Page 52 of Please, Forgive Me

How was I supposed to tell my boss I was pregnant when he’d used protection?

“I can’t,” I whispered. “He used a condom, Carol. This wasn’t supposed to happen.” A bitter laugh slipped out, sounding hollow even to me. “How am I supposed to explain this to him? He’s going to think… that I messed up somehow. Or that I’m lying, that I’m pregnant by someone else, I don’t know.”

My friend stopped pacing and sat back down next to me. Her eyes locked on mine, serious now. She’d always been my anchor, the one who kept me grounded—but even she looked a little lost at this revelation.

“Listen…” Carolina began, her voice light but threaded with a seriousness I couldn’t miss. “Diego might be a narcissistic jerk, but he’s going to have to deal with this. This isn’t your fault, Gabi. It happened. Life doesn’t always go as planned. But he’s going to have to handle it just as much as you do.”

I exhaled heavily, feeling the weight of her words.

Diego couldn’t just ignore this, and I couldn’t keep running from it.

But the fear was still there, choking me slowly.

“I just…” I started, but my voice faltered. “I’m scared of what’s going to happen once I tell him. Diego’s always made it clear he doesn’t want anything beyond work and control. He’s told me before he never wants to go through what he went through with Arthur’s mother—even though I don’t know exactly what happened. And now here I am… pregnant. He’s going to hate me, Carol. He’ll think I did this on purpose, for the money or whatever he has—if he even believes me.”

“If he hates you, call me and I’ll handle him.” She winked, but the playful tone barely covered her own concern. “Better yet, I’ll send someone else to handle him. I’m not ruining my nails over that man.”

I let out a small smile. But it vanished quickly, swallowed by growing anxiety.

“This isn’t a joke, Carol,” I said quietly. “If I tell him… everything changes.”

“I know, friend.” She set her hand gently on my shoulder. “But you’re going to have to face it head-on. You can’t run forever. If not for you, then for this baby. You’re not alone. And who knows—Diego might surprise you. Even if he’s a narcissistic bastard, maybe there’s more humanity there than he lets on.”

The idea of Diego being “human” made me laugh.

I doubted it, but Carol was right. I couldn’t hide forever. At some point, I’d have to tell the truth, face the fallout, and deal with whatever came next.

“You’re right,” I admitted finally, though the thought of talking to Diego gave me chills. “I’ll tell him… but I need time.”

Carolina gave me a small, steady smile.

“And I’ll be here, Gabi,” she promised.“I’ll always be here.”

The next morning, I slipped into work on autopilot.

Completely.

Numbers flickered on the screen in front of me, but I couldn’t focus on anything. My mind was miles away, trapped in a whirlwind of thoughts about the pregnancy.

I could barely understand how it had happened, but reality was relentless, insistent.

I was pregnant.

The office buzzed around me—a symphony of voices, keyboards, phones ringing—but everything felt muffled, distant.Stacks of papers piled up on my desk, but I could hardly manage the basics.

All I could do was pretend I was functioning.

Diego passed through my line of sight a few times, his face impassive, absorbed in his own routine. I knew he noticed me; he always noticed.

His eyes met mine briefly, but he said nothing, just watched from a distance, as if waiting for the right moment.

And that moment came far too quickly.

“Maria Gabriela.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. “My office. Now.”

A chill ran up my spine. I’d known this was coming, but I still wasn’t ready.

With a deep breath, I set my papers aside and walked slowly to his office. Each step felt heavier than the last, and by the time I reached the door, my heart was pounding so hard I could barely breathe.