3
The next day, Amber was back to her old self. The constant staring stopped.
Without her eyes boring into the back of my head, I could finally breathe–and use my phone–in peace.
But something else had changed. Amber’s makeup and outfits grew more elaborate by the day. Rumors star- ted flying around the office that she must have’snagged a boyfriend.
One morning, she walked in swinging a Louis Vuitton tote, casually flashing a new Van Cleef & Arpels brace-
let on her wrist.
Jessica gasped. “Amber! You look amazing! And that bag… spill! Your new boyfriend bought it for you, didn’t
he?”
Gita leaned in, her eyes wide. “That bracelet looks super expensive, too. Is it real?”
Amber lifted her chin, basking in the attention. “You like it? It’s Van Cleef. Cost over three thousand,” she said, feigning nonchalance. “My boyfriend knows I love nice things. He saw it and just bought it for me, no
questions asked.”
Jessica and Gita fawned over her, admiring her new trinkets. I glanced over once and lost interest. You cou-
Id spot the cheap knockoffs from a mile away.
Suddenly, Amber was standing in front of my desk, reaching into her bag.
Just then, Mr. Evans appeared at the office door. His eyes darted to me for a second, then settled on Amber. He scanned her new bag and bracelet, his expression darkening.
“Amber,” he said, his voice flat. “My office. Now,”
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Amber’s voice went sugary sweet. “Okay, Mark!” She shot me a triumphant smirk before sashaying out.
I watched the bizarre little performance, shrugged, and went back to my work.
I never could have predicted what would happen when she returned.
She slapped a piece of paper down on my desk–a lab report. Then she stood over me, looking down her nose with an air of absolute victory.
My eyes snagged on the bold letters at the top.
【PREGNANCY: CONFIRMED】 .
“I’m pregnant,” she announced.
I blinked, stunned. “Uh…” was all I could manage, before blurting out, “It’s
The whole office went silent. Everyone was staring.
Ot mine.”
My response threw her off for a second, but she quickly recovered, her smugness returning. “Sorry to break it
to you, but your boyfriend fell for me the moment he saw me.”
Her voice turned sharp. “I’m pregnant with his child. You need to back off now, before things get really ugly.”
Jessica and Gita were frozen, their mouths hanging open in shock.
“I told you you’d get dumped, didn’t I?” Amber continued, her hand drifting possessively to her bracelet. “And look at you now. I’m carrying his baby. It won’t be long before I quit this dead–end job and become a trophy
wife.”
