Elena thought her life couldn’t get more complicated after her fiancé vanished upon learning she was pregnant. But when her boss humiliates her during a staff meeting, the truth about her child’s father comes crashing into the spotlight…

Three months ago, my life fell apart. I’m not even kidding.

I was 27, engaged to a man I thought I’d spend forever with, and blissfully unaware of how quickly dreams could shatter.

A woman sitting by a window | Source: Midjourney

The day I told Ethan I was pregnant, I’ll never forget how his face froze.

“Are you serious?” he asked, his voice low and sharp.

I nodded, trying to smile through my nerves.

A shocked man | Source: Midjourney

“We’re going to be parents…”

Instead of the joy I’d hoped for, he muttered something about needing time to think. And then he walked out the door.

Oh, and he never came back.

I didn’t tell anyone. Not my family, not my coworkers, nobody.

A man walking out of a house | Source: Midjourney

How could I?

My father was a powerful man, and he owned the company where I worked, with my sister Rebecca running another branch. She was married to Adam, my boss.

Everyone had high expectations for me, and my pregnancy. But the truth about the father felt like a ticking time bomb. I couldn’t risk it. So, I left my parents’ house and moved out on my own, hoping to hide the truth for as long as I could.

A man wearing a suit | Source: Midjourney

My father had given Rebecca and Adam control of his businesses, so he was more than happy to take my mother on lavish trips or spend his days playing golf.

But secrets have a way of surfacing, don’t they?

And today, mine became the punchline of a cruel joke.

A businesswoman | Source: Midjourney

I was standing in the middle of the conference room during an all-staff meeting when Adam, my boss, and brother-in-law, decided to turn my pregnancy into office entertainment.

“So, Elena,” he said, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. “I hear congratulations are in order. You’re pregnant, huh? Guess you’re finally settling down! Very good, very good.”

A few people chuckled nervously. I felt heat rising to my face as every eye in the room turned to me.

A woman frowning | Source: Midjourney

“Guess now you probably have to find the dad, huh?” he added, slapping the table like he’d just made the biggest joke.

The laughter died quickly, but Adam wasn’t done.

“But even if you don’t, you don’t really have to worry, right? Single moms get decent benefits, right? Maybe I should give you a thousand-dollar raise a year! What do you think, folks?”

A smug businessman | Source: Midjourney

The room went silent. My chest felt tight as I clenched my fists, willing myself not to cry. Where had this version of Adam come from? He hadn’t been like this with me before. He used to be… different.

“The father of this baby told me that he loved me more than life itself,” I said, my voice trembling. “But as soon as he found out, he ran.”

Adam’s smirk widened.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

“Ah, men. Typical, huh?”

I was seconds away from walking out when the double doors to the office burst open.

A young woman holding a baby strode in, tears streaming down her face. There was no way that she was older than twenty-two or twenty-three, but despite her tears and trembling hands, she stood tall.

Behind her came Rebecca, and my father.

A woman holding a baby | Source: Midjourney

I moved my coat so that it hung tighter around my waist. I wasn’t really showing yet, but I had no choice but to tell Adam about the baby. He was my boss after all…

“No one leave,” my father said, his voice sharp and commanding. “You all need to see and hear this conversation.”

Adam’s smug grin vanished instantly.

A stern man | Source: Midjourney

“Rebecca,” he stammered, his tone now meek. “What’s going on?”

“What’s going on, Adam,” Rebecca said, her voice icy. “Is that your horrible lies are finally catching up to you.”

I glanced at the woman with the baby, and my stomach twisted as recognition set in.

“Lila?” I whispered.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

Lila was Rebecca’s former assistant. I’d met her a few times in the office and once at a family dinner. She had seemed quiet, almost shy and timid, but now she looked like someone who had been pushed to her breaking point.

Rebecca’s gaze turned to me, her expression unreadable.

“I know why Lila left her job. Just like I know why you left Mom and Dad’s house, Elena. Did you think that I wouldn’t find out? Did you think I’d believe that Ethan…”

An woman with her eyes closed in frustration | Source: Midjourney

My mouth went dry, and I thought I was going to pass out.

“I found your diary, Elena. When you left, you didn’t pack properly. But that’s nothing new when you had people doing everything for you. You left your diary right there, on your bedside. Adam is the father of your baby, isn’t he?”

Gasps rippled through the room. My knees felt weak.

A book on a bedside table | Source: Midjourney

But still, Rebecca wasn’t finished.

“And,” she continued, her voice trembling with anger. “Adam is the father of her baby too.”

She pointed at Lila, who stepped forward, holding the baby closer to her chest.

Adam’s face turned a sickly shade of gray.

“Rebecca… I… I can explain!”

A woman holding her baby | Source: Midjourney

“Don’t,” she snapped. “You’ve lied to me for years. You’ve humiliated me, betrayed me, and destroyed my trust. We’re done, Adam. You’re dead to me.”

My father stepped forward then, his expression cold and menacing.

“I’ve heard enough of this nonsense,” he said. “Adam, you’re fired. Effective immediately. Pack your things and leave.”

A shocked man | Source: Midjourney

Adam opened his mouth to protest, but my father cut him off.

“And,” he added. “You’ll be paying child support for both of these children. I’ll make damn sure of it.”

The office emptied quickly after that, whispers trailing behind the stunned employees.

I stayed behind, unsure of what to do or say, until my father approached me.

An empty boardroom | Source: Midjourney

“Elena,” he said softly, his voice losing its sharp edge. “Why didn’t you come to me?”

Tears welled in my eyes as I looked down at the floor.

“I didn’t want to ruin Rebecca’s life,” I admitted. “And I was afraid of how you’d look at me if you knew the truth.”

He sighed, shaking his head.

A man holding his head | Source: Midjourney

“This isn’t your fault, baby girl,” he said. “Adam manipulated you, just like he manipulated everyone else. You’re my daughter, Elena, and I’ll always support you.”

I didn’t know what to say. Or do. Or feel.

Rebecca approached then, her face red but her eyes resolute. For a moment, I thought she might slap me or pull my hair. Instead, she pulled me into a hug.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

“I’m furious, El,” she said, her voice trembling. “But not at you. Adam’s the one who destroyed our marriage, not you. We’ll figure this out together.”

Her words broke something in me, and I finally let the tears fall.

“Bec, it was a mistake. It was just one drunken night at the Christmas party, and if I’m being really honest with you… I didn’t know what happened. Or how. I tried to spin it off as Ethan’s baby, and he ran.”

A woman wearing a red dress | Source: Midjourney

“I’m here for you,” she said. “I’m going to take this man for everything he’s worth. And then, we’ll raise your baby together. If you want… I mean.”

A week later, my phone rang.

“Elena,” my father said on the other end. “I need someone I can trust to step into Adam’s role. You’ve been with the company for five years, and you know the team better than anyone. You’re done with your studies now. Will you take over s interim director? At least until the baby is born?”

A man talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

My breath caught.

Was my father really accepting this? Was he going to truly support me? Support us?

“Are you sure, Dad?” I asked.

“Completely,” he replied. “I trust you, darling. But take some time to think about it. Just remember that I’ll need an answer soon.”

A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

The answer, of course, was yes.

It hadn’t been easy stepping into Adam’s shoes, but every day I walked into that office, I held my head a little higher. And do you know what’s the best part?

My child will grow up knowing their mother didn’t back down, even when the odds were stacked against her.

And her family truly came through for her.

A woman sitting in an office | Source: Midjourney

As for Adam?

He’s history. Both in the office and in our lives.

And Rebecca? We’re rebuilding our relationship, slowly but surely. She’ll never forgive Adam, but she’s learning to forgive me.

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

Life doesn’t always turn out the way you plan, but sometimes, when the dust settles, you realize you’re stronger than you ever imagined.

As for Ethan, who knows what happened to him? I don’t. Anyway, my baby is on the way soon, and I’m going to embrace motherhood as a single parent who loves her baby unconditionally.

A pregnant woman holding her stomach | Source: Midjourney

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.