Kayla’s POV
I looked up to see Brenda walking toward the reception desk holding a clipboard beneath one arm.
She stopped in front of me, studying my face carefully.
“You made it on time.”
”I always do ma’am.” I said.
“Hm.”
She wrote something on the clipboard before looking back at me.
“Today will be busy.
We have several VIP appointments, so I expect professionalism.
No distractions.”
”Yes, ma’am.”
She gave a small nod before going into her office.
The morning passed surprisingly smoothly.
I answered phone calls, checked clients into the system, served refreshments, and scheduled appointments for the following week.
For a little while, I almost forgot everything weighing on my shoulders.
Then a woman dressed in an expensive white fur coat walked through the entrance.
The overwhelming scent of her floral perfume reached me before she did.
My stomach lurched violently.
Oh no…
Not here.
Not now.
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the nausea rising inside me, but it only grew worse.
Sweat gathered along the back of my neck despite the cold air inside the salon.
“Excuse me…” I whispered, abandoning the reception desk before I embarrassed myself.
I barely reached the staff restroom before dropping to my knees in front of the sink.
My entire body shook as another wave of sickness overtook me.
When it finally passed, I gripped the edge of the sink, breathing heavily while splashing cold water across my face again and again.
“You don’t look well.”
The familiar voice behind me made me jump.
I turned to find Brenda standing quietly in the doorway.
For several long seconds, neither of us spoke.
Her eyes searched my face with an intensity that made my heartbeat quicken.
“I…” I began.
“You’ve looked exhausted for weeks.”
”I’m just tired.”
”You’ve also been running to this bathroom every morning.”
I Froze instantly..
Did she know?
Was I about to lose the only job keeping me alive?
Instead of raising her voice, Brenda surprised me.
She reached into her handbag, removed a neatly wrapped sandwich, and placed it on the counter beside me.
“You skipped lunch yesterday,” she said simply.
I blinked.
“You… noticed?”
”I manage thirty employees, Kayla.
It’s my job to notice.”
I stared at the sandwich, unable to find the words.
“You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong,” she continued quietly.
“But whatever burden you’re carrying… don’t let it destroy your health.”
My throat tightened unexpectedly.
“Thank you…”
She gave a brief nod before walking away, leaving me standing alone in the restroom with tears about to spill from my eyes.
Maybe I had judged Brenda too quickly.
Maybe beneath that strict personality, was someone who understood pain more than she ever let anyone see.
Taking a deep breath, I picked up the sandwich and looked at my reflection once more.
“You can do this,” I whispered to myself.
“You have to.”
Because giving up was no longer an option.
Not anymore.
A week later at work..
The sharp ding notification on my phone shattered my focus, making me jump in my chair.
I almost dropped the stack of client files I had spent the last hour carefully organizing.
Taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart, I swiped my thumb across the screen to unlock it.
From: Brenda (Operations Manager)
My office.
Now.
My stomach dropped into a cold, bottomless pit.
Brenda’s text wasn’t just formal; it was short, harsh, and explicit.
I stood up slowly and smoothed down my tailored pencil skirt, making sure the loose silk blouse dropped naturally over my stomach.
“You’re only a few weeks along. Nobody can tell. You’ve been doing your job flawlessly.”
I walked down the quiet, carpeted hallway of the firm, my heels clicking softly against the floor with every heavy step.
When I reached Brenda’s glass walled office, I knocked twice and stepped inside.
Brenda sat behind her broad desk, her fingers folded over a single sheet of paper.
Her usual corporate smile was entirely gone, replaced by a look of deep disappointment and cold detachment.
“Sit down, Kayla,” Brenda said, her voice flat.
“Thank you, Mrs. Vance,” I replied, taking the leather chair opposite her.
“Is there something wrong with the reports I submitted this morning?”
She didn’t answer right away.
Instead, she slid the printed document across the polished desk.
I glanced down, and the moment my eyes hit the bold text at the top, the air left my lungs.
It was a printout from a private medical lab—a blood panel confirmation.
“I dropped my folder near the copier an hour ago,” I whispered, my face draining of every drop of color as the horrifying reality set in.
“You… you went through my personal documents?”
”It fell open on the floor, Kayla.
And as your manager, I have a right to know if a probation period employee is hiding something that will severely impact her productivity,” Brenda snapped, leaning forward.
“You’re pregnant.”
”Mrs.
Vance, I just found out myself!
It doesn’t affect my work—I’ve been working overtime every single day—”
”I don’t care about your overtime,” Brenda interrupted sharply, holding up a hand to stop me.
“This is a fast paced agency.
We cannot afford the liability, the upcoming maternity leave, or the inevitable brain fog that comes with… your condition.
You’re still within your ninety day probationary window.
Effective immediately, your services are no longer required.”
”You’re firing me?” My voice cracked.
Panic, cold and sharp, seized my chest.
“ma’am, please!
I need this job.
I have rent, medical bills—I will work twice as hard, I swear to you!”
”Security has already packed your desk,” Brenda said, completely unmoved by my frantic pleading.
“Sign the exit papers with HR on your way out. Hand over your key card, Kayla.”
Ten minutes later, I found myself standing on the bustling sidewalk outside the corporate high rise, clutching a single cardboard box containing my desk document and pen holder.
The harsh afternoon sun beat down on my skin, but inside, I felt entirely numb.
My life was falling apart in real time.
First, my mother had thrown me out into the cold, erasing my existence just to make room for Richard.