The President's Humble Substitute Secretary

Chapter 1: Alone

"I waited for you all night. You should have told me you weren't going to make it. I looked like a fool in front of everyone."

Arturo's voice boomed through the bedroom walls.

The streetlight flickered behind him casting dancing shadows across the walls. They'd moved into this city a year after their marriage because Isabella had always dreamed of living in the city as they both grew up in a small downtown.

Isabella ignored him as though he wasn't even in the room.

She ransacked the wardrobe throwing her clothes onto the opened blue coloured suitcase laying open across their matrimonial bed before moving to the bed to fold the clothes neatly into the suitcase.

"Bella. Baby" he tried again, his voice softened as he stepped closer. "Why are you doing this? Why do you want to leave and end everything we've built so far? Are you just going to throw all of this away?"

All of this.

The vows they made.

All the years they've spent together.

A life they'd spent so long building.

Her shoulders stiffened. For a moment he thought his words had finally got to her. And then she turned to face him but the anger shining in her eyes nearly knocked the air from his lungs. She looked nothing like the kind woman he knew.

"Can't you see Arturo or are you just pretending to be oblivious to everything?" She screamed. "I've had enough. I'm tired, Arturo. I feel suffocated in this marriage. All I want is to be free"

"Free? What do you mean free?" His laugh came out raw and filled with pain. "What do you want to be free from? Me?"

"Yes,you!" She snapped. "I'm not in love with you anymore. You do not make me happy anymore. I'm tired of pretending. I can barely recognise myself again."

Her words seemed to slice through his heart clean and deep like a brand new knife.

He took a step back as if physically struck.

"What are you talking about?" He asked quietly. "We were happy. You never told me if something worried you."

"We used to be happy. I used to be happy but... people change."

Her voice shook at the last part of her sentence.

He reached for her arm. "Lets talk it through then. Let's try to fix things. Tell me what I did wrong and I promise I'll change. I'll make it work. For you. For us"

She pulled away as if his touch burned.

"You didn't do anything Arturo. You... we can't fix it." She whispered,then louder,harsher. "This is about me. This is about what I want and... I do not want any of this anymore."

She zipped the suitcase closed.

The sound echoed like a gunshot.

Without thinking, Arturo rushed to the stand between her and the bedroom door,his broad frame blocking the exit completely. Isabella had always told him that she loved how commanding and confident he was.

But now his eyes were glassy.

"I can't let you leave. You're not going anywhere. You're going to unpack and then we'll fix everything." He said though his words lacked authority. "At least tell me what you want. Tell me what I did. I deserve to know what went wrong."

She stared up at him, jaw tight "Move."

"You have to tell me why you're leaving," he demanded. "Tell me what I fucking did wrong"

Her hand came out of nowhere.

Her palm connected with his right cheek,the sound cracking through the room. Arturo's head snapped to the side.

Neither of them said anything for a brief moment.

He raised his head to look at her, shocked. She'd never raised her hand on him before.

"You're trying to keep me trapped." She said,her voice trembling now. "Don't you dare try to keep me locked in this marriage just because you're scared that you'll be alone. Don't make me suffer."

His chest tightened.

"What about our unborn child?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

The question hung between them like a ticking time bomb.

Isabella's expression faltered. Something dark passed through her eyes. Something that looked almost like pity.

Then it hardened.

"I got rid of it," she said.

The words were quiet and she didn't sound like she regretted it.

"Having a child with you would only keep me tied with you for the rest of my life and... I do not want that."

The world seemed to stop.

Arturo felt it... as though a hammer was struck against his chest splitting him from the inside out.

"You... what?" His voice barely above a whisper.

"I aborted it." She repeated. "I wasn't going to make a child go through the trauma that came with being in a family where the parents didn't love each other anymore."

He staggered back, as though she had shoved him instead.

She'd been so excited when she'd told him about her pregnancy weeks ago. She was so happy as if she couldn't wait to have a child that was a part of him and a part of her.

He had lifted her into the air.

He had laughed like a boy.

He had pressed his forehead to her stomach and whispered, "I'll give you everything."

He had already started planning a nursery design.

And now...

"But... you were so excited." He whispered more to himself than her. "Why didn't you say anything then? Why are you saying it now?"

"I tried so hard to pretend. It was all a lie" she replied,eyes glistening. "But can you really lie to yourself? I'm in love with someone else."

Silence swallowed them.

Then she stepped around him.

This time, he didn't try to stop her. That was the last straw.

He couldn't believe it. She was in love with another.

She dragged her suitcase behind her, wheels scraping softly against marble floors. Each step echoed farther and farther away from him.

At the door, she paused for a second before pushing the door open.

Cold air rushed in.

And Isabella walked out of his life.

The door clicked shut with unbearable finality.

Arturo stood there in shock staring at the empty space in front of him. The small house they'd bought for themselves suddenly felt too large and too empty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had met at nineteen.

College sweethearts.

She had been studying architecture. He had been studying finance, already dreaming of building something powerful. She used to tease him for always wearing suits to class, saying he looked like he was about to steal the professor's job from him.

Everyone used to fish over how they were the sweetest couple on the campus. Everyone had known they were going to end up together.

On his twentieth birthday, he had knelt on one knee and proposed to her with a ring he'd been saving for. He'd vowed to buy it for her after she'd said she liked it and it looked beautiful.

She had accepted it with tears in her eyes before he even finished asking.

They married a few months later... young, reckless, completely in love.

He had done everything with her in mind. She was the centre of his world and his reason to keep going to work everyday.

He had loved her with everything inside him. There had never been space for anyone else.

And she loved him too.

Or at least he thought she had.

Unable to bear his weight anymore,his legs finally gave out.

Arturo sank to the cold marble floor, back pressed against the wall she once decorated with framed photos of all the happy moments they had shared.

His hands covered his face.

At first, nothing came.

Then his shoulders began to shake.

The sound that tore out of him was raw and broken... nothing like the brave man he'd pretending to be all along.

He cried until he could cry no more.

And somewhere in the hollow space that grief left behind, something in him hardened.

Chapter 2: Desperation

"You need to understand that I really need this job please. You have to do something I beg you"

Florence Rossi's voice trembled even though she tried so hard to keep her voice steady. Her fingers toyed with the loose fringes at the edge of her shirt as she leaned slightly forward across the polished glass desk.

The woman on the other side of the table glanced at her for a brief moment before turning her attention back to the monitor in front of her. Looking at the dark circles under her eyes, you could tell that she was very tired. She looked like she was in her late thirties, hair neatly pulled up into a tight bun.

"You're only embarrassing yourself young lady" the woman said gently. " You have to leave as I have other candidates to attend to. You do not meet the necessary requirements for this position."

The words hit harder this time because she could tell that she was very serious.

"I'm a very fast learner," Florence insisted immediately. "If you just give me the chance I'll learn, I promise. I don't even mind staying late. And I'll never complain. It's right there in my resumé that I used to be a secretary so that should mean something"

The woman's expression shifted into something firmer.

"I've heard enough of this Miss Rossi. Fanucci Holdings is not a place to train inexperienced people like you. We need people with experience and you simply don't have it."

Around them, other applicants pretended not to notice the commotion happening at the desk even though Florence could feel their eyes burning holes into her back.

Her cheeks heated up in embarrassment. One thing she hated was causing a scene and being the center of attention but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Please," she whispered. "I promise that if you give me this chance you won't regret it"

The interviewer sighed and closed the folder containing Florence's resume.

"I wish you the best of luck."

That was it.

Her hopes crashed to the ground.

Turning around with her shoulders slumped she felt embarrassment crawl up her spine. She had really thought she was going to get the job. Her rent was way past due and she didn't know how much patience her landlord could have. And worse...

He was watching her.

He was waiting for her to be at her lowest.

Her stomach dipped at the thought of going back to where she once was two years ago.

The glass doors of the executive corridor suddenly slid open.

Silence washed over the floor as if a ghost had just walked in.

Everyone straightened.

A tall man walked in. He was dressed in a dark blue suit that looked like it was tailored just for him. His jet black hair was combed back neatly. His expression was very cold and he looked so perfect as if he'd been cut from stone.

But what caught her attention was his eyes.

It looked so cold. There was no single sign of warmth in them.

One look at him and you could easily tell he was in charge.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fanucci."

"Sir."

"Mr. Fanucci."

Florence's pulse began to race.

Fanucci.

As in Arturo Fanucci.

The owner of the company she was begging for a job.

The man whose name towered over the city skyline in silver letters.

So the rumors were true.

He was even more scary in person.

He didn't spare anyone a glance. Not even a nod.

Florence swallowed.

If she was going to get this job then he was the only one that could help her.

This was her chance.

All she needed was five minutes to talk to him. Just five minutes.

Maybe she'd be able to talk to him.

She was going to give up now.

She took a step forward.

"Mr. Fanucci..."

Before she knew it,a hand clamped around her arm stopping her.

"Miss Rossi," the interviewer hissed under her breath. "That is enough."

Florence tried to twist free. "Let go of me. You're hurting me. I just need to..."

But security had already moved in.

"Ma'am, you need to leave."

"Wait! All I need is fi...no, one minute!" She cried,eyes fixed on the broad back disappearing into the elevator.

The doors closed before he could notice the scene unfolding.

And she was escorted out.

-

The glass building loomed behind her like a ghost.

Florence stood on the sidewalk for a long moment, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill.

She wasn't going to cry. Crying only meant that she had accepted her fate.

Pulling out her phone from her bag,she called the only person she knew that would always have her back.

"Sup" her best friend Lucia answered on the third ring. "How did it go?"

Florence let out a shaky breath. "I actually thought I was going to get this job. I really need this job"

A pause.

"Oh no."

"Apparently I didn't meet the qualifications. What special qualification is required to be a secretary for goodness sake? It's basically a servant with experience." Her voice cracked despite her efforts to steady it. "You should have seen me, Lu. I begged like my life depended on it."

Lucia sighed softly. "Technically,your life depends on it. Flo..."

"I actually saw Mr. Fanucci." Florence continued. "But before I had the chance to talk to me the security dragged me out."

"Dragged you out? That's assault."

"They weren't rough or anything" she muttered. "They just held my arm firmly."

Lucia was quiet for a second before speaking carefully. "I know you're not religious or anything but this is a sign. A sign that there's something better waiting for you out there"

"I don't think I can get anything better than this," Florence whispered. "He came looking for me last week. He's back again. I'm very scared, Lu. I do not want to go back to him. I need money so that I can at least pay him off to leave me alone."

The silence on the other end thickened.

"I told you to come stay with me but you're very stubborn. You know what? I need you to go home" Lucia said finally. "You need to rest. You've had a very stressful week. We'll figure something out. You always do. That's what I admire about you. You're resilient."

Florence closed her eyes.

"Yeah," she murmured.

After the call ended, she didn't move.

Rest?

There was no way she was going to rest, not when the clock was ticking.

Her gaze drifted back up the towering building of Fanucci Holdings.

Slowly, something shifted inside her.

No.

She wasn't going to give up.

This job was her only hope.

---

It was nearly an hour later when Florence made her way back after having breakfast at a cafe nearby.

The main entrance was quieter now as every employee had made their way to their floor.

She kept her head down and walked toward the side of the building, where she'd noticed a separate gated entrance marked PRIVATE.

Her heart thrummed violently in her chest.

She knew how stupid this was.

Completely stupid.

But desperation had already stripped every sense of reasoning she had.

She sat patiently near the side corridor until a middle aged janitor pushed the private gate open with a mop and bucket in hand. The older man didn't glance her way as he shuffled out.

That was her chance.

Florence managed to slip through the gates before it closed.

Her pulse roared in her ears.

The underground parking garage smelled faintly of gasoline and polished concrete. It was dimly lit by the flickering lights wired to the ceiling. The private section was cordoned off with sleek black barriers. Everything about it screamed wealth.

She hid behind one of the pillars.

She was going to wait for Arturo Fanucci here.

If she could just speak to him alone...

Minutes passed.

Then more minutes.

The adrenaline slowly faded, replaced by exhaustion.

She couldn't remember the last time she had a proper night's rest.

She sank down beside the pillar, hugging her knees to her chest.

She only wanted to rest her eyes for a few seconds.

---

She didn't know how long she slept.

But the next time she opened her eyes,she was met with two dark angry eyes staring down at her.

Florence's breath hitched.

Arturo Fanucci stood before her, towering over her small form with a cold expression on his face.

She forgot how to breathe under the intensity of his gaze.

And in that moment, she realized just how scary he was.

He looked annoyed.

And very, very angry.

Chapter 3: I got the Job

"For...forgive me. I didn't mean to... to fall asleep."

Florence apologized profusely, her voice coming out small as she rubbed her eyes while trying to stand up straight. It wasn't as if the cold concrete floor of the private parking section was comfortable but somehow she'd still managed to fall asleep. That was how tired she was.

Arturo Fanucci let out a slow, frustrated sigh, the sound cutting through the still air like a knife. "How did you get in here?" He asked,his tone very sharp and impatient. He sounded more annoyed than angry. Maybe he was used to different women sneaking in on him.

"I'm very sorry. I... I only wanted to talk to you" Florence admitted brushing her hair back to look more presentable.

Arturo's dark eyes narrowed. "You're not the first person that wants to talk to me, young lady." He said in a dismissive tone. "If it's really that important then you should book an appointment." The corner of his mouth twitched as he began to turn towards his sleek black car waiting at the other end of the garage.

Seeing that he was about to leave,she acted so fast before she could realise what she was doing. Her fingers clenched around the fabric of his suit sleeve. When realisation dawned on her she immediately let go of him. "I... I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." She stammered trying to clean off the invisible dust on his sleeve but he pulled back before she could touch him. "I really didn't mean..."

Arturo stared at the woman in front of him. It wasn't the first time a woman has tried to date him. They've all done crazy things. Things way crazier than sneaking into his private garage. She was probably five foot four inches but she was nowhere close to his towering six feet two inches height.

Florence felt even smaller than she felt under his scrutinising gaze. The way he looked at her as if he could see through her soul made her swallow hard.

Muttering every last bit of courage in her,she stepped directly in front of him in hopes of stopping him from leaving. "Im Florence Rossi. I applied for the secretary job Mr. Fanucci but unfortunately I wasn't qualified. Please, you have to give me that job. I promise that I'll work twice as hard than anybody else. I'm very diligent. I'm not asking for charity... just... I really need this job. Please."

Her words rushed out desperately as she tried to sound as sincere and vulnerable as she could.

He looked down at her with an unreadable expression across his face. "If my team says you're not qualified then you're not qualified. I'll advise you to stop wasting my time young lady." He finally said his voice low and disinterested.

"Please, I'm begging you. If I do not do well then you can fire me. Please Mr. Fanucci. I beg you" she begged, going down on her knees with her forehead pressed on the cold concrete floor. "My life depends on this. I'll do anything. All I'm asking is that you give me this job. I promise not to disappoint."

He stared at her silently for a moment. What kind of trouble could she probably be in that would make her this desperate? He thought to himself. The tension in the air grew thicker the longer he remained silent. Then after what felt like an eternity but was actually a few minutes,he said;

"I'm not in the mood for this," he said, voice clipped. "You start tomorrow."

Those three words were like a ray of sunlight after months of nonstop rain. She was so overwhelmed with happiness that she didn't realise when she stood up and threw her arms around him in a hug.

Arturo's hand froze by his side. Florence pulled back, eyes wide in realization of what she'd done.

"DO.NOT.EVER.TOUCH.ME!" He said in a sharp voice his dark eyes locking onto hers. "That's the first and most important rule."

Florence swallowed, nodding furiously, her heart racing. "I... I understand. I'm so sorry. It'll never happen again sir."

-

The next day Florence made sure to come as early as possible dressed in the most professional clothes she could find. It's been a long time since she had an office job. She constantly checked her reflection on the glass windows as she walked into the lobby. She wasn't the most beautiful woman on earth but she tried her best to look presentable.

As she entered the lobby, she saw the woman who had interviewed her the day before, standing near the reception desk. Her eyebrows shot up. "You... again?" she asked, clearly surprised and annoyed. "What are you doing here? Didn't you get the hint yesterday?"

"I... I got the job," Florence said, voice filled with uncontrolled excitement.

The woman's lips pressed into a thin line. She wondered if the young woman in front of her was mentally challenged. "I remember telling you clearly that you were not qualified. Is something wrong with you?"

Florence's stomach lurched. "Yes but..."

Before she could finish her sentence the woman motioned for the security. Two burly men started to make their way towards her.

Florence froze. Panic clawed at her chest.

Then like a gift sent from heaven Arturo walked into the lobby looking as confident and handsome as he had when she saw him yesterday like he owned everyone... which in this case he did.

"Let her go. I hired her." He said in a calm voice leaving no room for argument.

The woman stared at him with a gobsmacked expression on her face. "But I already hired someone else."

"That's your problem," Arturo said, voice as sharp as steel.

Florence could see that the woman was very angry even though she was trying to hide it but she couldn't tell if her anger was directed at her or Arturo. It was only her first day and she'd managed to tick off a fellow employee.

Arturo turned toward the elevator. Florence immediately followed behind him. She figured that they were going to be working on the same floor since she was his secretary now but before she could step foot into the elevator he stopped her. "Take the stairs"

Her eyes widened. The top floor? That was... impossibly high. But she didn't say that out loud. Was this a test? Was this his way of checking if she'd actually do anything he asked?

She watched silently as the elevator doors closed behind him, cutting him off from sight.