Chapter 3

Lily’s POV

These symptoms had been going on for almost three months, and my body was on the verge of collapse. Maybe I was just too tired, but I had no choice.

I shook my head, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "Don't worry, it's nothing!" I responded loudly, rinsing my mouth with mouthwash, trying to get rid of the liquid in my mouth. Whatever happened, even if I was on the verge of death, I had to do my best to pay this month's rent, so I wouldn't take a day off.

Everyone has family to rely on, but I didn't. I had always been alone. Of course, I could borrow money from Jade or Olivia, and they would gladly lend it to me, but I felt too embarrassed - at this age, I should be able to take care of myself, but I couldn't.

"I told you not to eat that Mexican burrito wrapped in Cheetos," Jade complained, reaching out to help me tuck my hair behind my ears. "You always eat the weirdest combinations."

"I learned it from a New York chef's cooking show," I weakly defended, putting on a perfect facade. I stood up and splashed cold water on my face. The reflection in the mirror looked terrible, pale face, prominent dark circles under my eyes.

Jade frowned, shaking her head. "Sweetie, I know you like to try different foods, but maybe we should wait until you really know how to combine these ingredients before trying these complex recipes."

I turned around, pouting at her, playfully saying, "Fine, next time I'll ask Olivia how to do it." I pouted to let her know not to bother me anymore, and we returned to the couch to continue watching the movie. Jade's attention quickly returned to the screen, but my mind had already drifted far away. Two hours later, Jade left for her early shift, and I once again rushed to the bathroom.

Leaning against the toilet, my fingers tightly gripped the cold porcelain. I had searched online for these symptoms, but the conclusions terrified me. I forced myself to stand up, telling myself to eat well and drink plenty of water tomorrow. It must be just food poisoning or a stomach ailment, that's all.

But the next day, I felt worse. Despite that, I dragged my tired body to work, to earn money to pay my bills. I might have taken all the medicine I could, but it didn't help, it only made things worse.

That night, in the dressing room at Skyline nightclub, I stood in front of the mirror, checking myself from the side. Usually, I hugged my curves tightly, but not today. It looked different, a terrifying thought that wouldn't leave my mind.

"Olivia," I asked softly, "Do I look fat?"

She was applying lipstick, paused when she heard my question, turned to carefully examine my belly, shrugged and said, "Well, you have gained a bit of weight, but you still look good."

Luna didn't realize the impact of her words, she continued what she was doing, and my heart sank. This shouldn't be happening. I had always followed a strict diet plan to maintain my figure for working at the nightclub. I shouldn't be gaining weight, unless...

"Oh, god," I slowly slid to the floor, covering my face with my hands.

Olivia turned around, her face showing confusion and concern. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I...I don't know," I murmured.

"Wait," she suddenly realized, "You don't think—" she burst into laughter, "Chipmunk, you've just gained weight, you're not pregnant, don't overthink it."

The word "pregnant" exploded in my ears like a bomb. I collapsed on the floor, panic filling my heart.

This couldn't be happening...

No, Lily, don't overreact, you're not pregnant.

I forced myself to stand up, looking in the mirror again. My hand glided over my stomach, where there was a tiny but noticeable bump. All the symptoms - morning sickness, fatigue, mood swings, changes in appetite, and now weight gain - all pointed in one direction.

All signs I displayed indicated that I was pregnant. Tears streamed down my face, and my breathing became rapid.

If I was really pregnant...there was only one possible father, Nathan, the heir of the Sullivan family who had barely glanced at me since that night.

My heart raced, fear crawling up my spine. What would he do if I told him I might be pregnant? Force me to have an abortion? One hundred percent he would say that. Just like the past three months, when I passed him in the hallway, he just walked past me as if I didn't exist. He had a lifetime ahead of him, and it couldn't be ruined by a stripper like me.

"Lily, are you crying?" Jade's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I quickly wiped away the last tear, shook my head, and forced a smile. "I'm not, just something in my eye, let's go."

As we left hand in hand, my mind was still in turmoil. Just as I stepped out the door, I bumped into something as hard as a rock. No, not something, someone. I looked up and met Nathan's cold green eyes.

"Sorry!" I blurted out, instinctively taking a step back.

His gaze swept over my face, expressionless, as if I were air. Then he continued walking, not even stopping his steps.

"Damn, he's handsome and arrogant," Jade commented after he walked away.

I bit my lip, feeling my stomach churning. What would his reaction be if I told him I might be pregnant? Or worse?

Work hours began, and the club was as crowded as ever. Unusually, I chose to dance in the regular area, not the VIP section, trying to avoid any Sullivan family members. I needed time to think, to confirm if my suspicions were correct, to figure out what to do.

Dancing for money and indulging myself wasn't the worst job, but the only downside was that whenever people asked me what I did for a living, they would judge me because they were shocked by my answer. A young girl like me stripping at a club to earn money.

During a short break, I stopped, placing my hands on my stomach. Yes, there was a little life there. I could no longer deceive myself. But I was irresponsible, although it was the last thing I should have done, not everyone would support me. I really needed the money.

How could I be pregnant? How could a one-night stand happen? This wasn't like me. I had always been careful, always kept my distance, never let men get too close.

"You look uncomfortable, it's been months," Duke said with concern. He was the bar's security guard, always looking out for us like a big brother, following me to collect my tips. "You need to go home and rest or see a doctor."

Glancing at the clock, it was past midnight. I nodded, deciding to leave early. I tried to slip away to the dressing room without being noticed.

"Chipmunk, leaving so early?"

I heard a voice call out to me, stopped in my tracks, closed my eyes. Based on the expressions that neither of the other two Sullivan brothers had, I guessed it was Derek. I had two options: enter the dressing room, ignoring the boss, or face him in this situation. However, the first choice was impossible as I needed the money.

"Hi..." I awkwardly responded, hoping he wouldn't stop me from leaving.

He approached me, furrowing his brow, and touched my forehead. "Chipmunk...you look like a bunch of shit mixed together," he commented. Derek always had a way of using words that were either too simple or too complex for me to understand, so I furrowed my brow, waiting for him to clarify...

I stood there, unsure of how to respond.

"You seem a bit off, maybe you should get some rest," he explained in simpler terms. He sighed, staring at my shivering body due to the cold, then he noticed I wasn't wearing clothes.

I was about to thank him for his understanding and leave when he suddenly turned around and yelled at the person behind me, "Nathan, come take a look, if you're going to take over Dad's position, you have to care about your staff."

My heart skipped a beat, and my legs felt like lead. If I had known I would run into Nathan here, the person I was trying to avoid, I would have skipped work regardless of the money.