3

Vivian’s POV

Nate and I had been avoiding each other since our last encounter, but I wasn't bothered. We were never cheerful buddies before, and even though we worked at the same place, I could easily evade him as I was his secretary.

I placed my hands on my head. The office was unusually noisy today, or maybe I was just easily irritated because I was secretly pregnant and recovering from a text message that could have destroyed my source of comfort. My eyes glanced at the stack of colour coded folders that contained my data preparation for tomorrow’s presentation with the board, I just needed to make a few adjustments and I was good to go.

"Sleeping on the job?" A voice I instantly recognized made me snap my head up. Her eyes held disgust, and her hands clutched a luxury bag that matched her red nail polish. Normally, her sexy appearance would fill me with jealousy and uncertainty, but today, I was deeply irritated.

This was Nate’s place of work. What was she even doing here? I looked around, and the office gossips were already whispering to each other.

"Buzz me in. Nate is expecting me," she said dryly, glaring at me.

"Are you deaf?" she snapped when I didn't respond immediately. I sighed with annoyance. As Nate’s secretary, I sometimes knew when he had appointments and when one of his lovers was faking an appointment to gain access to him.

"I'm sorry to inform you that Mr. Stuart's appointments were cancelled due to an impromptu meeting. You’ll need to schedule a real appointment, ma'am," I coldly said while trying to maintain composure as professionally as I could, hearing snickers of laughter from the office.

"Don't be stupid. What do you take me for, huh?" she hissed, and my own anger boiled with every minute she stood there. Normally, I was great at controlling my emotions, but I was pregnant.

Suddenly, she corked her head to the left as she squinted at me, her eyes finally taking me in and something about the way her eyes finally widened in shock made me feel that something had changed.

“Wait. Don't I know you?” she asked, her voice carrying an air of mockery and I swallowed while my body froze and she suddenly gave a sharp unwelcoming laugh.

“Vivi the delulu dropout?” she loudly asked and I wanted to shrink into my shell. It has been so long since anybody from highschool called me that name, Nate didn't even use that in our petty quarrels. The office deteriorated into harsh whispers and the seat I occupied burned through me.

            I shook my head, refusing to allow her words get to me and looked at her square in the face, my confidence and previous irritation disappearing.

"Mr. Stuart is in a business meeting, and I cannot let you see him," I said, my voice faltering as I finished. Eve scoffed, placing her hand on her stomach before leaning in dramatically.

“We can do this, the easy way or the hard way. It's not as if you are valuable to him or the company, don't act all righteous and I already told you he was expecting me, stop pretending that you enjoy what you are doing” she insulted and I frowned, the urge to grab a handful of her hair and rip it was growing stronger with the irritation and i didnt know when instead of saying a word, i gave her the silent treatment, something i realised she hated with the way she leaned back and her eyes narrowed to slits.

"You’ll regret this after Nate hears of your little stunt," she threatened and left.

My co-workers whispered, but their words drowned out by my own thoughts and I tried to stop myself from falling victim to tears triggered by a gold digger’s words.

I was finally done with work when i started to gather my things and my eyes caught Eve in a distance, her hands on her luxury bag as she appeared to be waiting for someone, I already knew who it was and i badly wanted to roll my eyes at her attitude.

“Vivian?” I whipped my head in shock to see that Nate was standing by the door of his office, his body in a suit that made me notice the muscles on his arms, my mouth watered for a minute and i cursed the pregnancy.

“A word?” he asked politely and i looked at Eve who looked out of it and i glanced back at Nate who gave a nod into his office and then walked away, holding the door out for me finding myself running towards his office, my bag forgotten, after which he closed the door after me. 

“Tomorrow is the presentation,” he reminded, placing his glasses on the bridge of his nose as he rolled his sleeves exposing his veiny arms.

“I just need to give you some updated data on one of the projects,” he said and continued to speak but my mind was elsewhere.

“Vivian?” he called out my name and i snapped out of my reverie, shaking my head. 

“Are you alright?” he asked and casually touched my shoulders, a gesture that i immediately noticed and somehow brought a sense of calm to me.

“I know presenting may be overwhelming but if there is anybody that can do it, you can. I trust you” he encouraged as he handed me a small file of updated data that i took from him, a smile on my lips as he guided me back out of his office but as i stood outside, Eve was already at the door, her lips curved into a smile that i could only term as evil.

“You’ll see me tomorrow, good luck.” she whispered as she walked past me and banged the door shut and somehow it felt ominous but not as ominous as the words that Nate said to me.

I trust you… The irony of the three words when I saw him with Eve a few days ago and we had our confrontation the same day… Did he even know what the word really meant? Or was I overthinking things? I sighed as I grabbed my bag not noticing till I was home that it had been opened all the way.