A Family For The Ceo

1.

February.

My fiancée had miscarried our child.

I have never liked to find out about things people do behind my back, let alone the betrayal of a woman I thought I loved completely. I was on the balcony, smoking a cigarette when my fiancée came in with one of the dresses I had given her and heels in her hands.

"Where have you been?" I ask Clark, exhaling the smoke, avoiding looking at her because I know she's going to see that I'm annoyed with her and I'm not interested in that right now.

Clark seems happy and excited.

"I was on a photo shoot, I did quite well, I was one of the most beautiful models there."

"I don't doubt it. "

"Of course you shouldn't doubt it, I'm beautiful and I know that's why you chose me," he says approaching me and running his hands all over my body, when he sees my cold and distant eyes he realises that something is wrong with me. Is there a problem, love?"

"Have you been hiding something from me?"

"No. Why do you say that?" she asks nervously.

"Tell me the truth."

"I didn't lie to you, Newman."

"Of course you have," I say with a wry smile. "You've been lying to my fucking face all this time and you've got the balls to come in here and deny it."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She breaks away from me, distressed and surprised by the tone of voice I have used and the accusation I have made, I know she doesn't know what I am talking about and that she must be imagining something else because that is something she has taken care to hide very well.

"You aborted the baby you would have with me."

"I've never been pregnant, I don't know what you're talking about or why you think I had a baby in my belly, but I think you're completely wrong."

"I know you were pregnant because I hired a private investigator to follow you, Clark."

"This is unbelievable," she snorts, "You sent me to investigate just because you had to, that's not fair Newman, you didn't respect my privacy."

"Do you have any idea why I did it?" I ask, grabbing her by the arm, dragging her to the edge of the balcony and making her look down to the ground. "Do you see that? We're too high up, high enough for one of us to die if we fall off."

She looks frightened by my words, but I don't care, she has lied to me and caused my heir to die. That son was the one who would carry on my name and run all the Newman companies.

"You're crazy, let go of me."

"I'll let you go if you tell me why you did it."

"That baby wasn't supposed to be born, I tried not to let you know," I sobbed. "I didn't want you to know. Why the fuck did you have to send me to investigate?"

"All you had to do was tell me you were pregnant, ask me what you wanted to do, or at least tell me that the baby would never be born."

"I don't..."

"What did you have against our son?" I yell at her and she widens her eyes, I let go because I don't want to make a mistake and I sigh trying to calm down, but I don't succeed.

I am very upset with her.

I had talked to Clark about the children I wanted to have and the things I would like to do if I had a successor. I told him about my plans, everything I had been thinking about and the things I dreamed of doing when I had my first child. Clark always told me that she would love to have a child with me, so why did she abort it?

"You don't understand why I did it."

"I want you to tell me, to be honest with me."

"That baby wasn't yours, Newman," she says in despair. "I got pregnant because I slept with a Puerto Rican who came to town months ago."

What the hell is he saying? At what point did that happen?

"You tricked me..."

"Newman, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry you found out that way."

"I thought you only aborted the child because you didn't feel ready to be a mother and start a family, I might have understood that answer and accepted it because I know how difficult and responsible it is to have a child. I would have understood that, but this... Clark I wanted to marry you."

She looked at me with her cheeks wet with tears.

"I'm not ready for commitment, I'm terrified of it and I was drunk when I cheated on you, but I love you Newman, we can try, that baby would have been yours anyway."

"I don't want someone else's child."

Maybe that's a lie, I'll always say that the son Clark lost was mine, she's not entirely sure I'm not the father or maybe deep down she knows that. Can a mother know that?

"I'm sorry I hurt you, we can work this out, let's talk," he says. Love.

"You'd better go, I want you to get your things."

"I can't leave, I have nowhere to go, you can't leave me on the street just because of a fight. Couples argue all the time and that doesn't mean you have to leave them."

"If you think this is a simple fight, you're wrong, you can go and take whatever you want, you'll get nothing more from me."

"It's crazy."

I stand silently watching her adopt this cold and indifferent posture, I'm surprised she had the courage to speak to me like that. The anger is still all over my body and I don't care what happens to her anymore.

"Get out of my house, I'm going to eat with my parents when I get back, I don't want to see anything of you here."

"You can't be serious, you can't leave me on the street, you can't pretend everything is going great and leave me voted homeless. What will people say? What about your fans? They love our relationship," she says desperately looking for any excuse to make me regret my decision and stay, but I have no regrets. I want her to leave today.

"Don't make it harder, Clark."

"Do you love me?"

"Did you love our baby?"

"Of course."

"Gather your things."

"Newman..."

"If you don't pick up your things I'll throw them away and change the lock. If I were you, I'd want to leave with my things, my perfumes and all the designer clothes I own. Listen to me, Clark."

You know I'm right, you don't want to go and leave me everything just out of pride. He can take whatever he wants, I won't do anything with women's clothes, I won't do anything with clothes that are only going to remind me of the way I lost my son.

She goes to the bedroom to collect all her belongings and I leave the house, when I arrive again I realise that I am alone, alone and all alone in this huge and empty house.

Seeing the house brings back too many memories, memories of everything I lived through and had to go through because of it. I wanted that baby, whether he was mine or not, he was going to carry my surname and I would mould him to my liking, he would be an image of me, I would feel proud and I could have taken him to his football matches, but I have lost him and now I don't know what to do with him.

Clark was an attractive woman with a knockout physique, I knew that most men wanted to have her for themselves, but I never imagined that she would be unfaithful to me, her eyes always sparkled when she talked to me, she seemed happy and told me all the things she did during the day, I loved listening to her because her witticisms always surprised me.

It was always something new with her.

The door to my house rings and I go outside, it's my private investigator, the one who's been giving me information about Clark and the things he's been doing, but she never told me he's been sleeping with another man, I'm sure she must have seen him at some point.

"Good morning, Mr Newman."

"Good morning, I'm glad you showed up, I wanted to talk to you."

"I came to inform you that I saw your fiancée getting into a car with another man, I have no idea who it was, but they seemed to be close, she was crying, I can get you more information about the man if you want."

For a moment I think about saying no but then I reconsider my answer and decide to accept, I want to know who is the Puerto Rican that Clark has been sleeping with and with whom he would have a child.

I knew Clark had miscarried because I walked into the clinic and the investigator asked if she had made an appointment, and on the day of the appointment she came out crying. That's when I knew I had lost the child who would be my heir.

"Do it, I want you to inform me when you have everything and please don't be so obvious, I ask for discretion in the matter."

"Has there been any inconvenience? He looks down."

"I feel fine Roberto, don't worry about me and just do the job I asked you to do."

"I'll take care of it, I heard there was a woman who had a baby girl in her parents' hospital."

"What's that got to do with me?"

"They say she's a beautiful child, the prettiest child they've ever seen, as if an angel had come down from heaven, but the child's mother is bankrupt."

"It is an unfortunate event, that child will grow up without ambition."

"Maybe, Mr Newman."

Roberto retires and takes off his hat as a sign of respect, I watch him leave and after a few hours I receive a message from him saying that the man Clark has slept with had worked for me a few years ago.

"You can take care of him, just make sure that the body is not visible to the police." That was all I told him and the next morning Puerto Riqueño turned up dead and reported missing in front of the authorities and his family.

It's been a year since my life got back on track, I'm grateful that things worked out well for me, I needed it, thinking about the son I lost and all the things I was leaving behind was completely consuming me, I spent a week not being able to focus on what really matters and those were one of my main problems.

"I'm sorry," a woman with jet black hair crashes into me and spills a couple of coffees, I automatically step back and look at her, her hair is dishevelled and her eyes are green.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm very sorry about what happened, let me get you a couple of wipes to clean you up."

"I'm fine, there's nothing to worry about."

"I won't feel right letting him go like this," she looks upset and I laugh a little at her awkwardness.

"Are you in trouble? You seem to have more important things to do than clean my shirt."

"I should have taken the couple of coffees I spilled to my boss, but now I don't have time and if I get there without them he'll probably want to fire me."

"Well, let's buy some more," I suggest and she declines.

"I should go, I don't have time."

"Do you work here?"

She nods.

Wow, I didn't expect to get one of my future employees, I just bought this company, but I'd rather keep it to myself and continue with the game of being a simple person passing through the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Me too, I'm new."

"I wish you luck with our boss," he smiles and we both enter the company, a middle-aged man pulls his arm tightly and I frown defensively.

"Where are the coffees? You're useless, Melanie. I knew I had to fire you before today. And who is he?" asks the man sharply.

"My name is Newman, a pleasure."

"Get to work, the new owner should be here soon and if he complains I'll take it out on you."

I decided to go down to my car to get the new shirt I had left there last time, I don't plan to go upstairs dressed the same way. I already know who will be the first person to be fired, I didn't plan to find out that way, let alone end up infiltrating to realise that some employees pretend to be sweet sheep and end up being the wolves.

Maybe the world is more rotten than I expected.

"Has Newman Cash arrived at his new domain yet?" On the other end of the line is my best friend Adrik, we work together and we always tell each other everything that happens, partly because of him I knew that my old partner had miscarried.

"I'm in the car changing my shirt, but I've been watching a bit of the action."

"Anything interesting to highlight?"

"I know who I want to fire."

"Remember your mother asked you not to go crazy firing people and bringing in new people."

"I know, Adrik. It's not what I will do."

"You will know the decisions you make, I'm just warning you."

"Will you come?"

"Do you want me to come?"

"No, I think I can figure it out on my own."

"All right, call me when you're done, remember we have a meeting at six o'clock."

The call ends and I sigh, I feel the urge to light up a cigarette, but I restrain myself. I've wanted to quit smoking since last year but the situation has become complicated, smoking is the only thing that relaxes me lately.

I walk up the stairs and suddenly I'm in the same place, I stay out of the way so as not to disturb the staff and so that they don't notice me so much. I hear the man from the morning arguing with the girl I met more than three times, shouting at her and doing whatever he wants with her. I don't understand how she is able to stand it, as she would have left this job a long time ago.

I don't tolerate being shouted at, nor do I tolerate people talking to me in a tone that seems old-fashioned to me. The only person who speaks to me the way he wants to is Adrik, and only because our friendship has always been like that.

"Good morning Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm just passing through."

"Excuse me sir, but people can't just be passing through here, I must ask you to leave."

"I'll be leaving in a moment."

The man whose name I don't know approaches the girl who is talking to me and grabs her by the arm to drag her into his office. The office is silent for a long time so I decide it's time to intervene and not keep quiet.

I knock on the door, but nobody opens until I am more insistent.

-What the fuck do you want, can't you see I'm solving some problems with her?

"Can you tell me your name?" I ask calmly.

"Excuse me? What does that matter to you?"

"I need your name."

"Tomy."

"Excellent Tomy, as I told you downstairs, my name is Newman, I am the new owner of the company."

"Impossible, you're just an employee," he replies, his voice trembling.

"I am Newman Cash and I regret to inform you that you are dismissed, I cannot allow you to treat my employees in this way, let alone put your hands on them, I hope I can remove all your things in less than an hour."

"Mr. Cash, what you saw was a misunderstanding, I was just stressed by the situation, it's not something that happens every day, you should understand me, you must be under a lot of pressure too."

"Stress is not a valid reason to treat other employees badly, please pick up your things and leave."

Tomy clicks his tongue and tries to go back into his office, but I put one foot in the middle of the door, I'm not going to let this woman be left alone with that man in there again.

"Miss, get out of the office as well."

"Thank you very much," he whispers, leaving at a fast pace, I wait for Tomy to pick up everything and accompany him outside when the employees see us, I notice that the girl from the café is watching me, slowly and carefully.

Her eyes express curiosity, intrigue and I want to talk to her, I want her to be my secretary or at least work for me more closely.

Melanie Brand.

I wish my life was like other women's, with everything taken care of and a line of men wanting to be with me. I don't think I'm an ugly woman, just a single mother who has decided to live in a flat so as not to bother her parents. I lived with them for a while, things were going well at first, but one day they just stopped working, I knew I had to leave.

For me, having to leave home was the worst situation I could have been involved in.

"Good morning, Melanie.

"Good morning Willia, I didn't expect you to be here so early."

"I finished my chores at home earlier today and I thought I would want you to look after the child while she goes to work, you do so much for her, you shouldn't force yourself so much."

"I'm doing the best I can, my boss got fired yesterday and I met the new owner of the company, I don't know how things are going to be today over there, but I hope I don't get fired."

Willia looks at me with compassion, she knows what I've been through and I'm grateful that she's the only one helping me with the child while I work. There's a knock on the flat door and I go out to see who it is.

"Mrs Brand, I won't take up too many minutes of your time, I know you are a busy person" the owner of the residence is here with some papers in her hand, I have not been able to pay her what I owe her and I know that is why she has come.

"I'm sorry I haven't been answering your calls, I've been busy with work and I'm usually late and tired."

"I need you to pay me the two months' rent you owe me, I can't keep renting from you if you don't. I need you to pay me the two months' rent you owe me."

"Mrs. Merida, I don't have the money at the moment, if you could just give me a little more time," I beg.

"I've given you enough time to get all the money you owe me, but you haven't even had the decency to pay me the first month's rent, I need you to vacate the flat by tomorrow."

"Madam... please... I have a daughter..."

"My heart is racing, I don't know what I'm going to do about all the bills I have to pay, I need to get the money as soon as possible. A few tears threaten to come to my face, but I calm down, I wish I could get my money problems sorted out."

I'm homeless and I can't go back to my parents' house, I promised that if I left I wouldn't come back, I see Mrs. Willia coming down with my daughter in her arms and I say goodbye to her, I try to get out of that house as fast as possible because I need to gather my thoughts and I stop when I see Aegan get out of the car in front of the bakery in my building.

"Melanie?"

"Mr Cash"

He doesn't hide the surprise in his voice and I try not to sound like I've cried.

"I didn't expect to see you here, I wanted to look for you after seeing Tommy off."

"Don't worry, I thank you for what you have done for me."

"I would like to talk to you about some details of the company, I hope it is not too late for that or that you are not busy at the moment."

"Not at all," I quickly reply.

"Perfect, I'll buy you a coffee."

I sit with him for a moment and sigh, I don't want to look like a desperate girl or a woman with a million problems, I have learned throughout life that not reflecting your emotions is the best thing you can do to avoid people feeling sorry or pity for you.

"Excuse me, I would like to know why you wanted to meet me or if I have done something to upset you, I can correct it if that was the case."

I can't afford to lose my job, I have to pay the rent, the lady has been pressuring me to pay what I owe, but the previous boss of the company rarely paid us what he owed and when he did it went into all the debts I had on top, starting with the things my daughter needs, some time has passed and my daughter has been growing up, but she is still a little girl who requires a lot of care.

"I wanted to ask you to be my secretary, I have been inspecting the workers and I realised that you were the hardest working person in the company, not to mention that you were hardly ever paid what was due, I promise that as long as I am in charge things will not be like this."

I don't know how to respond, I feel astonished by his offer, but at the same time I want to accept it, it would be a good opportunity for me and my family, I have tried to get ahead on my own, but opportunities like this rarely come my way.

"You don't have to answer now," he says when he realises that I haven't answered and I don't really know what to say. "You have a week to think about it, I will organise the company and the jobs better, I need everything to work better."

"Thank you for the offer, I was a bit surprised because honestly it was not what I expected, if I may give my opinion I think the jobs are fine as they are, but you should talk to them and make them really do things right, you could even hire a supervisor."

"In which area do you specialise?"

"I'm a business administrator, I've taken courses in graphic design and I know a bit about marketing, but not much."

"All right, Melanie?" I nod when he says my name as a question and he smiles with pleasure. You're the perfect girl for me, I need you on my team, we can work out a good payment between the two of us.

"Would you like me to be a supervisor as well?"

He nods enthusiastically.

I never expected the man who bought the company to be so young and handsome, he is one of those guys who are not easy to forget, who wear good clothes, have a good face and always know what to say to please you.

"What do you think?"

I bite my lower lip and look at an undefined point in the room where I am.

"I accept, but I don't want to regret it, I would like you to understand that I have a daughter to look after and I really need a good job."

Newman's expression changes to a serious and distant one, suddenly, I feel like I've said something I shouldn't have said, but I've acted normal and I don't think I've said anything wrong, I've just been honest.

"How old is your daughter?"

"One year old, learning to walk."

"She must be a beautiful girl, I should have had a child too," he says and the coffee he was stirring patiently before now begins to be drunk slowly, sometimes he looks at it as if he is going to give her an answer. My ex-partner decided to abort the baby without consulting him, I argued with her that day, I wanted to have a child.

His voice cracks a little, but he tries to hide it.

I feel a bit sorry for him, losing a child must be one of the worst things that can happen to someone who wants to have a family, I was clinging to the idea that my ex-partner was going to stay with me, idealising things is something I vowed never to do again.

I'm very sorry, maybe your ex-partner had problems that he didn't know how to talk to you about or he just wasn't a good person, but I hope he was able to overcome that loss.

"A loss is never completely overcome, you just learn to live with it."

I look at him, without saying anything, and nod.

There is an awkward silence between the two of us, I have nothing to say, I want to leave and Newman remains sitting in his seat without saying anything, I am not good at comforting people nor am I good at giving advice, I didn't expect my boss to open up to me like that, maybe now he understands a little better that people with money don't always lead a good life.

"I think that's it for today, we should leave before you're too late for work. Would you like a lift?"

"Are you heading to the company too?" I ask and he nods, we get up and the tycoon pays the bill without even asking any questions, tips the employees and signals to one of his bodyguards that they should leave.

I've never liked to stay so long in the place where I work, I'm used to being on the road, I used to travel a lot, when I had my ex-partner we always went on trips, I took her to my business meetings and anywhere she wanted, but I know that this time it has to be different, I can't get lost for several days and pretend that everything is fine.

"Why not? You're the boss."

"I have to be responsible and it is a project to which I am devoting all my energy, so I would like to do things right."

Even though he is a young man he has all his goals clear, I have always admired men like him, knowing what they want is one of the first things a woman can see in a man, however, Newman seems a bit distracted by what happened in his life some time ago.