felt a pang in her heart. “Don’t cry. He’s not worth it!”

Nyla rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I know.”

The moment Clark cheated, he stopped being worth any of her feelings. However, after loving him for eight years, it was impossible for her to simply switch off her emotions. Eventually, she would distance herself from him until he was nothing but a stranger.

Without looking back, Nyla turned and walked away.

Clark sensed someone staring at him, but when he looked up, he saw no one.

Next to him, Jordyn continued to sob softly, further irritating him.

He lit a cigarette and said coldly, “If you won’t get rid of it, I have ways to make sure you don’t carry it to

term.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Clark grabbed his phone, glaring at the message with a dark expression. He and Jordyn had always used protection, so either she was lying, or she had tampered with the condoms. Either way, it crossed a line

for Clark.

He called her directly. “Where are you right now?”

Jordyn felt a pang of bitterness when she heard the anger in his voice. “Clark, I’m pregnant. Aren’t you happy at all?”

Clark let out a cold laugh. “Are you sure it’s mine?”

“Clark, you’re the only man I’ve ever been with. Wouldn’t you know better if it’s yours or not?”

Her tone was accusatory, with a hint of grievance, but Clark just felt annoyed.

“Get rid of it.”

The only woman he wanted to have children with was Nyla. Women like Jordyn, who threw themselves at him, were just for fun. He never took them seriously.

“No, this is our child. I’m keeping it.”

Clark frowned in irritation. If he had known she was so troublesome, he wouldn’t have touched her. “I’m asking one last time, where are you?”

There was a brief silence before Jordyn’s tearful voice came through. “Are you planning to force me to. have an abortion?”

Clark didn’t reply, his silence answering her.

“If you don’t want this child, I’ll raise it on my own. I won’t let it know who its father is…”

Before she could finish, Clark hung up and instructed his secretary to find out where she was.

When Nyla discovered his affair, he quickly learned that Jordyn was behind it and kicked her out of the company. He didn’t expect her to have a backup plan.

That child couldn’t be born. If it was, his relationship with Nyla would be truly over.

Late that night, Nyla, half awake, heard the car engine start but didn’t think much of it.

The following morning.

During breakfast, the housekeeper mentioned that Clark had left in a hurry during the night, possibly due to an issue at work.

Nyla didn’t respond, sipping her milk with a hint of mockery in her eyes.

An issue at work? It was more likely he was rushing to see that other woman.

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As she left, she messaged Valarie to ask where they should meet for lunch.

Valarie replied with a restaurant address.

Nyla put away her phone, got in her car, and set the GPS

What she didn’t notice was a woman in a lab coat with delicate makeup staring in her direction with at slight frown.

The woman’s colleague, also in a lab coat, glanced where she was looking but only saw Nyla’s car disappearing around the corner. “Lucia, what are you looking at?”

Lucia Pollard shook her head. “Nothing… I thought I saw someone I knew. Must have been mistaken.”