Chapter 22

Bernard was asked by Zoe through the phone, if he could start coming immediately to pick her up that she wasn't feeling alright.

Bernard's concern grew as he detected a hint of strain in Zoe's voice.

He knew every minute counted, so he skipped the small talk and headed straight to Zoe.

Unbeknownst to Zoe, Rachel eavesdropped on Zoe's conversation with Bernard from behind Zoe's office door.

 'Who's Bernard?' She asked herself. 'Zoe's husband was supposed to be Stanley.' Rachel's eyebrows rose as she thought.

Rachel suspected Zoe of having an affair, wondering if Bernard was the reason behind her secretive behavior.

Zoe's secrecy promoted Rachel to ask directly as she walked up to Zoe, "Who's Bernard? I could have sworn that your husband's name is Stanley." Rachel asked with a chuckle.

Zoe glitted her teeth in silence.

"What made you aware of Bernard?" Zoe's guard rose.

Zoe wondered how Rachel uncovered Bernard's existence.

"Wait a minute, did you eavesdrop on my conversation? Is that how you behave, eavesdropping on people's conversation? Is that your notion of friendship?" Zoe questions Rachel's integrity.

Rachel smiled warmly, "knowing secrets is part of being friends, Zoe." Rachel explained.

As Zoe reflected, she asked herself. "Who have I become friends with?" 

Zoe envisioned a casual office friendship with Rachel, not realizing she'd intrude into her private life as this much.

"I'm setting boundaries, Rachel, our friendship is over, I won't engage in any more drama." Zoe severed ties with Rachel.

"I prefer we maintain a professional distance from now on, focusing on our work only." Zoe declared.

Rachel's eyes widened in stunned silence, absorbing the weight of Zoe's declaration.

Rachel's meddling and gossip nature had earned her a bad reputation, leading colleagues to keep their distance.

Zoe, who prefers to mind her own business, never realized her friendship with Rachel would become a tangled web of drama and intrusion.

"What's with the attitude, Zoe? I don't deserve that tone." Rachel said.

Zoe gave her a silent response, she prioritized self-respect.

"I'll respect your boundaries and I will stop meddling, but can we maintain our friendship?" Rachel asked.

"No please." Zoe responded. 

Bernard's call came in, and Zoe asked Rachel to excuse her. Rachel hessed and left her office, but she didn't leave but hung around to listen to Zoe's conversation.

Bernard had called to inform Zoe that he had arrived and was waiting for her at the packing slot. Bernard arrived seconds before Zoe's closing hour.

As CEO, Bernard enjoyed flexible hours and could leave the office anytime, especially when Zoe was involved.

Despite feeling an unbearable pain, Zoe diligently cleared her desk, ensuring a seamless closure for the day.

She grabbed her handbag and headed out to meet Bernard at the packing slot.

Out of sight, Rachel continued to linger, covertly monitoring Zoe's movement without detection.

Curiosity got the better of Rachel, she decided to follow Zoe to the packing slot without Zoe noticing she was behind her.

'I need to see who Zoe is meeting, because I'm certain that wasn't her husband.' Rachel thought to herself.

Rachel's instincts drove her to investigate further.

Zoe glanced over her shoulder, she realized she was being followed, but wasn't sure who the person could be.

Zoe wasn't sure if the mysterious follower was someone from their office, but she sensed it would be Rachel.

Zoe spotted Bernard's car with tinted windows and swiftly slid into the front seat. 

She glanced back, and her heart skipped a beat as she spotted Rachel standing in the distance, watching her.

Rachel departed, frustrated, when she couldn't catch a glimpse of Bernard's face through his tinted car windows.

Zoe marveled at Rachel's unwavering resolve to interfere in her life, defying all notion of privacy.

"Bitch" Zoe cursed. 

Zoe's face returns with Bernard's nudge.

"Are you alright?" Bernard asked. "You just said bitch"

Zoe sighed, ,"Nothing, eating late has left me feeling sluggish and unwell today." Rachel's drama remained unspoken with Bernard.

"Huh, you mean, you skipped breakfast despite being pregnant?" He asked.

Bernard felt worried upon hearing that Zoe, being pregnant, had eaten late, fearing potential harm to her health and the baby's well-being.

Zoe sighed, "I skipped breakfast due to the meeting we had at my workplace, being a secretary I had to coordinate the meeting, but I'm alright, the pain has subsided."

It had been three weeks since their last encounter in Zoe's house, with no sightings of each other since then, but only spoken to, through the phone.

"Your well-being is my priority, let me provide the care you need, Zoe." Bernard said with a chuckle. "First, we need to visit the hospital." He explained.

"Okay, let's go." Zoe responded.

Pregnancy's challenges weakened Zoe's stance on independence, revealing her needs for Bernard's care despite initial resistance.

They got to the hospital and Zoe was examined by a doctor.

The doctor urged Zoe to take her well-being seriously and manage stress effectively for a healthy pregnancy.

Zoe was discharged from the hospital immediately, allowing her to return home and continue her recovery in comfort.

Bernard invited Zoe to move in with him effective immediately, suggesting she move in tonight.

"Huh, Easy Bernard, I can't just move in with you, not just yet" Zoe explained. "

"Why? Is risky leaving you alone, let's not argue about this please, you have to take a break from work." Bernard requested.

Despite Bernard's concerns, Zoe refused to take a maternity break.

"I can manage work easily, the baby is only two months old." Zoe explained. "I just have to take two days off from work."

Bernard empathetically understood Zoe's intentions, recognizing her determination to balance work and pregnancy before dedicating herself to motherhood.

Bernard gazed lovely at Zoe, "Two days is okay, your well-being mattered most."

Zoe's admiration for Bernard grew as his supportive gesture filled her heart with heartfelt gratitude.

Zoe feared she had prioritized her job over her own health and the health of her precious baby, despite years of infertility struggle.

'What a fool I am, to have Prioritized my job over the well-being of my baby, a precious gift that took years of longing and struggle to conceive.' Zoe thought to herself.