Kayla’s POV
Then, my body had been bound to a child whose father was a complete stranger—a man who didn’t even remember looking at me.
And now, the very lifeline keeping food on my table had been ruthlessly cut.
I walked back to the apartment in a total daze.
The city noise slowed into a dull, distant hum as I dragged my heavy feet up the stairs of our shared building.
When I unlocked the door, Sarah was sitting on the sofa with her laptop.
One look at my eyes and the cardboard box resting in my arms, and she kept her laptop aside.
“Kayla? What happened?!” Sarah rushed over, snatching the box from my hands and setting it on the floor before pulling me into a tight embrace.
That single touch broke the dam I’d been holding back.
I collapsed against her shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.
“She fired me, Sarah… Brenda found my medical lab results,” I cried out through heavy, ragged tears.
“She fired me right on the spot! What am I going to do? How am I supposed to afford prenatal care? How am I going to feed this baby?”
Sarah held me tightly, rubbing my back in soothing, rhythmic circles as I wept away all the fear, exhaustion, and betrayal I’d been holding inside for weeks.
After what felt like forever, my sobs finally quieted down to soft hitches.
Sarah dragged me over to the couch, handed me a glass of warm water, and wrapped a cozy thick blanket around my trembling shoulders.
“Listen to me, Kayla,” Sarah said, her voice firm yet still soft.
“Brenda is a heartless, cruel excuse for a human being.
But you cannot let this destroy you.
You are strong.
Look at everything you’ve survived already!”
”I’m terrified, Sarah,” I whispered, staring blankly at the water glass in my hands.
“I know you are. But right now, we have a timeline,” Sarah pointed out, taking my cold hand in hers.
“You’re barely showing. You have a small window of time before your bump becomes obvious to everyone. You rest today, you cry today, but tomorrow? You update your resume. You find another job before anyone can tell you’re carrying a baby. We will make this work. I’m right here with you.”
I looked up at Sarah, feeling a faint shimmer of warmth flood my heart.
“Thank you… I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Now drink your water.”
I took a slow sip, letting the warmth settle in my chest, but as I stared out the window at the setting sun, a heavy, dark dread still lingered in my stomach.
I was running out of time, running out of money, and carrying a secret that felt heavier with every passing second.
For three weeks, my world was reduced to the four walls of my bedroom and the blinding blue light of my laptop screen.
Depression is a silent, suffocating weight.
It didn’t just sit on my chest; it Followed me to my bed, making even the simple act of breathing feel like an exhausting chore.
I spent days staring at the ceiling, paralyzed by the terrifying reality of my life.
Unemployed..
Homeless..
if Sarah ever grew tired of taking care of me.
And singlehandedly carrying the child of a stranger who didn’t even know I existed.
Every morning, the morning sickness hit me like a train, leaving me leaning over the toilet while clutching my stomach in tears.
But every afternoon, Sarah would walk through the door, set a warm plate of food beside me, and force me to sit up.
“You can grieve, Kayla, but you can’t give up,” she had told me repeatedly, her voice a steady anchor in my storm.
“This baby needs you to fight.”
So, I fought!
I updated my CV.
I wiped away my past failures, polished my experience, and applied for dozens of positions every single night—receptionist, administrative assistant, file clerk—anything that would pay a living wage before my belly began to round.
It was a hot Tuesday morning when the call came.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw an unidentified, high profile corporate line.
“Hello? Kayla Williams speaking,” I answered, my voice trembling slightly.
“Good morning, Miss Williams. I am calling from the Human Resources department at Throne Corporation,” a crisp, professional voice announced.
“We reviewed your application for the Executive Assistant/Receptionist Trainee position and would like to invite you for an interview tomorrow morning at nine.”
Throne Corporation.
My breath hitched in my throat.
I had heard of them, of course—everyone in the city had.
They were a global titan, a massive High dominating real estate, tech, and international finance.
Landing a job there was like winning the lottery.
“Yes! Yes, absolutely,” I yelled out, quickly regaining my composure.
“Thank you so much. I will be there.”
The moment the call ended, I practically rushed to check the job listing details online.
When my eyes landed on the salary package, my mouth fell open.
The entry level compensation was more than double what I had been making at Brenda’s firm.
It included full health coverage, generous benefits, and a guaranteed performance bonus.
My eyes welled with hot, overwhelmed tears as I placed a hand over my lower stomach.
“We can do this,” I whispered, feeling the first real burst of hope blossom inside me in months.
“We’re going to be okay.”
When Sarah came home from work that evening, I didn’t even let her put down her bags before pulling her into a tight hug.
“I got an interview!” I shouted, holding her hands and jumping slightly.
“Sarah, it’s with Throne Corporation! The salary… oh my god, the salary is incredible. If I get this, I can afford prenatal care, a proper apartment, everything!”
Sarah gasped, her eyes lighting up with genuine joy.
“Throne Corp?! Kayla, that’s huge! That is literally the biggest company in the state! See? I told you something better was coming!”
We spent the rest of the night picking out a tailored black top, pressing a loose cream blouse, and practicing interview questions until midnight.
For the first time since I was thrown out of my home, I fell asleep with a genuine smile on my face.