CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Starting to feel, dizzy and unwell, Ava decided to use her one-hour break to visit a nearby clinic. She had been working non-stop since morning and couldn't afford to fall behind.

At the clinic, Ava was greeted by a bustling waiting room. She approached a nurse carrying medical tools and asked to see the doctor.

The nurse replied, "I'm afraid the doctor is attending to other patients. You'll have to wait."

Ava nodded and took a seat. Three minutes later, she flagged down another nurse and inquired about the wait time. The nurse repeated the same message.

Growing impatient, Ava waited for what felt like an eternity. Finally, she was called upon and she explained her symptoms to the doctor – dizziness and a desperate need for medication.

The doctor decided to run some tests. Ava waited anxiously for the results, but the doctor instructed her to wait again. With her break almost over and her duties at the station beckoning, Ava waited, her anxiety growing with each passing minute.

Just when she thought she couldn't wait any longer, the doctor finally called upon her.

The doctor called on ava, and she followed him to his office. He had just received her test results from the lab.

"Please, have a seat," the doctor said, his expression serious.

Ava sat down, her heart racing with anticipation.

The doctor hesitated before speaking. "What I'm seeing here isn't just an ordinary fever and dizziness.."

He handed Ava an envelope containing her test results. "This will explain everything."

The doctor waited patiently as Ava opened the envelope. Her eyes widened as she read the results.

Suddenly, she let out a loud scream, startling the doctor. He jumped up from his chair, concerned.

Ava's eyes were fixed on the paper, her face pale. "I'm pregnant," she whispered, her voice trembling.

The doctor nodded calmly. "Yes, according to the results, you're approximately one week pregnant."

Ava's scream had given way to stunned silence. She sat there, her mind reeling with the unexpected news.

Ava's reaction to the pregnancy news was mixed. She was both unhappy and happy at the same time, which sounded contradictory, but that was her genuine emotions.

She wasn't ready to start raising children yet. Her career was still a priority, and she needed to take care of some things before becoming a mother. Jerome, her fiancé, had been urging her to resign and let him take care of everything, but Ava was passionate about her work as a detective.

"I'm not leaving my job," she had told Jerome. "Not even if you're the owner of a company."

Their wedding plans were still underway, and they hadn't finalized the details yet. A baby was not part of their immediate plans, and Ava was struggling to come to terms with the unexpected news.

The doctor's expression turned curious. "Aren't you happy? You're married, aren't you?"

Ava forced a smile, feeling awkward. "Oh, no, that's not the case. I am happy... it's just..."

She trailed off, not wanting to explain further. The doctor nodded sympathetically.

Ava quickly gathered her belongings and left the doctor's office. She sneaked back into the police station, relieved that no one noticed her arrival. The station was chaotic, filled with criminals and suspects.

She slipped the envelope with her test results into her bag, careful not to draw attention to herself. Ava decided to keep the news to herself for the time being, knowing that Jerome would want her to quit her job if he found out.

"I'll just have to cope with it for now," Ava thought, taking a deep breath as she returned to her duties.

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In the art department, four colleagues were huddled together, chatting and gossiping. They were discussing Jerome, the company owner.

"Yeah, he's just lucky," one of them said. "I don't get why he's so cold towards us. We're all human."

Another colleague chimed in, "And have you seen how he walks? He's always carrying himself with an air of superiority."

One of the guys started mimicking Jerome's demeanor, and the others snickered. But their amusement was short-lived.

Suddenly, their eyes widened in terror, and they fell silent. The guy who was mimicking Jerome turned around, confused, and that's when he saw him – Jerome standing with his arms folded, his eyes fixed intently on the group.

The room fell silent, and the colleagues swallowed hard, their faces pale with fear.

Jerome cleared his throat, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Why did you stop? Continue, you were mimicking me, right?"

The guy shook his head, attempting to come up with an excuse. "N-no, sir, I was just... uh..."

Jerome cut him off, a sly grin spreading across his face. "You have to keep doing it. In fact, let's take it outside. Walk out, come back in, and keep mimicking me."

The guy hesitated but when he saw the look on jerome's face,he quickly raised his shoulders, attempting to emulate Jerome's confident stride. Jerome suppressed a chuckle, maintaining his stern demeanor.

The other three colleagues in the art department were struggling to stifle their giggles. Jerome shot them a warning glance. "I'm coming back for you guys. Punishment is pending."

As Tony continued to mimic Jerome's walk, the older workers in the department couldn't help but burst out laughing. It was clear Tony had been caught red-handed.

Jerome's reputation for having a quirky sense of humor preceded him. If he caught you doing something embarrassing, like singing or mimicking him, he'd often ask you to repeat it for everyone's amusement.

The remaining three guys in the art department exchanged nervous glances, worried about their impending punishment.

Jerome watched with amusement as Tony continued to mimic his walk, raising his shoulders and strutting around the office. Tony was getting tired, but he dared not drop his hands or stop, fearing Jerome would make him start all over again.

Jerome was behind Tony, warning him that if he dared stop to, he'd see the other side" of him. Tony persisted, going outside and coming back in about five times.

Finally, exhausted and humiliated, Tony knelt down and begged, "I'm sorry, sir! I promise I won't do that again!"

Jerome choked back a laugh, satisfied with the spectacle." He dismissed Tony with a wave of his hand.

Tony quickly scrambled to his feet and scurried away, the other workers erupting into laughter. Jerome turned to them, his face red with coldness and shouted, "What are you guys looking at? Get back to work!"

The room fell silent as the workers hastily returned to their tasks, trying to stifle their grins.