Natalie blanched. Her eyes turned red as tears welled in them. “I didn’t mean anything else by this, Liesel. I just—”
“I don’t care what you meant,” Liesel interrupted. “When at work, we’re nothing more than colleagues. You should focus on your work, Ms. Natalie.”
She turned and left, not wanting to play mind games with Natalie. She took the afternoon off to head to the hospital. It didn’t even occur to her what Natalie thought of her words.
Unfortunately, it seemed Natalie was more cowardly than she’d expected. The former had been so absent-minded while walking that she’d twisted her ankle. Jacob brought her to the hospital.
“Congratulations. You’re six weeks pregnant.”
Liesel happened to run into Jacob, who was holding Natalie up, when she was leaving the hospital with her pregnancy report.
The doctor’s words reverberated in her mind. “Your body cannot handle an abortion, Ms. Sharp. If you proceed with it, you might not be able to conceive in the future. I’d advise you to think this through.”
Liesel felt bitter. She was pregnant with Jacob’s child, which was something to be happy and expectant about. But would he allow her to keep it?
Jacob noticed the look on her face while Natalie hesitantly called out to her. “Lie—Ms. Liesel.”
Jacob’s gaze flitted past her. “What are you doing here?”
She hid her pregnancy report behind her and said softly, “I came for a follow-up check because my cold isn’t completely gone yet.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. Natalie seemed to notice something and tugged his sleeve. She looked a little glum. “You should have something to discuss with Ms. Sharp, Mr. Ford. I’ll head back first.”
Jacob frowned but didn’t make her stay. “I’ll have someone take you back.”
She nodded obediently.
Liesel sighed in relief and stuffed the report into her bag. When she and Jacob were in his car, he glanced at her. “Are you that nervous to be around me? The more you act like this, the more I’ll think you’re pregnant.”
She subconsciously wanted to deny it but forced herself to smile. She asked, “What will you do if I really am pregnant, then?”
“Make you abort it,” he said without hesitation as he looked her in the eye.
She knew it. A pang of pain swept past her heart, and she shook her head as she said bitterly, “It’s just a cold.”
Jacob scrutinized her for a while before saying, “I heard you and Nat got into a small fight today, leading to her twisting her ankle while heading downstairs.
“She’s young and naive but is kind. She also doesn’t get into arguments with others that easily. You should be nicer to her and be more accommodating if anything happens in the future.”
Liesel’s bitterness bubbled up in her. No one in this world could avoid being more favorable to certain people. She said, “She’s not a child, Mr. Ford. There’s nothing for me to accommodate.”
