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.

Some time passed, almost a month. Daphne and I haven't talked to each other or at least, not on my end. After work, I would go straight to my room, avoiding any interaction with her, doing my best to dodge her. On weekends, I'd escape to a local library, I spent hours reading about plants. I even grew a little plant in a pot. I know it's a petty thing to do, but seeing her face or Silas's was too much for me to deal with. I was still too hurt.

At the company, preparations for Mason Virelli's son to take over were in full swing. The atmosphere was intense, with everyone was in the rush, especially the legal department. My role was stressfull, it was my responsibility to keep the senior Mr. Virelli informed about every department's progress.

I prepared his coffee as always; black, with one cube of sugar.

"Good morning, Mr. Virelli," I greeted.

"Morning, Veronica. You remember my nephew, Marco?" He gestured toward the young man seated across from him.

Of course, I did. He was considered one of the most eligible bachelors at least, according to a few magazines and blogs had read. I had also come across a one that described him as someone who, and I quote, was "not planning on settling down yet, just enjoying life.". He was quite handsome, with light brown hair that nearly matched the shade of his eyes. His hair was styled in a sleek low quiff, giving him an effortlessly polished look. He wore an elegant dark blue suit, it was perfectly tailored, he was oozing sophistication and confidence.

"Hello," I said, meeting his eyes.

He observed me closely, the way he looked at me unmistakably familiar. It wasn't the same look my interviewer had given me when I first joined the company, this felt worse, it felt... degrading, it made me suddenly conscious of my appearance.

"Nice to meet you, Veronica," he said, his voice just as pleasant as his demeanour. I gave a polite smile in return.

"Does that mean your son is here?" I asked, remembering that many times Mr. Virelli had mentioned that his son and nephew were training at a different branch in Europe, rotating through various departments, learning about the company.

"No, I came alone. Alexander has something to finish up before he comes," Marco explained. I nodded in understanding.

"He'll be starting here as well. I want him to shadow Mr. Edwards," Mr. Virelli added. "Veronica will give you a proper tour."

"This way," I said, gesturing for Marco to follow.

The tour was going smoothly until we reached the designer's floor. Marco seemed distracted, though I couldn't really blame him, stunning models walked up and down. His arrival didn't go unnoticed, several people immediately took note of his presence.

I was so focused on leading the way that I didn't even realize he was no longer walking behind me.

"Who are you talking to?" Jillian asked. I turned around, expecting to see him, but he was nowhere in sight.

Instead, I spotted him a few feet away, engaged in conversation with a model. She kissed him on the cheek, trailing a finger along the fabric of his suit before walking away.

"Who was that?" Jilly asked again, her tone carrying a hint of mild irritation. I chuckled but replied.

"Oh, I hardly recognized him he's all grown up," Jilly said, adjusting her glasses.

"Hello, Jillian. It's been years," Marco greeted.

"It has. The last time I saw you, you were just a child," she replied.

He flashed a perfect, white-toothed smile. "I'm a man now," he said, his tone was teasing.

"I'm happy for you," she replied, though her words had a hint of dismissal. Then, turning to me, she sighed. "Vee, please escort this young man away. Alexander's show is in less than two weeks, and he's proving to be quite the distraction."

I chuckled but nodded, complying with her request. I did notice a flash of change in his mood but I dismissed it.

Next, we made our way to the legal department. I was mid-sentence when I spotted Linda she was alone.

"Veronica, who's your friend?" she asked, barely acknowledging me.

"Marco Virelli, a pleasure to meet you," he said smoothly, taking her hand and placing a light kiss on the back. I noticed the faintest blush creep onto her face, though she quickly composed herself. I didn't blame her, he was an attractive man.

"I was just showing him around," I murmured.

"Well, I'm sure she can take over," Marco said, casting a glance my way before shifting his focus to Linda. "If you're not too busy."

I gave a small nod and walked away, feeling a twinge of discomfort at the exchange. It came off as if i was looked over, ignored, but I chose to let it go. There was plenty of work waiting for me anyway.

During lunch, I joined my work friends, we had a table, Salome from marketing who I was most close to, Tina from janitorial, Kevin from IT, and Elina from legal. They were already seated, watching me with anticipation.

I knew exactly why, but I kept quiet, letting their curiosity build.

"Well?" Tina asked.

"What?" I replied innocently, pretending.

"Rumour has it you were strolling around with a certain sexy devil by your side," Kevin said with a smirk.

"Really?" I said, playing dumb.

"Girl, spill," Elina urged, clearly getting impatient.

"You're married," Kevin reminded her.

"That doesn't mean I can't window shop," she shot back, and we all burst into laughter.

"So?" Elina pressed, clearly eager for details.

I took a bite of my apple before replying, "That was Mr. Virelli's nephew, Marco. He's going to be joining the company."

"Marco? The one with Alexander?" Salome asked, her interest piqued.

"Yes," I confirmed.

"So Alexander Virelli is here too?" Kevin asked, his excitement obvious.

"No, not yet but soon," I clarified.

Tina let out a dramatic sigh, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "The both of them, here? Yum," she said, Elina shook her head in amusement.

"Just take a look," she added, pulling out her phone and quickly searching for a picture. When she found it, she held up the screen, and we all instinctively leaned in, crowding around her.

She wasn't wrong. Marco was handsome, he had sharp features, he was effortlessly charming, and a smile that could probably get him out of any trouble.

"Let's just assume you had a chance with either of them," Salome mused as we sat back down. "Though Alexander does have a girlfriend. A famous model"

"They're on and off," Kevin pointed out between bites of his carrot.

"Right now, they just happen to be off."

"Oh, Salome," Tina sighed dramatically. "Allow a girl to dream."

"the witch has her claws on him" Kevin said quietly pointing his head at the direction of Marco with Linda giggling like he said the funniest thing in the world. I rolled my eyes.

Two days before the fashion show, I arrived home from work, heavily exhausted from work. As usual, Daphne was there, seated on the living room couch.

"So, you're just going to ignore me forever?" she asked, her voice full with frustration.

I didn't say a word, I refused to engage with her.

"Vee, I'm so sorry," she continued, her tone was softer.

Her words made me pause, but I was still mad at her. Just looking at her made me angry.

"How long have you been sleeping with him?" I demanded; keeping my voice sharp.

Judging by the way her face paled, I knew I had caught her off guard. She looked away, avoiding looking at me.

"That's not important," she muttered.

"Tell me," I insisted, I was getting impatient.

She hesitated a bit before finally admitting, "About a year."

A whole Year

Her words reopened wounds. The month I had spent avoiding them, trying to heal, suddenly felt useless. The hurt was just as the day I found out. If not worse than that.

"I really am sorry," she murmured.

I didn't want to hear her apologies, it wasn't going to make me forgive them.

I didn't respond. Instead, I turned and walked straight to my room, shutting the door behind me. In that moment, I wished I could leave but I had already paid the rent, and I had nowhere else to go. I couldn't afford to go anywhere.

I stayed in my room crying, till the next day.

The documents were set to be signed the following day, marking the end of Mr. Mason Virelli's Era. As I stepped into Virelli Headquarters, I knew it would be the last time I walked through those doors with Mason Virelli as my boss. For the last time, I prepared his coffee black, with one cube of sugar. The seriousness of the moment made me emotional.

I remembered the day I first met him, I had just gotten a job at the company, I learnt about his reputation as a cold, thorough businessman. I was so scared I could barely keep conversation. I smiled fondly as I remembered his first words to me.

"why can't you hear the pterodactyl go to the bathroom?" he asked with a straight face,

"huh" I said as my eyes darted around the room before looking back at him he repeated the question.

"I- I don't know" I replied

"Because the p is silent" he said before letting out the loudest laugh I had ever heard. He apparently found it to be the funniest thing in the world, I didn't find it funny but it helped me relax as I joined in laughing.

As I walked into his office, I found him discussing with a man whose back was turned to me.

"Veronica," Mr. Virelli said, motioning for me to come forward. "Meet my son, Alexander Virelli."

He turned and suddenly, I understood why his name carried such intrigue. His photos had not done any justice to him. With dark hair, piercing deep blue eyes, and a sharp jawline, he was the physical embodiment of perfection. If I had ever imagined Mr. Virelli in his younger years, Alexander was his spitting image.

He rose to his feet, his presence carried confidence that drew attention easily.

"Veronica, I've heard so much about you," he said, his voice smooth.

Was that a slight accent I heard?

I wondered how someone be completely captivating just by the way they spoke? Somehow, it almost had me in a trance.

"Nice to meet you too," I responded, hoping that I didn't show what I was thinking in any way.

"So, do I call you Mr. Virelli Junior?" I asked

"Alexander is fine" he chuckled

"Finally!" Mr. Virelli exclaimed. "Shall we?" He gestured forward, and we made our way to the boardroom.

Alexander formally introduced himself, his was clearly very excited as he expressed to the board how thrilled he was to finally be there. I did my best not to stare, but I couldn't help but admire how effortlessly he had conversations with the shareholders.

By the end of the meeting, Mr. Mason Virelli was officially no longer the CEO of Virelli Corporations.

As we stepped out of the room, I turned to him. "So, what's next for you, Mr. Virelli?"

He smiled. "I think I'll take a vacation."

"I wish you all the best. I'm going to miss you, we all will." I swallowed fighting the tears. He gently pulled me to a hug, I was teary.

" How are we supposed to manage without you?" I said, sniffling

"I'll miss you all too," Mr. Virelli replied. "I'm sure he'll surpass me. Just have a little faith in him."

I nodded in understanding, leaving him with his son and heading over to Jillian, who was sorting through the designs after the dress rehearsals.

"Hey, Jilly," I greeted. "All set?"

"Yes, finally," she sighed.

"They look stunning," I remarked.

"Thank you, darling," she replied, offering a tired yet satisfied smile.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Perfect," she said, carefully placing the design into its bag. "How about you?"

I shrugged.

"So, Mason's finally retired, huh?" she said with a small smile.

"Why, will you miss me?" Mason's voice came from behind me, catching me off guard.

"Of course not, that was excitement in my tone," she quipped, adjusting her glasses.

"Denial. You know I can always tell when you're lying," he said, smiling.

She rolled her eyes. "Obviously not, because then you'd know I'm genuinely happy you're leaving."

She was lying. we all knew it. A smile tugged at my lips as she hugged him. I had never seen that before; they were usually at each other's throats.

"I knew it," Mason said.

"Shut up," she shot back quickly.

I ended up staying later than usual that evening, reviewing a few things with Alexander. Surprisingly, the senior Mr. Virelli spent the day with Jillian though I suspected it was mostly to discuss the show.

As I stepped outside, I noticed a man standing by my car. My stomach tightened the moment he turned to face me.

"Silas? What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice wary.

"Can we talk?" he said.

I hesitated, weighing my options, then let out a sigh. "Alright," I finally agreed.

We sat down at a diner near the company.

"Want to order something?" he asked, but I just stared at him in silence.

"Right," he muttered, then sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Daphne, seriously?" I scoffed.

"I'm sorry, okay? I really am," he insisted, as if that was supposed to fix everything.

"Why?" I asked, my voice heavy with frustration.

"Five years together just thrown away."

"I don't think you want to hear it," he said. It was typical of him always blunt.

"No, I do. I really do," I replied firmly.

"I lost feelings, okay?" he admitted. "I mean, look at you... plain and boring. You're not exactly the kind of person I see myself with for the rest of my life."

I blinked as I took in His hurtful words. It wrecked me.

"So you cheated on me because I'm ugly?" My voice cracked as I spoke.

"That's not what I meant, it's just-" he trailed off. "The point is, you didn't deserve it."

"Do you love her?" I asked.

He looked away, guilt was written all over his face.

"You could have just broken up with me, you know," I said, my tears blurred my vision.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

I pushed back my chair abruptly, standing up in anger. As I turned to leave, I caught sight of Linda and Marco a few booths away, their eyes on me.

Great, I thought. They saw everything. I hurried away before they had the chance to speak.

As I reached my car, my hands trembled, causing me to drop my keys.

"Veronica, are you okay?" a familiar voice asked.

"I'm fine," I answered, forcing a tearful smile at Alexander.

I drove off, my face wet with tears. When I glanced at myself in the rear-view mirror, I barely recognized the reflection staring back. Suddenly I didn't see any feature on me that was good, everything about me was ugly.

No wonder he cheated.