Chapter 1 Strangers

I groaned and tucked the duvet over my head, inhaling the unfamiliar scent of a manly perfume, I stiffened as my eyes fluttered open to reveal a warm body next to me.

I flinched and jumped up in shock, my eyes scanning the room.

The first thing that reminded me of how messed up things were, was an excruciating headache that formed a cap around my head as I looked down at my bare body, I was frozen in shock, and the guy lying next to me adjusted his position on the bed and wrapped part of the duvet around his body.

Three questions filled my confused mind.

What was I doing in this unfamiliar room?

Who's this guy? And most importantly, why wasn't I dressed?

I turned toward the guy. He had light brown hair and a perfectly sculptured jawline which seemed familiar, some sort of memories awakening in my shallow mind.

I remember meeting this dude in some bar while I filled my cup with liquor. I remember him asking me if I was alright, a question that was met with no response. But, what I couldn't remember was how I ended up on his bed, lying next to him without clothes.

I looked around for my clothes and saw them lying on the floor in disarray as if they had been hastily discarded.

I shook my head, trying to push away the thoughts that raced through my mind.

As I made my way out of the room, I realized where I was. I was in a five-star hotel, on the fifteenth floor of the skyscraper.

I tried to hide my face in shame as I passed two women walking to the elevator. They seemed to be staring at me, and I felt as though they knew that something was wrong.

I gathered my hair into a messy bun and placed my hand on my waist, but it didn't help. I was sweating despite the cold air conditioning.

When the elevator doors opened with a ding, I walked out and took a deep breath to calm my nerves. Pushing open the door to my single-room apartment, I stumbled to the bed and fell face-first into my pillow.

"I can't believe I slept with a stranger," I mumbled, pressing the pillow against my face. "I lost my job, I lost everything!"

How was I going to survive? After years of trying to secure my job, and almost getting my life back on track, it had all vanished because of one silly mistake in paperwork.

It all came crashing down because of a paperwork mistake. Now, I have lost my job.

That was it! I wouldn't be able to find another one in time before I starved to death. I still believed it was all a setup.

How could someone do such a thing? I thought I was good at what I did - just an office assistant.

It was just a mix-up with a few documents, and that was the kiss of death for my job.

I sat up to look at my reflection in the mirror. My hair, once framing my face in pretty curls, now looked like a wet rug, and my eyes appeared tired and sunken. I sighed, feeling the weight of the entire situation.

I hadn't taken the one-night stand I had with a total stranger seriously. I had so much going on in my life that I didn't think about it, until a few weeks later when I started feeling sick. I spent the last of my money on a check-up, only to discover that I was pregnant.

At first, I denied it. The idea of having a baby with a random man whom I barely knew was absurd. But it was too much to bear in silence, so I confided in my best friend.

"How can you say you don't know who the father is?" Avery asked, her eyes fixed on me.

"This is bad, Becca."

I let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in the chair.

"It all feels like a nightmare. I lost my job and drowned my sorrows in alcohol, only to wake up in a hotel room with a stranger, and now," I gestured upward in frustration, "I'm pregnant!"

"Oh, Becca. What are you going to do?" Avery exclaimed. "Are you going to keep the baby?"

My eyes widened. "I don't even know if I want to keep it!" I cried. "I don't want a child, it's not something I ever planned for."

Avery let out a deep sigh.

"If having the baby won't bring you joy, maybe you should consider terminating the pregnancy. It might be better for you to be free from this pain."

She got up and moved to sit next to me.

"Can you remember anything about the father? His face or anything else?" she asked me softly.

I closed my eyes. "He had dark brown hair, and I think his eyes were a greyish blue. But that's all. I'm not going to go on some wild goose chase looking for a man I barely knew," I said, feeling frustrated. "I don't have the money to do all that. I'll never find him."

I paused and bit my lip before saying softly, "Avery, what am I going to do?" I said sadly. "I don't even have a job."

I heard a soft sigh, and then Avery placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. She smiled gently at me and said, "Don't worry, you'll figure it out. You're a smart girl, Becca. You just have to think positively." She hugged me tightly. "You just need to be stronger than anyone."

I smiled weakly and rested my chin on her shoulder, feeling somewhat comforted by her words. It was hard to stay strong when every passing day brought more sadness to my heart, and I didn't know how to handle it.

For now, Avery was the only person I trusted to help me through this. She was the only friend I could confide in.