The Billionaire's Secretary

"Silas, how could you?" My voice broke as I stood frozen, trying to wrap my head around what was going on in front of me. My stomach twisted in knots. "And with Daphne? Seriously?"

The words came out, it hurt to say them. My eyes looked back and forth between them: Silas, the guy I have been in love with for almost five years, and Daphne, my best friend since middle school.

It felt like a bad dream I couldn't wake up from.

"Vee... let me explain," she stammered, gathering the sheets and covering her chest as she scrambled to her feet.

I let out a bitter laugh. Explain? What could she even say? I felt my breath become faster, my hands shook as I took steps back. I couldn't breathe in that room.

Without saying anything, I turned and ran out, the hallway was a blur as I rushed to my room. My phone was on the dresser, It was the reason I had to come back home. I picked it up, my fingers curling around it tightly like it was the only thing holding me, keeping me from falling apart. But the pain in my chest was still there, getting worse by the second.

Five years. Five years of laughter, love, promises now, it was all shattered, crushed by them. And with her of all people. The one person I had trusted the most.

I sobbed as I stumbled toward the door. I didn't even recall racing down the steps, my eyes were filled with tears. By the time I reached my old Camry, my body was shaking uncontrollably. I had a tight grip on the steering wheel, my sobs came harder and rougher. The betrayal burned through me like fire, burning into my soul.

How could they do this to me? Did I mean nothing to them?

I drove to work in silence, usually I would blast one of my cheerful, upbeat playlist on as I sang along, to make me feel better. but not that day, even the thought of it made things worse. there was a heavy, numb feeling that was settling deep in me and i hated it.

I parked in front of the big building, then with a shaky sigh, I tapped my phone screen to remind me of the time: 09:45 it showed and i groaned, i was very late.

My boss wouldn't like that.

Since I was already late, I took sometime to compose myself. I drew in a steadying breaths. As I stepped inside, I passed Carl, the security guard, without my usual smile or small talk. I was not in the mood to talk. His concerned glance didn't get a response from me. Reaching the lobby, I forced a quick tight-lipped smile to very few people before heading straight for the elevator.

As my fingers reached for the button, a familiar voice pierced the air. "Oh my goodness," she gasped dramatically.

I pushed the button, silently begging the elevator doors to open faster, needing an escape escape.

"Look what we've got here, Veronica Iverson is late for work" Her voice was laced with mockery, earning giggles from the two girls behind her.

"You look awful. Long night?" she added, tilting her head with fake concern.

I didn't reply, I never did every time she hauled a nasty comment at me. my gaze was fixed ahead until the doors finally slid open. Walking inside, I inhaled sharply, trying to balance myself. I didn't want to break down not now. I had work to do.

This job was everything. A miracle, really. Getting the job as the CEO's secretary at one of the top fashion brands in the country was a dream come true, and I wasn't about to mess it up, especially because of them.

I placed my bag down at my desk before heading to get his coffee, the familiar routine held me down for a moment.

With the cup in hand, I made my way to my boss's office, pausing briefly as my gaze caught my reflection in the glass of the door. It wasn't a full view, but it was enough. Linda was right. I did look terrible.

I shook off the thought and pushed forward.

"Good morning, Mr. Virelli," I greeted, my voice had a hint of guilt as I placed the coffee on his desk.

He wasn't in his usual seat. He stood by the window, his sharp black suit as immaculate as ever, arms crossed behind his back as he stared out at the city in thought.

"Veronica, you're late," he stated, his tone was measured.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, bracing myself for a lecture on the importance of being on time.

"I'll let it go, this time," he said, turning slightly. "It's not like you."

I was relieved.

He returned to his table, taking a seat. Mr. Virelli's worried gaze met mine, his wrinkled face etched with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked. I forced a smile, lying through my teeth. "I'm fine, sir." He knew I wasn't, but didn't press any further.

We reviewed the day's work, and as we finished up, he said, "One more thing could you please speak with Jillian? She's determined to change the summer line, and we don't have much time left before the season." There was clear exhaustion in his tone.

"You're the one who needs to tell her," I replied, amused. "Yes, but I'm afraid of what she might do," he admitted, his voice lowered even though we were the only ones in his office, chuckling. "I don't want a repeat of the 2015 fall line disaster."

He turned to me with a hopeful expression. "You can reason with her. Make her see it's not a good idea." I nodded.

"I'll try."

He sighed in relief. "Thank God I'll soon be done with this."

I liked working with Mr. Mason Virelli for the most part but, whenever he brought up retiring and his son taking over, it made me uncomfortable. I had to admit, the thought of a new boss made me a bit anxious, what if I wasn't treated as nice as he did or worse, what if he wanted a different secretary.

"It's never going to be the same without you here," I said in all honesty. "Do you think he's ready?" I asked.

Mr. Virelli smiled. "I trust in his capabilities, and besides, I'm not disappearing completely. you can always come to me for help."

His expression turned serious. "I have a favour to ask," he said.

"I want you to stick with him for at least the first year help him adjust, just till he gets a hang of things."

I didn't hesitate. "Of course."

"Excellent," he said with a nod. "I'll need the valuation documents, and that's it."

"They'll be in your email," I assured him before excusing myself.

During lunch, I wandered over to the design floor, there, the space was very lively. There was movement and conversation in different angles of the floor, everyone was busy. Designers and models were going back and forth, the atmosphere was both lively and chaotic. It was a complete zoo.

My eyes landed on one particular scene a designer carefully pinning fabric onto a tall, striking model. She was stunning, her fiery red hair came down her back, long legs giving her a type of effortless elegance. I wanted to look like her, such beauty could be seen from far.

As I took in the sight, the realization hit me like it always did; I stuck out. This was Virelli. The people around me had style, their outfits were bold, fashionable and always on point. I on the other hand, was the opposite; my frizzy ponytail, flowy skirt, and blazer felt wrong and out of place, the difference was clearly obvious.

It wasn't until I noticed the irritated glances in my direction that I snapped out of my thoughts. Embarrassed, I quickly mouthed a silent "sorry" and hurried away.

At last, my eyes found the one I had been searching for, she held a commanding presence in her fifties, she was directing the bustling design floor effortlessly.

"Veronica, sweetie! Come here," she called, spreading her arms wide.

As always, I admired her style. She was the head designer, and she dressed the part. every detail of her outfit dripped of confidence and flair.

"How are you, my darling?" she asked warmly.

"I'm fine." I replied, returning her smile.

With a graceful tilt of her finger, she adjusted her butterfly glasses, then pushed them back into place.

"Let's go to my office," she said, leading the way.

The vibrant red room was meticulously arranged, its colourful furniture creating a lively but inviting atmosphere. As I settled into my seat, she handed me a cup of coffee, her expression soft with concern.

"Tell me, what's wrong?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

I let out a small chuckle. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

"no, not at all" she said with a serious face. "Now, talk to me. Is it Silas?"

"I guess you could say that," I murmured, the weight of the morning crashing back onto my chest as the memories of the morning hit me hard.

Her sharp eyes studied me, waiting, but I could barely bring the words out. When they finally came, they felt harsh, like glass shattering in my throat as I spoke.

"Silas cheated on me, Jilly."

The moment the words left my lips, I couldn't help it, tears spilled freely. I hated this feeling, the ache, the shame, the betrayal.

"Oh, sweetheart." She stood up from her seat and embraced me, her warmth was a quiet comfort. "You're going to be okay. He wasn't worthy of you anyway." With gentle care, she wiped away my tears with her thumb.

"With Daphne of all people, Jilly, I don't know how I'll ever move on," I admitted, my tone was uncertain. I felt lost in heartbreak.

She gave me a reassuring smile. "Come on, honey. You're young, and you have your whole life ahead of you. Don't you dare waste it on people like that"

And with that, we both decided that ice cream was the perfect remedy to lift my spirits.

"The usual?" the ice cream truck vendor outside the company, asked, and I nodded in response.

We spoke for a little while, she changed the topic and was able to make me laugh.

"So, did Mr. Virelli tell you that you're planning to change everything about the summer line?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes, and I told Mason my decision is final," she replied firmly.

"But Jilly, think about it. We'd be wasting resources," I said, immediately regretting my choice of words.

She shot me a sharp look. "Doing something for my art is not a waste, Vee."

"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that the summer line you already created it would be a shame if people never got to see it," I clarified.

"But the people deserve to see this one," she insisted, her voice carried conviction. "I've poured everything into this year's summer line, only to be told he wants a show tailored to what he wants when his son takes over as CEO. It stressed me, Vee, but out of that stress, new ideas were born." Her tone was dramatic, but I knew she meant every word.

"I know, Jilly, but those new ideas could be next year's line. Are you saying you didn't do a good job on this one?" I asked, raising a brow, already knowing her answer.

"Of course not! Some of these pieces are my finest work... yet." She looked almost offended. She always said that about her newest pieces.

I sighed, trying one last time. "Please, Jilly," I begged, "don't do this. Don't look at me with those brown eyes of yours" she said almost in defeat. "Please, honour the request of the heartbroken." I added theatrics to my plea.

She rolled her eyes but relented. "Fine," she said, and I cheered in triumph.

I shut my laptop slowly, I was reluctant to leave. The thought of returning home to see my best friend, the betrayer made me angry. Throughout the day, both she and my boyfriend... my ex, I suppose, have been calling over and over. I ignored every one of them. What I needed at that moment was space. a break from both of them. I needed to breathe.

That evening, I drove to a park and settled onto a bench, gazing up at the stars.

"Hey Mom, hey Dad," I murmured, my voice thick with overwhelming emotion. "I miss you." I longed for the warmth of my mother's reassuring embrace, telling me everything would be okay, or my father's firm voice, reminding me that he never really liked him anyway.

My phone buzzed, breaking the silence. "Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, sis," came James's familiar voice.

I sniffled. "Hey, Jamie. What's up?"

"Are you crying?" he asked.

"No," I replied quickly.

"Okay..." He hesitated. "I was wondering if you could send me some money. I need a few things for school."

"What things?" I questioned.

"Just stuff," he said vaguely.

"Fine," I sighed. "I'll send you something."

He thanked me, and after exchanging goodbyes, the call ended, leaving me alone once more under the starry sky.