The Virgin Secretary: A Billionaire Romance

by Cross, Veronica

  Immediately, he saw her tense up, looking at him with wide eyes.

  “I’m fine,” she simply said.

  “No, you’re not. You’re not fine, something is going on. I want to know just what the hell it is. I mean, I’m not forcing you to tell me, but if you could, that would be amazing,” he said to her.

  She looked at him, trying to determine whether telling him was worth it. He could see the worry present in her eyes. Something went on.

  “It’s nothing you should be concerned about,” she said.

  “Yes, it is. You’ve been acting weird, and you seem sick. I want to take care of you,” he said.

  “Right. Just like your wife, right? I’m just a replacement,” he said. Denise thought about this a lot, ever since she got knocked up. She felt like she was a replacement, but when he heard those words, he looked at her as if she had three heads.

  “Where the hell did you get that idea?” he asked.

  “It’s true though, right? I’m just a replacement. I’m nothing more than that,” she muttered.

  “You’ve got this all wrong, that’s what you’ve got,” he said.

  “No. It’s true. You’re still in love with someone who is long gone,” she said, her eyes welling with tears.

  Charles looked at her, his face in shock and mouth agape.

  “Where the hell did you get that idea?” he said with a snap.

  “I’ve seen the pictures of her in your office. I thought you got rid of them when we began dating,” she replied.

  That’s right. He still had the pictures, but that didn’t mean anything.

  “You realize I keep them around to remember her, right? I was going to get rid of them once we began to get serious. I do care about you Denise, which is why the fuck I’m here right now. I don’t get why you can’t tell me. What are you hiding?” he asked.

  Denise looked at him, and he could tell she was trying to from the words to whatever it was that was bothering her, but then, she sat back, sighing.

  “It’s nothing. I don’t want to worry you. You’ve already got your own problems, and having me around will just complicate everything,” she muttered.

  “No it won’t. I want you here Denise. There are many things we must discuss, but I want you to trust me,” he said.

  Denise looked at him, feeling hurt because of the circumstances. He got her pregnant. Was that his action all along? Was that all he wanted from this? Or was he serious?

  “Do you really care about me?” she asked.

  Charles looked at her as if she had three heads. “I do. Do you care about me?” he asked.

  “Yes. I do. It’s because of her pictures that I ask. Listen, I need a bit of time alone. I’m going to leave the office for a few days,” he said.

  “I can’t let you do that,” Charles said with a dark voice.

  “Why? You’re not the boss of me,” she muttered.

  “If you leave, you’ll be fired on the spot. I don’t get why you’re hiding secrets from me, but I urge you to stop. This is getting way too out of hand, and I can’t take it,” he said to her with a pleading voice. He didn’t get why she hid this, why she wouldn’t tell him everything, why this was going the way it was going. He felt hurt, unsure, and most of all, scared of what the hell he was going to hear next.

  She looked at him, her eyes begging for help, but then, she sighed.

  “It’s best if you don’t know. I need to carry this burden on my own,” she said.

  Charles wanted her to stay. He wanted her to explain herself, but soon, she left, closing the door behind him and leaving him alone. Charles couldn’t believe it. She was hiding something from him but didn’t have the balls to tell him.

  She didn’t trust him. That was the knife that dug deep, the wound that poured out.

  Chapter Eleven

  As Denise left, she knew she was screwed. She cared about him but feared he wouldn’t stay. She was pregnant with his child after all. She left the office, heading over to the skate park. It was the first time in months she’d been here, and sure enough, Steve was there, skating around. She would love to join them, but she had the child to think about, which was why she came there in the first place.

  “Hey girlie. What’s up?” Steve said, getting off the ramp and walking over.

  “Hey. Listen, I need to spend time with someone. I kind of just dumped the best thing to happen to me because I was afraid of rejection,” she told him with a sigh.

  “Come on, let’s get you a soda,” he said.

  “I can’t have that. Let me just get some water or something,” she replied.

  Immediately, Steve looked at her as if she had three heads. However, he did as she asked, getting her a water while he got a soda. They sat down at one of the benches nearby, most of the other people near not paying attention or skating as well.

  “So why the long face? And did you come from work? You’re dressed way too nice,” he said with a smile.

  “Yeah. I did. I broke up with my boss,” she said.

  “Why? And you’re dating your boss? That’s risky shit.”

  “Yeah, no shit Sherlock. It wasn’t even that though. I made a bigger mistake. I’ve been dating him for a few weeks now, almost a month. It’s been great, but something happened, and I’m embarrassed by it. I don’t want a scandal to come forth,” she said to him.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  It was then when she pointed to her stomach, looking at him.

  “I had sex with him. And I got knocked up,” she admitted.

  His eyes widened as he heard this. “Wow. Holy fuck,” he stated.

  “Yeah. That’s exactly what I said. But he’s such a big-time businessman. He’s so wealthy, and I’m sure that this scandal will only hurt him. I didn’t know if he would even want the child. He might force me to abort it or something. I’m scared, and in my fear, I kind of told him some terrible things. I thought he didn’t care about me, that he was still in love with his ex. We kind of had a fight, and I stormed off. Didn’t tell him what really happened, and I regret it,” she said.

  “Listen, Denise, you like him, right?” Steve said after listening to this.

  Denise nodded blushing. “I do. A lot. And I want to have the kid, but I’m scared he doesn’t want it. I kept it a secret because he’s a wealthy man, and this could hurt the business,” she admitted.

  “Yeah, but it’s hurting you, right? This isn’t right, and you’re only hurting yourself if you don’t realize this,” he replied to her with a serious face.

  He was right, and she hated him for it.

  “I know you’re correct, but what should I do?” she asked.

  “Listen, if he really does like you, he’ll come to find you. He’s got your address, so he’ll be there when he’s ready. Meanwhile, you should think about this. Is hiding and running away worth the pain you’re feeling? Is it worth keeping the kid a secret? You don’t even know how he’ll respond. Maybe he’s wanted an heir, and this is the perfect chance,” he replied.

  “I know, but I’m worried he still loves his wife,” she said.

  “I doubt that. If he’s got it bad for you and cares so much, he doesn’t give two shits what his wife six feet under is doing. You’ve read the situation wrong chicka, and I think now you’re paying the price for it,” he told her.

  She listened to this, unsure of what to say. “Yeah. I guess,” she said.

  “You need to do what is right for you. You need to be happy, be the person that you’re meant to be, and you should do the right thing. You should think about if you want to keep this. If you do, you know what to tell him. If he doesn’t want to keep it for whatever goddamn reason, then you know his true intentions, and you know what his feelings about you are,” he said.

  In truth, she hated hearing this from Steve, more than she cared to admit, but it was the truth. He was right.

  “You’re right. Thank you, Steve,” she stated.

  “No problem. Anyways, you loo
k tired. You should probably head back.”

  She did feel tired. She gave Steve a hug, heading back home. She sat around, thinking about what he said.

  She wanted him still, right? That was what her heart desired, even if she didn’t want to admit it. She didn’t want this to be the end for them, but rather, she thought of it as the beginning. But would he come back to her? Would he finally tell her is true feelings? In all honesty, she didn’t know for sure, but she hoped more than anything else, the man finally would, telling her what he truly felt about her, and about them.

  Chapter Twelve

  For Charles, the truth hurt. He had a feeling something bad happened, but he didn’t know what. He wanted to ask her about it, and he wanted to find her. However, something stopped him.

  After hearing Denise run off, the next three days felt like a haze of darkness. The truth stung. He still did feel for his late wife at times. He kept the pictures to remember her, but in truth, he kept them around as a gentle reminder that he might never fall in love again.

  However, Denise changed that. It was the first time he felt his heart rate, the feelings of love obvious there between them. However, it was short-lived. She left, leaving him all alone. This only made everything worse, with him trying his hardest to make this better, albeit failing in the process.

  “Why? Why do I feel like I did something wrong? She’s the one who hid something from me,” he said, banging his hand on his desk a week later. His work kept him busy, but he began to feel the emptiness again. Even though it wasn’t because of Ellen, it might as well be, because he didn’t know what to do about this. He was worried about Denise, and he wanted to see her, but he had a feeling he had his own journey to go on first.

  He looked at the photos of Ellen. They were there as a tribute, yes, but looking at them made him realize it was almost wrong to keep these.

  “Is it you? Is it the fact that I can’t keep going without thinking about you that is tearing me apart?” he asked himself.

  He looked at the picture as if it would tell him all the answers he needed. He started to wonder I that was the case. He did love Ellen, yes, but thinking about her made him start to realize that perhaps he had this wrong all along. Maybe being super attached to her was the reason for his downfall, the reason as to why he was suffering now. He grasped the picture, looking at it with a serious glance.

  “I have a feeling she was right,” he muttered to himself.

  He hated to admit that Denise was right. She was still bad for hiding something from her, but at the same time, he began to realize that maybe she did have a point. Maybe he did have too much attachment to her.

  He began to think about this. Maybe he should do something about it. It was then when he gripped the picture, tears falling.

  “It’s weird. I want to let you go, but I’m scared,” he said to himself. He wanted to let go of these ties, these feelings, everything in between. He wanted to break free of the chains of his late wife, to finally get over the feelings that he’s felt in the past. But he didn’t know how. He was terrified of doing so. But that’s when he looked at her.

  He started to gaze at the image, beginning to realize everything. Maybe being so attached to her wasn’t a good idea. He did love her, yes, but at this point, he had a feeling this was beginning to eat him alive. He started to think on this, looking at the frame once more. He then took a deep breath realizing the truth.

  “I did have this wrong. I was wrong for holding onto every single feeling I’ve had for you,” he said to himself. He kissed the frame, and then, he took the picture out. He looked to the small cabinet that he never opened, one that was locked. He thought about storing it here, but instead, he figured out a better place. He couldn’t fully rid himself of these feelings until he got home, but when he did, it would change him forever.

  He went home that night and grabbed a small box. This was where he kept all her possessions. He grabbed the pictures, looking at them and then sighing.

  “You know, it’s time for me to say goodbye. I’m going to get rid of this from my sight. You’re a memory, and nothing more. I don’t want to be hurting anymore, but rather, I want to heal,” he said to himself. He looked at it once more, kissing the picture goodbye, before he finally tossed it all in there. He threw the box in the attic, trying his hardest not to think about it.

  However, something inside of him changed. He began to feel something different. It was like a weight had finally lifted off his chest. He could finally let go. He wasn’t burdened by his past anymore. Having those pictures out of his sight did help. However, he wanted to do something more. Sure, the attic was good for some things, but he still had one thing to get rid of there.

  The flowers from their wedding. He could sit there and hold onto that, but instead, he went to the cemetery in town where she was buried the next day, standing over the grave. He gripped the flower, holding it there as he looked at the site.

  “You know, I made a mistake trying to put all of my efforts into you still. I love you Ellen, but I want to move on. You told me that if anything did ever happen to you, I could move forward and be happy once more. Well, that’s what I’m doing now. I’m going to become happy once more, and I’m sure that this is what you wanted. I know that it probably is sad to see me go, but I’m giving you one last gift to remember me by,” he said.

  He gave her the flowers, patting the gravesite and walking away. However, this changed him for the better. For Charles, this was almost like a rebirth in a sense. He didn’t feel like he had to pretend anymore, that he wasn’t deluded by the past. Sure, it did hurt to remember, but he wasn't constantly reminded, but instead, he finally had the power to let go, and that’s what he felt. It was like he could finally get rid of the feelings of despair that resided there, something that hurt him quite deeply for a very long time. The idea of healing and being able to move on was novel to him, something that he wasn’t totally sure of what to do. However, when he thought about it, it was exactly what he needed.

  “I’m moving on. I’m ready to go forward, to be with the one that I love.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Denise hadn’t heard a thing from Charles. She thought that he probably didn’t want to see her ever again. Ever since the incident, she didn’t have much faith in anyone as of late, but of course, maybe she could be pleasantly surprised by this. She sat at home most days, trying her hardest to eat right. She didn’t have a ton of money, not since she quit her job, and she was worried about her prenatal appointments. How would she go about this? Did she tell him? Or should she have the baby in secret? She didn’t even know what the hell she was going to do next and that’s what worried her.

  However, a few nights after that, she heard a knock at the door. It was about eight or so, and she wasn’t expecting company. Who could it be? She immediately walked over to the door, opening it, and when she did, she nearly fainted right then and there.

  “Charles?” she said. She expected him to leave her, not coming back. She began to blush as she tried to hide the disarray of her home. However, he didn’t seem to care.

  “Hi. I’m sorry for not showing up sooner. I had a lot to think about. I want to speak with you, however,” he said.

  “I think it’s important we talk as well. I have something to say as well,” she said.

  They made their way over to the living room, sitting on the couch together. She turned the TV off, looking at him with a concerned glance as he spoke.

  “There is something I need to tell you. I’ve done a lot of thinking recently, and in all honesty, this is something I should’ve done a long time ago. I want to thank you for what you said to me earlier that one day. When you told me that I was still in love with her. You were right. I was,” he said.

  She looked at him with shock. She wasn’t expecting this. “What do you mean?” she asked him.

  “I mean what I say. You were right about me being hung up on a woman. I was in love with Ellen, and I have been for a long time.
Even when I was with you, I was happy, but I was still in the mindset that she would come back. But, that was a foolish idea. I realize now that I kept that idea open and at the forefront because I thought it was right. It wasn’t,” he said.

  She looked at him, shock settling in as she heard this.

  “Wow,” she simply said.

  “I know. It’s not easy to face, that’s for sure. I’ve never told anyone how I feel about her. But in truth, the concept of her stuck around like glue for so long because I thought that I needed her to be happy. Which was so goddamn wrong I hate myself for thinking that,” he said.

  “It’s fine. I mean, at least you realized it,” she said.

  “Yeah. I’m so sorry Denise. I’m so sorry for thinking this way, for thinking that I wasn’t in love with her, for hurting you. I feel terrible, and in all honesty, I came here to ask for forgiveness,” he said.

  Denise listened to him, seeing the seriousness in his eyes. He was serious about it, and Denise believed him.

  “It’s all right. Apology accepted. I am far from perfect as well. I’ve kept something from you too, but mostly out of fear of what we might become because of it. I know you’re a big man, and I didn’t want this to become some sort of scandal or anything,” she told him.

  “What do you mean?”

  That was when Denise got up, heading over to the place where she kept the test for him to see. She walked over, placing it in his hands, looking at him with a serious glance.

  “I’m pregnant. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was scared. I didn’t know if you would want to stay or anything, and I feared the worst. It’s why I was so distant those days, why I wouldn’t tell you. It’s also why I was sick all the time. I was scared to tell you because I feel like you might leave. I know some men do that to women whenever they fall pregnant, and I didn’t want to be another statistic,” she told him.

  He looked at the test, realizing what just happened. On the one hand, he felt excited, but on the other hand, he was utterly terrified. Yet, he didn’t feel too upset about it.