shuhaige
Three weeks ago
Letta had been staring at the test pack in front of her for an hour. Her body froze, and she felt breathless when the word “pregnant” appeared on the test pack. This caused Letta to finally sit down on the cold bathroom tiles. She could only bow her head over her knees, tightly hugging them. For a moment, in that position, Letta began to lament all the mistakes and carelessness she had made in the past few hours. This reminded her of an incident a few weeks ago, where it all began.
Three weeks ago,
Letta had to attend the company’s anniversary event where she worked, a leading airline company in various countries. Fortunately, Letta was able to become one of the employees in the large company. Of course, this was thanks to the hard work she had put in from the beginning to get into the company. Finally, Letta became a flight attendant and part of JV. Airlines.
Letta looked at the large mirror in front of her, making sure her appearance was suitable for the luxurious event to be attended by prominent people. She didn’t want to embarrass herself. Therefore, Letta was busy choosing a dress for almost two hours.
“Should I just wear this dress?” she murmured, continuously turning her body left and right, examining every inch of her body to ensure there were no shortcomings. Someone’s voice made Letta close her eyes and try to calm down.
“You don’t deserve to wear a dress like that. You’d better just lend it to me. Coincidentally, tonight I’m meeting with Robert,” said a woman of her age leaning against the door. Letta only glanced at her briefly through the mirror’s reflection.
“You should wear a different dress, Miti. I’ll use this one to go to my company’s anniversary event,” Letta replied. Miti, a woman of her age, walked closer and stopped right behind Letta.
“Still, that dress won’t suit you. You should go with a luxury car to match this dress. It would be a waste if this dress is just going to ride in a taxi. You’d better lend it to me,” Miti said, observing Letta from head to toe. Letta ignored her and chose to quickly walk towards her handbag to leave for the event.
This kind of thing was usual for Letta when Miti began to impose her will on the things she owned. For tonight, Letta didn’t want to give in, and she had to shut her ears a little to dampen the screams from Miti coming from her room. However, Letta still felt tense because she had to face Jenny again, Miti’s mother, who was also her own aunt.
“Where are you going dressed up like that?” Jenny asked with a scornful look, similar to the one Miti had given her earlier.
“I have an event at work, so I might be coming home late tonight,” Letta replied, putting on her heels, ignoring Jenny’s sneering gaze.
“You might as well not come home, because no one in this house is expecting your return,” Jenny said, making Letta once again have to shut her ears.
“I’m leaving,” Letta finally said. The online taxi she had previously ordered had arrived in the modest yard of Jenny’s house. Jenny began to berate Letta with shouts, similar to how Miti treated her, causing Letta to quickly get into the taxi and slam the door shut.
“Sorry, can you start driving now?” Letta said to the taxi driver, who simply nodded. Letta then shifted her gaze out the window, opening it slightly so that the night air could enter the car. At least the night air could slightly alleviate the tightness she felt every day. Letta then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to empower herself. Although she was able to live independently, Letta could not leave her aunt and cousin who depended on her, as she was the only backbone for them. Letta saw it as a repayment for all the kindness her aunt had shown, sheltering her in their modest home since she was twenty-five.
“I am indeed too kind-hearted,” Letta murmured with thoughts now filling her mind.
Finally, the taxi Letta was in stopped at a five-star hotel. Letta immediately paid the taxi before getting out and heading to the hotel’s ballroom, where people had already gathered in luxurious attire and sparkling jewelry. Letta looked at her simple appearance, wearing only her mother’s heirloom necklace, while others appeared so glamorous. Suddenly, Letta felt a hug on her shoulder and turned to a woman with a wide smile.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
“Are you just arriving?” the woman with her distinctive gap-toothed grin asked. She was Mia, one of the friends who had always supported her.
“Yes, my online taxi was late. So I just arrived,” Letta replied. Mia immediately pulled her to an empty table located in the back.
“You’re not too late. Look, don’t you see the handsome bosses over there chatting?” Mia said, making Letta glance at a group of men engrossed in conversation. One of them was Marco Jovanka, the CEO of JV. Airlines, where Letta worked, which made Letta feel awkward. Mia continued to be captivated by them, making Letta narrow her eyes as she watched them.
“Keep your mouth shut if you don’t want your drool to drip,” Letta said, making Mia click her tongue in annoyance. Letta looked back at Marco, who according to rumors was a cold and unfeeling boss to his subordinates. Although Letta had never spoken to him, his cold aura could be felt even from a distance. Letta prayed she would never have to confront her boss directly.
However, fate had other plans. As the night went on, the party became more lively. The soft music turned into a booming club-like atmosphere. The guests mingled on the dance floor, swaying along to the ambiance. The lights dimmed, following the mood. Letta looked worriedly at her friend.
“Mia, come on, you’ve had too much to drink,” Letta said, taking the drink Mia had been consuming since earlier.
“Come on, Letta, this is a rare night. When else can we drink expensive drinks like this? Don’t you feel how enjoyable this drink is flowing down my throat? Price never lies,” Mia said, seemingly intoxicated.
“That’s enough, we better go home. It’s late,” Letta said, trying to pull Mia’s firm hand.
“Come on, Letta, don’t be so uptight. You should enjoy this drink too. Just one glass,” Mia teased, pressuring Letta.
“No, you know I can’t handle drinking,” Letta refused, but Mia kept insisting.
“Just one glass, Letta,” she insisted again.
“There’s no difference between one glass or half a glass, I really can’t handle it, you know that,” Letta said. However, Mia quickly forced Letta to drink, and the effects began to be felt a few minutes later, making Letta feel her head becoming heavy.
“I told you I can’t handle drinking,” Letta said, massaging her throbbing temple.
“We can call the online taxi again to go home. You don’t have to go to your house, just come to my apartment. How about that?” Mia said, finally getting Letta to agree to her plan. For Letta, going home in a drunken state would only make her the subject of ridicule for her aunt and cousin.
“Okay, you call the online taxi. I need to go to the toilet first. I have to cool my face down to get rid of this dizziness. Hopefully, it works,” Letta said, making Mia, who was now leaning her face on the table, raise her index finger in agreement.
Letta began to walk, sometimes staggering due to her spinning head, searching for the toilet in the hope that her drunkenness would disappear just by washing her face. However, in the middle of the journey, Letta got lost in one of the hotel corridors. She looked left and right, until suddenly she felt her body thrown backward as she collided with someone who was staring at her with a sharp gaze.