In this case, a vignette is basically a one scene short story. I wrote this years ago, but recently 'found' it in a file folder.

The woman was so engrossed in her task that she did not hear the man entering the penthouse  apartment.  She didn’t really ‘need’ the clothing and personal items she had  been packing into the suitcase; she only did it because it was expected.  She could not leave anything behind, if she wanted the man to believe she had left for good.  She didn’t need to glance at her wristwatch to know she still had half an hour till the rendezvous.  

The man stopped at the door to the bedroom, his calm expression covering his tumultuous emotions. He watched as the woman finished packing the suitcase.  As she started to turn around, he heard her slight gasp as she realized she was no longer alone in the room.

“Weren’t you even going to say good-bye?”  Derek Matthews asked, his voice cool..  

  The woman known to him as  Mira Tremaine returned his gaze calmly.  To a casual observer, he would appear to be calm and in complete control of his emotions.  But she knew him well enough to see the tightly leashed emotions just under the surface: anger, disappointment, and most of all--a steely resolve.  This was a man who did not take ‘no’ for an answer. She felt a twinge of regret.    If  only things had been different…

    “I thought it best to keep this uncomplicated. No messy shouting matches…just a clean break” she added.

       “That’s a lie,” he retorted, letting a  hint of his feelings show through. “I don’t know why you‘re doing this; but I do know we have something special between us.  You can’t fake that.  You care about me.”

        “Yes, I do,” Mira admitted. “But for reasons I can’t go into, it’s time for me to leave now.  As much as I wish I could stay--it just isn’t possible.”  

    Derek took a deep  breath as he prepared to face her with the truth.  “I know what’s going on.  I decided to confront you at your office.  Imagine my surprise when I was told that you’d quit.”

      “You know--what?” she asked, frowning as she  wondered what he was talking about. There was no way he could possibly know the real reason she must leave.   

        “After six months, you should know me well enough  to know I’d follow you to the ends of the earth to get what’s mine.”

        Mira couldn’t help the sudden amusement that showed in her face.  Her eyes twinkled as she thought how appropriate his choice of words was.

          “Did I say something funny?” Derek’s demeanor hardened, his eyes  glittering with anger.

            All traces of amusement  gone, she shook her head.  She knew she had options he could never even imagine; and yet, she wanted to keep talking to him.  She was enjoying one last conversation with the man she had come to care for more than she’d ever thought possible.   Soon enough, she would be far away, never to see him again.

       “Then what?”

        “Soon I’ll be much farther away than that.  Where I’m going…you couldn’t possibly follow.”

        “Let’s get back to your reason for leaving.  You know how ruthless I can be when  I want something; what made you think you could take what was mine and just leave?”  

     “I don’t understand,” Mira seemed confused.   “If you mean the gifts you’ve given me…I left all of that here. I have no need of it.”

     “Gifts be damned!”  he exploded, grabbing her by the arm.  “I don’t care about ‘things’…what you’re taking can’t be bought.   Or rather…it can be, if necessary.  That’s the ironic part.  Most women in your situation would use this as a way to gain…whatever they want.”

        “My situation,” Mira repeated, realizing what he was talking about now.  Somehow, he knew.  He had discovered  at least part of her secret.  She relaxed even as she wondered how to handle this turn of events.   

         “All right…let’s be honest here.  How much will it take for you to have the child and then leave?” Derek asked bluntly, even though this was not what he really wanted.  It would do for a start.  He knew that he could change her mind if given time.  He could keep her--and the child.

        Mira couldn’t help the laughter that spilled out of her.  Dropping the last shred of pretence, she returned his gaze coolly.  She shook off his grasp and stepped back.

         “I’m afraid that would negate my entire reason for being here,” she admitted.  Then she added, “I have no need of your money. Where I am from, a child is priceless.  And a male child is beyond priceless.”

      Derek frowned, wondering if Mira could be deranged.  She certainly wasn’t acting as he had expected

He suddenly comprehended her last words.

      “How on earth could you know it’s a boy at this stage?”

     “I have resources.  Derek, I  think it’s time I was totally honest with you.  Although I’m not sure you’ll believe me,” Mira added, watching his face closely. 

      “Mira…maybe we should get you to a doctor.  I think we need to get you checked out--to be sure everything is all right,” Derek tried to sound conciliatory.  He was starting to be concerned about her mental as well as physical health.

       “Don’t patronize me!” Mira ordered, steel in her voice.  As she saw him start to reach out for her again, she touched a small button on her wristwatch.  “I’m not delusional.”   

       ‘What the hell!” he exclaimed.  He couldn’t touch her. It was as if an invisible wall had appeared  between them.  

      “I’m really sorry it has to be this way,” Mira began, adding, “I’ve come to care for you…much more than I could ever have thought possible.”

         “Then why leave? And…okay…let’s take this calmly,” Derek drew a deep breath.  “Explain what just happened--please.”

     “I activated my personal force shield--it’s standard protection.  And no…you are not dreaming this” she assured him.  

       “Don’t try to tell me you’re from Mars,” he looked at her skeptically. “Then I’ll know I’ve gone off the deep end--or we both have.”    

        “Not quite.  In my research, I came across an old movie--I think you call it a B-movie--where men from Mars come to Earth to abduct women.    Well, in truth…my world needs children.  Our men are sterile.  So some of us are sent out to …procure….fetuses.  Once we have what we need, then we return home,” she explained, wondering if he could possibly believe her. In his world, this would be considered Science Fiction. But in her world…it was reality.

           “Then you ARE pregnant?”

            “ No, I’m not.  Well, actually…there are three children; but I am not physically pregnant at the moment..  They are safely …stored…for the journey home.”

           “I don’t believe this.   It’s impossible…crazy,” Derek spoke softly, trying to reconcile what he believed with what she was telling him.   Taking a step backward, he sat down in a nearby chair.  

          He watched as she sat down on the  bed, still watching him closely.  Now the tables were turned: it was she who was observing his reaction.  

         “You really are from…where?”

         “A planet quite a long way from here…called Altara.”

          “And you came here…for the sole purpose of getting pregnant?”

        “That’s right.”

        “So I’m what…just a means to an end? No feelings or attachments?” he sounded bitter now.

           “No, Derek…that’s not how it is.  I chose you for many reasons. One important reason is the chemistry between us.  I could not have stayed with you this long if I didn’t have feelings for you.  If things were different…well, I would not choose to leave,” Mira assured him, regret on her face. “I wish…I wish I could stay with you. But that is not possible.  I have responsibilities.   If even one of us should turn away from our duties, it would wreak havoc on our entire mission.”

          Derek was silent for several moments. Then he spoke again, thoughtfully.

      “You say your men are sterile.  So I’m assuming a virile male would be a prized possession. Or something like that,” he added, suddenly feeling  a bit awkward at the thought.  

         “Not a possession,” she smiled at him, acknowledging his sudden discomfort at the thought.  “But yes, another part of our mission is sometimes to return with suitable males.”

         “And would these suitable males be allowed to remain with the woman they …bonded with?  Or would they be treated like stud animals?”       

          “The only reason such a male would return with the woman would be because he wished to remain with the one woman.  Are you saying you might want to return with me?” she asked, almost afraid to hope he was  about to volunteer.

       “ I am considering it,” he admitted.  “You know I’m an adventurer at heart. And I admit that corporate work has become a bit boring of late.  But I must know one thing.”

         “Which is?”

       “How much of what we had was ….real…and how much was pretense?” he asked, staring at her intently.

        “It was all real. The only pretense was my ‘background‘.   I could not and would not pretend to be submissive or unintelligent. The arguments we had when we disagreed were real,” she admitted.  “That was another reason I chose you. You valued my strengths…my capabilities. You didn’t expect me to stand back and defer to you in everything.”

      “That’s one of the reasons I love you,” Derek admitted. “You didn’t pretend to be less intelligent than you are; you matched me in every way.  So yes…if it is allowed.. I would chose to go with you.  That is, if you want me to…and if you feel the same way about me.”

         “Yes!” Mira exclaimed. “I do love you, Derek,  And having you with me is more than I could have hoped for.”

          “Then what do we do? How do we…get there?”

          “In just a few more minutes, I’ll receive the signal that our ship is ready to transport me on board.  I’ll let them know there are two of us, and we’ll be taken aboard.  The ship will continue picking up the others and then we’ll return home.”

         “So you and I just disappear. Without a trace.”

         “It happens all the time, from what I see on your news reports.  Just another mystery that is never  solved,” Mira added.

        “I doubt anyone will actually miss me, “ he admitted. “The company will go on…”

         “And we’ll be together--with our children.”

       A soft chime sounded from Mira’s wristwatch a few minutes later.  She picked up the small medi-kit which contained the stored fetuses, then touched one of the tiny buttons on the ’watch’.

        “Two ready for transport,” she spoke into the tiny transmitter. Then she reached out for Derek’s hand.

“Let’s go home”.