Chapter 15

One month and one week had passed since Zoe's life-altering decision to live a separate life after her divorce with her ex-husband, Stanley.

As she gazed outside her office window, Zoe realized that the ache of heartbreak had begun to heal, replaced by a sense of hope.

Things had not changed for Zoe, she was still busy working and Stanley was still being his useless self. The only difference was that they were divorced and gone their separate ways.

Zoe had blocked Stanley and Jenna from her phone because those bastards were texting and calling her. Stanley kept telling her to return her credit card, after he realized that Zoe had taken it back, so they could continue using it to feed until he gets a job.

Zoe flung herself onto the bed, surrendering to the softness of the mattress and the silence of her apartment after a long day at work. She was in a constant state of exhaustion.

Zoe longed to slip back into the atmosphere of the bar, where laughter and music filled the air, and the possibility of running into Bernard again made Zoe overwhelmed.

Her skin still tingled with the memory of Bernard's gentle touch and she couldn't shake the longing to feel his warm hands on her skin once more.

Zoe snorted, "I have to go to that bar, what's the name again?" She asked herself. "THE PUB, yeah that is it." Zoe told herself.

Despite her exhaustion, Zoe couldn't resist the temptation of going to the bar, she held a slender hope that Bernard might appear and make the night worthwhile.

Zoe shed her corporate attire and slipped into a sleek black jumpsuit. Transforming herself for a night out at the bar, where she hopes to see Bernard again.

Zoe darted through the crowded bar, her focus sharpening as she searched for Bernard's brown hair and broad frame with his captivating grin, her breath catching in her throat as she imagined the spark of reconnection.

Bernard was nowhere to be found at the bar. leaving her feeling unexpectedly hollow and unsure of what to do next.

"Zoe, snap out of it, why do I even feel like seeing him again?" She asked herself. "We are strangers, it should remain that way." Zoe mumbled to herself.

Zoe's eyes widened as Bernard's lookalike approached. "Hey, gorgeous, mind if I join you?" He asked.

Zoe's eyes narrowed slightly as she took a second glance, her gaze scrutinizing the familiar features just to be sure if it was Bernard standing before her and not her mind playing tricks on her.

'Hell no, this isn't Bernard.' Zoe thought to herself as her eyes scanned the young man's arm, searching for the tattoo that Bernard had, but it was noticeably absent.

"I'm Michael." He said, his words piercing the fog out of Zoe's confusion. 

"Well, you can have the seat." Zoe stated, her words accompanied by the scraping of her chair as she stood up. "because I'm already leaving." She added.

"Stay a bit longer," Michael requested. "Did I scare you off?"

"No, you didn't scare me off." Zoe said. "But I have to leave now."

"Can I have your phone number?" Michael asked, his footsteps echoing through the bar as he pursued Zoe towards the exit.

Zoe shook her head, "I'm not interested, sorry." her eyes meeting Michael's for a brief moment before she swiftly turned away.

"I'd love to see you again, so why not share your phone number and see where things go." Michael continued.

Zoe's silence was her response, and with a quiet resolve, she exited the bar and slipped into a taxi.

She was able to quickly get a taxi because she left the bar early.

"I almost thought he was Bernard, they look so much alike. Could he be Bernard's brother?" Zoe asked herself, as the driver drove away.

She spent an hour at the bar. She wasn't able to drink because she felt exhausted and drained, so she headed home to her apartment, ready to unwind and call it a night.

Zoe woke up to the warm sunlight streaming through her window, feeling grateful for a rare day off from work, with no alarm clock or deadline to dictate her pace.

Zoe felt her body had weakened during the first week of the month. At first she thought it was her busy schedule and that she had been overworking at the office, but she realized that she hadn't actually been working more hours than usual. Yet somehow she felt drained.

As a matter of fact she has been sleeping more

"Am I sick?" Zoe asked herself. "I don't often fall prey to sickness. Maybe the stress is too much on me these days."

Zoe reached for her phone and scrolled through her calendar, she frowned when she realized she hadn't had her period this month. It was one week delayed, sparking a mix of worry and curiosity, because this had never happened before, her period was always on time.

Zoe wondered if she might be pregnant or if something was amiss with her body.

"Huh, that's weird, she murmured. "I haven't experienced a delayed period before, I usually always get my period on time." Zoe said to herself.

Zoe, worried about her late period, reached a fever pitch, causing her stomach to churn with nausea and leaving her feeling like she might vomit at any moment.

She quickly jumped out of her bed and rushed into the bathroom to vomit. She felt miserable and weak after she vomited. Zoe gazed into the mirror, studying her eyes and breast for any subtle differences, searching for a sign of decorations or other symptoms that might confirm her suspicions of being pregnant. 

She sighed in relief after finding no strangeness in her eyes. "Oh my God, what is wrong with me?" Zoe asked herself.

Her mind pondered for a while and her thoughts swirling with questions, fears and the possibility of if she has contacted an std from Bernard.

Zoe vividly remembered that she had sex with Bernard and didn't use protection over one month and one week ago.

She might not be able to get pregnant, but that didn't mean she was immune to STDs.

And based on her understanding, engaging in unprotected sex significantly increases the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

"What if my missed period and the vomiting was because I contracted syphilis or hepatitis. Hell no!" Zoe panicked. She began to regret having sex with Bernard without protection that night.

"Bernard doesn't look like a man who moves around fucking random woman, he looks reserved." Zoe mumbled.

"You are such an idiot, Zoe, you barely know this man," Zoe said to herself. "I shouldn't have exposed my body to a man like that. His handsome and rich, he must've fucked so many random women. His cock must be infested with STDs!"

"What was I even thinking, trusting him so blindly?" Zoe continued to scold herself for being naive and stupid. 

"I will have to visit the hospital for medical tests. It will be a shame if I die young, because of a stranger, Stanley will laugh at me."

Zoe glanced at the time, fortunately it was still morning, allowing her to meet up with the hospital schedule. She quickly freshened up, anxious to arrive at the hospital for a test. Hoping to alleviate the anxiety plaguing her.

Zoe took resolute breath as she arrived at the hospital.

"God as my witness, if his recklessness infects me, I'll stop at nothing to track him down and make sure he faces the consequences of his actions." Zoe declared.