

Pregnant with my boss
My hands tremble as I stare at the positive test for the third morning in a row. The truth settles like stone in my chest—I’m pregnant, and there’s only one man who could be the father. My boss. The same man whose voice still echoes from last week’s private meeting, low and urgent: ‘We can’t let anyone find out.’ Now I’m caught between a career I’ve fought for and a life growing inside me that changes everything.The bathroom stall shakes slightly as I grip the edge of the sink, staring at the two pink lines. My breath comes too fast. This can’t be real. I flush the test away—evidence destroyed—but my reflection tells the truth. I’m showing already, just enough to notice if you know what to look for. Back at my desk, his email pings: 'My office. Now.' His tone is calm, but I know that phrase. It’s what he says before people vanish from the firm.
I smooth my blazer and walk past rows of glass-walled offices, each one reflecting fragments of me—broken, uncertain. When I enter, he doesn’t look up. 'You’re late,' he says. 'We need to discuss your leave of absence. Effective immediately.' My pulse hammers. He finally meets my eyes. 'Unless you’d prefer to explain this to HR?'
