The Secretary Next to Him

After three grueling years of fertility treatment in a Swiss clinic, I finally conceived. Overjoyed, I flew straight back to New York, eager to surprise Alexander.

Society friends had warned me that in my absence, hed grown close to a spoiled young secretary. I ignored themAlexander used to dismiss anyone who displeased me with just a frown.

But when I reached our Hamptons estate, the gate code had been changed. As I tried our anniversary date, the door swung open.

A woman stood there wearing my silk robe, her gaze sharp and arrogant. Where did this trash come from? she shouted. Get out, or Ill set the dogs on you!

I laughed bitterly, chin raised. Bring Alexander here. I want to ask my husband when he started bringing strays into our home

And whether he still wanted the baby inside me, the heir he once begged for.

The massive Rottweilers behind the iron gate sensed her hostility and began barking viciously at me, emboldened by their master.

Amber rolled her eyes, her lips curling in disgust.

"Who do you think you are, lady? You think our CEO just sees anyone who wanders in off the street?"

She looked me up and down, taking in my understated, unbranded travel clothes.

"What the hell is estate security doing? Letting a beggar in cheap rags wander into an exclusive neighborhood!"

My skin had always been painfully sensitive. Synthetic fabrics broke me out in terrible rashes. Because of this, Alexander used to commission a private tailor in Lake Como to handcraft all my garments from the softest, pure natural silks and cottons.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be humiliated for not wearing flashy designer logos.

I nearly laughed out of pure fury. In all our years together, this was the very first time someone had dared to block me from seeing Alexander.

I reached into my bag for my phone, ready to call my husband and demand an explanation. But as I pulled it out, the black screen stared back at me. It had died during the long flight.

Without missing a beat, I held out my hand and ordered Amber to hand over her phone.

"If you delay his business, you know exactly what the consequences will be."

My icy tone caught her off guard. For a split second, she froze, and I snatched the sleek phone right out of her manicured fingers.

I dialed the number etched into my memory. Just as I was about to unleash my anger, Alexander's deep, gentle chuckle came through the speaker, cutting me off.

"I didn't text you back for two minutes, and you're already calling? Miss me that much?"

His voice was like velvet. "I'm in a board meeting, babe. I'll be home the second it's over."

My hand trembled, and every word I wanted to say piled up in my throat, choking me.

That tender, indulgent tone. If I wasn't holding Amber's phone, I would have sworn he was talking to me.

In a flash, Amber snatched the device back, her voice instantly melting into a sickeningly sweet whine.

"Then hurry up and come home! I want to eat the dinner you promised to cook for me!"

She deliberately tapped the speakerphone button, making sure I heard every word.

Listening to them flirt so effortlessly, I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from screaming.

"Alexander, get back here this instant!"

There was a brief pause on the line. Alexander's voice shifted, sounding mildly confused.

"Amber, is there someone else there with you?"

Amber glared at me, her eyes venomous.

"Just some crazy homeless woman. Don't worry, I'm having her thrown out right now."

Alexander sighed dismissively.

"Alright. Just keep it quiet. The company is in the middle of a massive merger, and a public scene is the last thing we need."

His utter indifference felt like a bucket of ice water crashing over my head.

Just last month, he had flown all the way to Europe to hold my hand through the treatments, yet right now, he didn't even recognize the sound of his own wife's voice!

I couldn't hold back anymore. My voice cracked as I screamed into the receiver.

"Alexander! You don't want me anymore? Do you not even want your own child?"

The atmosphere plummeted into a freezing chill. When Alexander finally spoke, his tone was laced with absolute venom.

"You have a lot of nerve, trying to pull a scam on me."

His voice was a razor blade.

"That bastard is absolutely not mine. Amber, handle it. Get rid of her."

He still didn't recognize me.

A hollow, self-deprecating laugh escaped my chest.

"If that's how it is, then there is no reason for this baby to exist."

Alexander remained completely unbothered.

"Some random stray's kid. Do whatever you want, you'd be doing the world a favor."

My fingernails dug so hard into my palms that they broke the skin. I never thought the man who promised me the world would casually refer to his own flesh and blood as a stray.

He had no idea that the child growing inside my womb was the only legacy he would ever have.

Alexander suffered from severe sterility. For five agonizing years of marriage, we had tried and failed. The Kensingtons were a proud, old-fashioned family, desperate for a male heir. When the diagnosis came out, his parents were beside themselves with grief.

It was only after their relentless, tearful begging that I agreed to go into isolation in Europe. I endured three years of needles, hormones, and heartbreak before finally securing this one viable pregnancy.

I thought coming home would be the greatest joy of his life. Instead, the surprise he gave me was fatal.

Just as I resolved to call my lawyers and draft a divorce settlement, Amber hit the end call button with a sharp click.

Her eyes blazed with malice. Without warning, her hand flew out, slapping me across the face so hard my head snapped to the side.

"I knew you were just a gold-digging whore! Trying to pin your filthy bastard on the CEO!"

I had been born into unimaginable wealth. From the day I took my first breath, nobody had ever dared to lay a finger on me.

Shaking with pure rage, I stepped back and slammed my fist into the emergency security terminal mounted on the brick pillar.

Amber didn't even try to stop me. She just crossed her arms and smirked.

"You stupid bitch. You clearly haven't done your research on what the Kensington name means in New York."

"Forget one slap. Even if I beat you to death right here on the driveway, nobody would dare say a word!"

I stared at her, my eyes cold and dead.

The Kensingtons had money, sure. But my family was an institution.

Marrying Alexander was considered a massive step down for a Armitage. Every single successful corporate bid, every open door in his career, was paved with my family's influence.

Even the head of security for this very estate was someone I had personally promoted because of his diligent service.

Within three minutes, a golf cart roared up the driveway. A squad of security guards jumped out.

I scanned their faces, my brow furrowing. Mr. Davis, the man I knew, wasn't among them.

Before I could demand to see him, Amber immediately threw herself at the lead guard, her voice taking on a sickening, whiny pitch.

"Brando! It's this disgusting woman! She dragged her pregnant belly here, screaming that the baby belongs to the CEO! I can't get her to leave!"

Disgusted by her pathetic act, I spoke up, my voice dripping with authority.

"Call your manager, Mr. Davis, right now. Have him come down here and confirm whether or not I am Mrs. Kensington!"

The burly guard paused, looking confused.

"Mr. Davis is out of state for a convention. How do you know him?"

Amber spat on the ground near my feet.

"No wonder you managed to sneak past the gates! You've been sleeping with the security manager! I bet the bastard in your belly belongs to him!"

One of the younger guards muttered under his breath. "Doesn't Mr. Davis have a wife?"

Amber cackled loudly. "So she's a habitual homewrecker! Used up and thrown away, so now she's trying to find a billionaire to foot the bill!"

My jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached. I tried to speak over the noise.

"I am not a mistress. I am Serena Armitage, the woman Alexander begged on his knees to marry!"

But the gathering crowd of staff and guards only exchanged mocking glances.

"Pretty face, but absolute trash on the inside."

"She actually picked a fight with Miss Amber? That's a death wish. Everyone knows the CEO treats Miss Amber like royalty."

"He literally moved her into the master suite. They're basically practically married. This crazy ex-fling must have found out and came to throw a tantrum!"

Hearing the crowd validate her status, Amber's expression twisted into pure, arrogant malice. She lunged forward, grabbing a fistful of my hair and delivering several brutal slaps across my face.

"You filthy whore! I knew you were here to ruin my life!"

Her long, sharp acrylic nails dragged down my cheek, tearing the skin. Warm blood pooled in the corner of my eye, turning my vision into a hazy, crimson nightmare.

Still not satisfied, Amber reached down and unclipped the heavy leather leashes.

"They haven't had their dinner yet. Let's see how you taste!"

The moment the restraints fell away, the massive Rottweilers lunged.

A horrifying set of jaws snapped open right in front of my face. I threw my arm up instinctively, and razor-sharp teeth sank deep into my flesh, tearing through muscle.

Amidst the blinding agony and terror, a sharp, terrifying cramp ripped through my lower abdomen.

The pregnancy had always been high-risk. The specialists had warned me that the slightest trauma or stress could cause a miscarriage.

In that terrifying moment, I felt the sickening warmth of blood pooling between my legs.

Seeing the blood, one of the guards panicked and stepped in.

"Hey, don't kill her on the property. Let's just drag her out to the curb."

Amber scoffed loudly, and immediately, another guard tried to kiss up to her.

"What are you scared of? Miss Amber is the boss's true love. Last week, some socialite outbid her for a necklace, and the next morning that same woman was on her knees begging Miss Amber for forgiveness!"

"Even if this trash dies, the CEO will cover it up. You have nothing to worry about!"

The lead guard, Brando, stepped forward, grabbing my good arm and violently dragging me toward the estate gates.

"Amber is my cousin, which makes the CEO practically family! A homewrecking slut like you deserves to be taught a permanent lesson!"

My scalp burned in agony as Amber followed closely, staring at my bleeding face with a sick, jealous glimmer in her eyes.

"His actual wife couldn't even keep him, what makes a cheap hooker like you think you stand a chance?"

I froze, the physical pain momentarily eclipsed by shock.

"You know he's married?"

Amber laughed, a shrill, ugly sound.

"Some aging, miserable housewife he got bored of years ago! Why else do you think he shipped her off to Europe?"

Alexander had never even told her. He never mentioned that his wife went away to endure endless medical torture just to give him the family he wanted.

Before I could form a sentence, a dark, murderous shadow crossed Amber's face.

"You really thought you could use a baby to secure a bag! I'm telling you right now, you don't have the luck for it!"

She drew her leg back and kicked me squarely in the stomach.

The impact sent me collapsing to the pavement. A wave of indescribable agony crashed over me, and I felt the fragile spark of life inside me rapidly fading away. Panic seized my throat.

"The baby is Alexander's! I swear to God! Call an ambulance! If this baby dies, he will ruin every single one of you!"

Seeing the sheer amount of blood staining the concrete, the crowd murmured nervously. Brando turned back and roared at them.

"This is Kensington family business! If anyone pulls out a phone to call the cops, you're dead!"

He shoved my face hard against the rough asphalt, pinning me down. He looked up at Amber with a pathetic grin.

"Take your time, cousin. Have fun."

A relentless rain of blows fell upon my head and back. My face was numb, battered completely out of shape.

Amber's eyes shone with a manic, sadistic thrill. She turned to the terrified onlookers, her voice echoing over the manicured lawns.

"This is what happens when you try to seduce the CEO! If I catch anyone else looking his way, they'll end up worse than this bitch!"

Panting heavily, she pointed a manicured finger at Brando.

"Strip her. Rip her clothes off and throw her out on the main road! Since she loves acting like a whore, let her show it all off!"

I gripped the collar of my torn shirt with trembling, bloodied fingers, using the absolute last ounce of my strength to fight back.

"Don't touch me! I am not a mistress!"

Realizing I was about to be dragged completely out of the gated community, I desperately screamed a phone number at the surrounding crowd.

"Call this number! Tell them what's happening here! Whoever makes the call gets a million dollars in cash!"

Someone in the back of the crowd clicked their tongue.

"Is she seriously trying to call for backup?"

The onlookers burst into cruel laughter.

"Backup? Who the hell is going to show up? Who in this city has more power than the Kensingtons?"

Amber sneered, digging the toe of her designer heel into my ribs.

"You stupid bitch, you just can't drop the act, can you? Look at the rags you're wearing. Who exactly are you going to summon?"

Ignoring the searing pain, I stared wildly at the hesitant faces in the crowd and doubled the stakes.

"Ten million! Whoever makes that call gets ten million dollars!"

Before the words fully left my mouth, Amber delivered a brutal kick to my jaw.

My vision spun wildly into a blur of dark colors, and I spat out a mouthful of blood and a broken tooth.

"Keep lying! Your entire miserable life isn't even worth a hundred bucks!"

"Tear her clothes off! Now!"

Brando and his goons wore sickening, predatory grins as they reached down, their rough hands grabbing at my ruined garments.

Someone in the crowd had even pulled out their phone, starting a live stream, loudly bragging that the internet was about to see how homewreckers were dealt with in high society.

Just as the fabric of my shirt began to tear, a sleek black Maybach glided smoothly to a halt right at the neighborhood entrance.

A refined, distinctly cold voice drifted through the air, carrying a trace of weary indulgence.

"Didn't I tell you to keep this quiet?"

Alexander stood by the open car door, his bespoke suit immaculate. He only had to slightly furrow his brow for the entire crowd to instantly hold their breath in terrified silence.

Amber's entire demeanor flipped. Like a frightened little bird, she rushed over and clung to his arm, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Alexander, this woman was being so disgusting! She was screaming awful things, ruining your reputation in front of all these people! I only did it to protect you!"

Alexander's cold expression instantly softened into complete adoration. He reached out, gently stroking her hair.

"You, always with that fiery temper. You just know I'll always clean up your messes, don't you?"

His tone of absolute indulgence struck me like a physical blow to the heart.

Years ago, I was known in our social circles as the untouchable, fiery Armitage heiress.

Back then, Alexander had protected me exactly like this. He had always been the one to stand behind me, smoothing over my reckless moments.

He once stood in a ballroom full of elites and declared to the world:

"If anyone wrongs you, you hit them back twice as hard. Let's see who dares to touch you."

Everyone in the city knew that offending the ruthless Alexander Kensington was dangerous, but crossing the Armitage heiress was a true death sentence.

I never imagined that the fierce, unconditional protection that once belonged solely to me would be handed so freely to another woman.

The last ember of hope inside me turned to ash. Whatever lingering love I held for Alexander evaporated into thin air.

Alexander finally cast a brief, annoyed glance in my direction.

"Is this the crazy woman you were talking about?"

My face was swollen and mangled almost beyond recognition. My clothes were soaked in blood and dirt. In that brief, dismissive glance, he didn't recognize his own wife.

Seeing Alexander look at me for more than a second, Amber quickly tugged at his sleeve to reclaim his attention.

"Yes! That's the bitch! I was just about to go live and show the world what happens to trash like her!"

Alexander looked away from me, entirely indifferent.

"Let the security handle the trash. Don't dirty your own hands."

Amber beamed with triumphant joy, clinging to him tighter.

"She's so crazy, she actually told everyone she was Mrs. Kensington!"

The air around Alexander instantly turned lethal.

"Serena is the only woman who holds the title of Mrs. Kensington. Anyone who dares to drag my wife's name through the mud is asking to die."

Seeing his sudden, terrifying rage over my name, a flash of twisted jealousy crossed Amber's face. She hastily changed the subject.

"I know, I know, I was just so mad. Come on, let's go inside. Didn't you say you were going to cook for me?"

As she turned away, she shot a quick, meaningful glare at the guards. Taking the cue, the men immediately lunged at me again, grabbing at my torn clothes.

I thrashed violently against the pavement, a hoarse, broken sob tearing from my ruined throat.

Alexander walked right past me, his arm wrapped tightly around Amber's waist. He didn't spare me a single backward glance.

I curled into a fetal position, my trembling hands hovering over my flat, aching stomach. Bitter, agonizing tears carved tracks through the dirt and blood on my face.

I'm so sorry, my baby. I'm sorry your mother was blind enough to choose a man with such a hollow heart.

Perhaps it is a mercy that you never have to see this cruel world.

Just as the fabric of my skirt ripped with a sickening sound, a massive convoy of imposing, midnight-black vehicles aggressively boxed in the entrance.

The crowd erupted in shocked murmurs.

"Who is that? That convoy costs more than the Kensington estate!"

"That custom silver Rolls-Royce... there's only one in the entire state! And that vintage license plate, you can't just buy that kind of old money!"

Alexander stopped dead in his tracks.

Watching the figure step out of the lead vehicle, the color completely drained from his face. He instinctively dropped Amber's arm and hurried forward, his posture submissive.

"Mother Armitage, what brings you..."

SMACK!

A vicious, echoing slap struck Alexander across the face. The entire street plunged into dead silence.