Secretly Married To My Secretary

Beginning

"I, Justin Smith-Montemayor, take you, –"

"Joanna! Wake up already!" I immediately woke up from my sleep and touched my forehead, feeling dizzy from the sudden awakening.

"Hey, girl! It's your first day at work, and you're still drooling? It's already seven o'clock!" My eyes widened, and I started to regain my senses.

I snapped out of it when she mentioned the time, so I ignored Katastrophe. I quickly went to the bathroom and filled the bucket with water. I was still groggy when I reached for the dipper and suddenly poured water all over myself. Damn! That was stupid! I should have heated the water first before taking a shower. The water in Baguio is freezing cold!" I muttered to myself, but because I was running late, I endured it to finish quickly.

Katastrophe is my best friend slash roommate. We've known each other since we were kids. Aside from being neighbors, we also went to the same school from elementary to college, where we decided to study in Baguio City.

After I left the bathroom, I quickly dressed in office attire and combed my hair with my hands. I walked out of the room, and there stood Katastrophe, lazily relaxing since it's her day off, being a call center agent who has two days off depending on her schedule, while I work in the office on weekends. After putting on my black doll shoes, I grabbed my shoulder bag and approached her.

"So, you're leaving now? You're setting an alarm even when you have time." She teased me. I smiled at her and took her coffee from the table, finishing it in one go. Thankfully, it wasn't too hot anymore. She was slightly surprised by what I did and narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

"JOANNA!" She scolded me. I didn't pay her any attention and quickly left the house, waiting for a jeepney to Smith House. Fortunately, our place is just by the side of the road, so I didn't have to wait long.

While on my way, I couldn't get the dream I had earlier out of my mind. It had been four years already. I wonder how he's doing now? I immediately brushed off that question and the dream itself, redirecting my attention to the road.

My phone did set off an alarm, but the dream was too good that it made my sleep even more enjoyable, and I didn't hear it. Geez! I didn't even check the time because I thought it was still early. Luckily, Katastrophe was there to wake me up.

"Kuya, stop here, please." The jeepney immediately stopped, and I struggled to get off. Well, no wonder, considering I was wearing a tight black pencil skirt. Actually, this skirt belongs to Katastrophe. She used it back when we were in college. I'm not really fond of wearing skirts; I prefer wearing slacks. It's not because my legs are unattractive, but I'm just not that girly.

Just yesterday, through an email, I found out that the required office attire for females is a skirt, while the boys can wear slacks. It's annoying! The owner of Smith House is so particular about it!

I think the owner of this company is an old unmarried pervert, and to discreetly check out his female employees, he requires us to wear skirts. But of course, that's just a joke.

I can't say that aloud, though. When I applied here, I saw the female employees inside their skirts, wearing high heels and with heavy makeup on their faces. I thought there was a party that day because there were clowns everywhere, like a children's party. Turns out they were office clerks. Sigh.

"Ma'am, please wear your company ID."

"Huh? What's that?" I looked at the guard in confusion while at the entrance. Urgh! Joanna, focus, focus, focus! I shook my head at myself. It's your first day of work; you need to look presentable and impress your boss to make this a permanent job.

"Ma'am, I said please wear your ID so I can scan it." The guard replied, scratching his neck. It was then that I realized I was at the entrance of Smith House. I quickly rummaged through my bag to find my ID and apologized to the people lined up behind me, complaining that they might be late.

Since I knew which floor the CEO's office was on, the thirty-third floor, I didn't bother asking the receptionist about the good-looking office clerks who happen to be unfriendly when it's a woman who's inquiring. Sigh. But when it comes to men-well, nevermind!

Oh, right, I'm really going to be late! I hurriedly went to the elevator, and luckily, there was enough space for me. I immediately pressed the button for the thirty-third floor and furrowed my brow when I saw the people beside me staring at me as if I had done something wrong. I could also feel the other gazes from behind.

What's their problem? Did I do something bad? I just ignored them and waited until we reached the thirty-third floor. Finally, I arrived, rushing down the hallway towards the CEO's office.

The CEO's office is the only one on this floor. Actually, I have no idea what my boss looks like because only the HR team interviewed me. I came here once before when I started, and Ma'am Claire, the HR manager, introduced me to the secretary I would be replacing.

She's an old woman in her sixties-that's what Ma'am Claire said. And because she's already a senior citizen, she decided to retire from work. According to Ma'am Claire, she is currently the secretary of the CEO's grandmother.

Finally, I reached the end of the thirty-third floor where the actual office was located. I quickly opened the double doors, and Mrs. Thompson's working table greeted me.

I approached her immediately and greeted her good morning, but she responded with a stern look and a scowl. Ah, the effects of old age! I just ignored her sour mood because I knew what my mistake was! I was five minutes late!

I apologized to her, making a peace sign to show that I meant it. She glared at me and said, "Fix yourself, Miss Cruz, and I will introduce you to Mr. Montemayor." I nodded, furrowing my brow. My attention was back on her, wondering.

"Uh, who is Mr. Montemayor?" I innocently asked. Wasn't my boss Mr. Smith? She frowned at me.

"Didn't I orient you about our boss?" She asked, irritated. I quickly nodded. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten my instructions?" she added. Her eyes narrowed as she adjusted her glasses.

I immediately shook my head. I have a good memory, you know! I remember all her instructions-the dos and don'ts, and I even reviewed them repeatedly yesterday so I wouldn't make any mistakes on my first day. But I really couldn't recall being told that my boss's name is Mr. Montemayor.

She just shook her head and turned around to walk beside me, pulling my hand without saying anything, making me follow her into the CEO's office.

"Sir," Mrs. Thompson called out to the man sitting on the large silver swivel chair, facing away from us and looking out at a large glass wall that offered a view of most of Baguio.

The Smith House building stood at the highest part of downtown, where famous attractions such as Burnham Park, the Rose Garden, City Hall, and the renowned church could be seen. The distant mountains were also visible.

I couldn't stay calm and was extremely nervous about our first encounter. I tried to find information about the CEO of Smith House on the internet, but the search results mostly showed John Smith, who belonged to the second generation of Smith House CEOs. Ms. Claire had mentioned to me that my boss would be from the third generation, and he disliked any public information about him being published.

The swivel chair slowly turned until I finally saw his face. My throat went dry, and I felt like my heart was about to burst out of my chest. If I hadn't been standing near one of the visitor chairs in front of his executive table, I might have collapsed from standing. My legs felt like jelly at this moment. Oh no.

My heartbeat raced, and it felt like my heart would jump out of my chest! Along with my soul leaving my body, I couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the dream I had about him earlier that I'm now wide awake and seeing him in front of me, yet he showed no emotion while looking at me.

Is he really the CEO of Smith House, my future boss?! To make sure of what I was seeing, I rubbed my eyes; maybe I was just blinded, but there he was, clear as day, right in front of me.

Could it be that I'm still dreaming? I discreetly pinched my side, wincing at my own action, and when I turned my gaze back to the man in the swivel chair, I caught him already looking at me!

So, does that mean I'm not dreaming? Suddenly, my stomach felt like it was in knots. I couldn't stay still in my spot. Do I want to leave? I don't know. I'm feeling a mix of emotions right now, and I can't focus on what's happening around me.

"Joanna, are you listening?" I snapped out of my deep thoughts when I heard Mrs. Thompson's sharp and irritated voice. In my panic, I nodded repeatedly, even though I didn't understand a single word she said.

I didn't even know if Mrs. Thompson had introduced me to him or not! Because he didn't react at all, he just maintained a poker face while staring directly at me. I ended up being scolded by Mrs. Thompson again. She was saying something to the man in front of me, but I couldn't understand it because I was still confused about what was happening.

"Joanna, what are you being dumb about?! I still have things to teach you outside!" Mrs. Thompson shouted at me. Did she already say we were leaving? My gaze kept shifting between Mrs. Thompson walking out and Justin, and then Mrs. Thompson called me again, so I finally walked out of his office.

Actually, today is Mrs. Thompson's last day. She extended her hours just for my first day of work. She wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing because Justin is too strict-no, I mean, my boss is.

I wiped away my invisible sweat on my forehead when it was already lunchtime, and Mrs. Thompson invited me to eat in the cafeteria. It was a good thing she informed Justin that we were having lunch. Ugh! If only I had known that Justin Smith-Montemayor is a relative of the owner of Smith House and, more importantly, the CEO of the company-in short, my boss!

If I could just back out, I would, but I've already signed a six-month contract with Smith House Corporation, and if I don't fulfill the contract, I'll have to pay the company for the lost months. Where would I get six million pesos to pay them, right?

So, I have no choice but to endure it and figure out how to get along with Justin starting now. Of course, first and foremost, I need to be civil in my dealings with him. I should get used to addressing him as Sir, or better yet, just 'boss.'

The day passed with just Mrs. Thompson and me together. She repeatedly instructed me on what to do first thing in the morning, during lunchtime, and even mentioned that it's part of my duties as Justin's secretary to buy him lunch.

Apparently, he doesn't usually leave for lunch, so Mrs. Thompson often volunteers to buy him food or have it delivered. In the afternoon, Mrs. Thompson would also bring him snacks and even dinner, which surprised me. I didn't want to ask why even dinner, so I just nodded in agreement, but curiosity got the better of me, so I ended up asking.

"Mr. Montemayor often works overtime, Joanna. He usually stays until 11 PM to 1 AM reading and signing documents. He doesn't want to delegate the task of reading papers to me. He's very hands-on with the business proposals from their clients to impress his father."

The truth is, I don't really know much about Justin, except for his full name that I forgot. Well, as they say, sometimes stupidity is real. Hay. How could I forget his full name? Well, why would I even bother remembering the name of the guy who left me hanging, right?

I have no idea about his parents, so I didn't feel any surprise when I noticed that he somewhat resembled Josh Smith. At that time, I thought there were many people who looked alike in the world, and it turns out they're relatives.

When it was past 5 PM, Mrs. Thompson allowed me to leave, but she told me to say goodbye to Boss before leaving. My hands immediately turned cold, and I couldn't stay still. I didn't know how to bid him farewell.

"Joanna, what are you doing there? Go inside and say goodbye to him," Mrs. Thompson scolded me. She seemed to have noticed that I was just standing in front of Justin's office door. I bit my lower lip and was about to respond when the door suddenly opened.

Mrs. Thompson stood up from her seat while looking at the man in front of me. I could smell his masculine cologne, and I had to tilt my head up to see his face.

"Sir--" Mrs. Thompson didn't get to finish her sentence when Justin spoke. I'll practice calling him Boss later. I'm still in a state of shock until now, and in my mind, I still refer to him as Justin. I involuntarily nodded as I thought about it.

"Are you going home?" He spoke in a cold and firm tone of English. Oh, maybe he was asking Mrs. Thompson since it's probably her five PM out as well. But minutes passed, and I didn't hear any response from Mrs. Thompson.

So, I turned to look at Justin, and I was puzzled when I saw him looking at me. Was he looking at me or at Justin? To make sure, I looked at Justin, and I was equally surprised to see him looking at me too.

My heartbeat quickened, my legs turned into jelly once again, and I couldn't stay still. The butterflies in my stomach joined in, which I've been feeling since I heard his voice again.

"Uh... Are you asking me?" I asked him in return. He raised an eyebrow and looked at me intently.

My bag was already hanging on my shoulder, indicating that I was ready to go home. I thought he would scold me for leaving earlier than him, considering he's my boss. But to my surprise, he grabbed my right hand without saying a word and pulled me out of the office.

"Joanna, are you okay? And who was that person who dropped you off? Wow! Ha? On your first day of work, you already have a-uhhmm... friend, not a boyfriend, right?"

I slumped down on a monobloc chair and gave Katastrophe a tired look. She raised an eyebrow. I sighed and told her about everything that happened today. After Justin dragged me out of his office, we went straight to the private elevator, which only he and his family members can use.

I didn't know if it was right to talk to Katastrophe about it, considering I didn't know what to say. So, in the end, I chose to remain silent. Until we reached the parking lot. He didn't even glance back, just reached out his hand, and we walked together towards a car-a Bugatti.

He opened the shotgun seat, and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. What did he want me to do? Where was he taking me? Fortunately, our hands weren't intertwined, so it was easy for me to take a step back away from his car.

"Hop in." He said in a firm tone. Reluctantly, I got into the car. I tried to get out, but it was locked, and before I knew it, the driver's seat opened, and he entered. Once again, our eyes met, and we exchanged icy glares.

"I don't know what you're planning, but I have no intention of going anywhere with you." I didn't wait for his response and quickly unfastened the seatbelt he had put on me, intending to leave before he could catch me again. But unexpectedly, he leaned over and grabbed my hands, holding them tightly with his.

The moment of him kissing me felt like it lasted for ages. I was panting and breathless, still hunched in my seat. Justin, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened. He was chilling while driving, and since I couldn't keep my head down forever, I casually shifted my gaze to the window, but my full attention was still on him.

I noticed that the route we were taking seemed familiar to me, and my eyes widened with realization-it was the way to our rented house. I was stunned when he stopped right in front of our house. As I looked at him, I only realized one thing-Justin didn't even have pores! Huhu! Meanwhile, I was starting to have them! Why is life so difficult here in the Philippines? It's hard to find a job even if you're a college graduate, and the salary is meager. Sigh.

"What are you still looking at?" Justin asked irritably, and my heart pounded faster. How embarrassing! He noticed that I was staring at him!

"N-nothing! Thank you for the ride!" I quickly got out of his car and entered our house. I was about to have a moment behind our door, but Katastrophe was there, eavesdropping. Psh. So, I went straight to our dining table and slumped down.

"Oh, gosh, yeah! There's a six-million damage fee! And we don't even have a single cent!" Katastrophe told me after reading my contract with Smith House.

"So, you have no choice. You have to finish the contract. Haha! Good luck!" Then she left the house. That crazy girl! Where could she be going at this hour? She's asking for trouble, but she's already an adult, so she can handle her own life.

Oh, for crying out loud! I counted about five hundred sheep while lying in bed, and I still couldn't fall asleep until it reached three AM! That's when I finally succumbed to sleep. Damn that kiss from Justin, it kept lingering in my mind!

Every time I closed my eyes, I imagined him and me kissing inside his car! And I was actually participating in it- he was the one who kissed me! And I woke up abruptly at five AM.

Since my work didn't start until eight AM, I tried to go back to sleep, but darn it, sleep refused to visit me again! I tried all sorts of sleeping positions, but in the end, since it was still early, I decided to take a walk until I reached Burnham Park.

I still remembered when I was a child; Mommy used to bring me here whenever she wanted to take a stroll in the park. She told me stories about how she used to go on morning walks here when she was pregnant with me.

But everything has changed now-it's been a long time since I've seen her because we're not on good terms. She couldn't accept the fact that I got married early-

"Joanna!" My musings were interrupted when I heard my name. Naturally, I turned around because the voice calling me sounded familiar. Just as I looked back, I heard my name again.

"Joanna!" My heart raced faster, and the butterflies returned to my stomach when I saw Justin! No! I can't make a mistake, even though he was wearing shades that covered almost his entire face.

I stood up from the bench, even pointed at myself. He didn't answer, but it seemed like not answering was his usual habit. Hmm... I only discovered that now? Well, when we were still together, even if what I said didn't make sense, he would still respond. Before I realized it, I was already walking towards him.

"Joanna, come here." He said, so now I was sure that he was calling me. As I approached him, our eyes suddenly met. I don't know if it was just me, but it felt like the surroundings slowed down, and it was just the two of us existing in this park.

I have to add that Justin looked really hot in his jogging attire. He was wearing a tank top, jersey shorts, basketball shoes, and his phone was strapped to his left arm with an armband, with earphones plugged in.

Then we heard a loud and bold dog howl, and I looked down at his feet, realizing that he had a dog with him. He turned to the dog and spoke.

"Good job, Joanna." He said to the dog, raising my eyebrows. He then took the frisbee-like object from the dog's mouth and threw it into the grass, commanding the dog to fetch.

What the heck! Did I hear that right? He named his dog Joanna?! This Justin guy is such a jerk!