THE SECRETARY'S REVENGE

Sophia's Point of View

I gaze at the message until the letters merge into a blur. Alexandra. The name sears in my thoughts like flames.

"Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow evening." "I longed for you dearly, sweetheart."

Baby. She called him baby. The same word I whisper to him when we're alone. The identical word that brings him joy and draws me nearer.

My hands keep trembling. I placed the phone on my nightstand as if it could snap at me. Yet I cannot cease gazing at it. The message remains intact

Still real. Still destroying everything I believed about Nicholas and me.

Alexandra Sterling. I am fully aware of her identity. Attractive and slender with blonde hair that always appears flawless

She handles Nicholas's social events. The fancy parties. The charity dinners. The meetings with rich people who matter.

I always thought she was just good at her job. Professional. Nothing more.

Now I know the truth. She's been with my Nicholas. My secret boyfriend. The man who tells me I'm special.

Slumber fails to arrive. I lie back on the bed staring at the ceiling. Each time I close my eyes, that message shows up

Infant. The term resounds in my mind until I feel the urge to yell.

At five o'clock in the morning, I stop attempting to sleep. I prepare coffee with trembling hands. The flat seems overly compact. Very silent. Like a trap that's tightening around me

I require additional information. I require clarification on what this signifies. Perhaps it isn't what I believe. Perhaps Alexandra is referring to another person. It's possible that Nicholas's phone was unintentionally exchanged with another person's.

However, deep inside, I understand I'm fooling myself

The communication was unambiguous. It was intended for him.

I get dressed for work early. My image in the mirror appears awful. My eyes are swollen and irritated. My complexion is light. I applied more makeup to conceal the harm, yet nothing can mask the hurt in my heart.

The office building appears unchanged as usual

The security guard waves at me. "You're early today, Miss Chen."

"I wasn't able to sleep," I say. It is the reality.

The ride in the elevator to the forty-second floor feels never-ending. My heart races more rapidly with each floor we pass

What will I tell Nicholas when I meet him? How can I act like everything is fine?

The workspace is vacant and silent. Nicholas will not arrive for another hour. This allows me to ponder. Moment to strategize. Moment to determine what my next steps will be.

I remain at my desk and attempt to do my tasks. However, the figures on my monitor are puzzling

The emails blur together. All I can think about is Alexandra and Nicholas and that terrible message.

At eight thirty, Alexandra arrives. She appears stunning as usual. Her hair is glossy and flawless. Her gown is costly and fits perfectly. She presents herself as if she fits perfectly within this realm of wealth and influence.

She strides by my desk with a cheerful grin. "Morning, Sophia!" "You arrived early."

I want to shout at her. I would like to ask her about the message

Instead, I return the smile and reply, "Good morning."

She is unaware that I'm aware. She is unaware that her hidden message broke my world apart last night. She simply walks to her desk as if nothing has altered.

But everything has changed.

Nicholas arrives at nine exactly. He always does. Timely and competent. He gives me a nod while walking by my desk. "Good morning, Sophia."

Any urgent messages?"

His voice sounds the same as always. Warm and familiar. If I didn't know about the message, this morning would feel normal. Perfect, even.

"Nothing urgent," I manage to say. "Your coffee is ready. The board meeting materials are on your desk."

"You're the greatest." He offers me that grin that typically makes my heart soar. Today it simply makes me feel nauseous.

He vanishes into his office. I see him adjust himself at his desk through the glass door. He lifts his coffee cup, the blue one I gave him for his birthday. He takes a sip of his beverage and exhales contentedly.

This is our routine. Our normal morning. But nothing feels normal anymore.

I respond to calls, arrange meetings, and compose letters. However, every several minutes, my gaze wanders to Alexandra's desk. She types on her computer, speaks on the phone, and appears completely composed.

How long has this persisted

How long has she been with Nicholas while I thought he was mine alone?

She chuckles at a remark he makes. The noise sensations hit me like a blade in my heart.

He briefly places his hand on her shoulder. Fast and airy. The manner in which he caresses me when others aren't watching.

I wish to turn my gaze, yet I am unable to. It's comparable to observing a vehicular collision. Awful yet unignorable.

They conclude their conversation. Nicholas returns to his office. Alexandra surveys the office briefly before grabbing her purse.

"I'm returning in an hour," she declares to no one specific. "Having coffee with a client."

She leaves. The elevator doors close behind her.

An idea forms in my mind. A terrible, wonderful idea.

Nicholas is in his office with the door shut. The other staff members are occupied at their workstations. Nobody is noticing me.

I rise gradually. My legs feel unsteady, yet I push myself to approach Alexandra's desk.

Her computer is secured, but she has left some documents disorganized

Nothing interesting. Just boring work stuff.

Her phone was left on her desk.

I glance around once more. Yet nobody is observing. My heart pounds so fiercely I'm certain everyone can detect it.

I grab the phone. It's secured with a passcode, yet the display reveals recent notifications. SMS messages. The latest one is from Nicholas.

"Excited for this evening." "You have a way of making me overlook everything else."

My universe leans to the side. I clutch the corner of her desk to keep my balance.

Additional messages exist. I can view the alerts even when the phone is locked.

"Last night was amazing."

"Can't stop being preoccupied with you."

"You make me thrilled in the most delightful way."

All from Nicholas. All sent to Alexandra. All the sweet things I thought he only said to me.

I placed the phone down with shaky hands. My chest is heavy, making it feel like I can't breathe correctly.

"Sophia? Are you okay?"

I spin around. Maya Rodriguez stands behind me, looking concerned. Maya handles business development. Aya manages business growth. She is intelligent, driven, and consistently maintains professionalism.

"I'm okay," I falsified. "Simply verifying if Alexandra has sent any important messages for Mr. Blackwood."

Maya slightly furrows her brow. "She just departed for her coffee meeting." "Is there a problem?"

Everything feels off; I want to shout. However, I simply shake my head.

"No, nothing wrong."

Maya studies my face. "You look pale. Maybe you should sit down."

I nod and return to my desk on shaky legs. Maya watches me intently, yet she remains silent.

I take a seat and act as if I'm working. But all I can think about is those messages. Nicholas's words to Alexandra. The same words he says to me. The same promises. The same lies.

How could he do this to me? How could he tell us both the same things? Make us both feel special? Make us both believe we were the only one?

My computer alerts me with a new email from Nicholas. "Could you step in here when you get a moment?"

I look at the message. How is he able to behave so normally? How can he invite me into his office as if nothing is different?

However, I must leave. I must act like everything is okay. I must be the ideal assistant unaware of his hidden messages to other women.

I get up and straighten my skirt. I examine my makeup in the reflection of my screen. I may look awful, but it will suffice.

I stroll to Nicholas's office and tap on the door.

"Enter," he says.

He's seated at his large desk, appearing attractive and accomplished. The man I believed only loved me. The man I was willing to do anything for.

"Shut the door," he says. "I would like to discuss something with you."

I shut the door and turn to look at him. My heart is pounding, but not out of joy as it did before. Currently, it's filled with fear, rage, and sorrow

"Please take a seat," he says softly. He motions toward the chair situated opposite his desk. The identical chair we used for our dinner yesterday evening. Where he mentioned that I was unique.

I take a seat and place my hands in my lap to conceal their trembling.

Nicholas bends forward with a solemn look. For a brief moment, I believe he's about to reveal it all. Share details about Alexandra. Clarify the reasons behind his dishonesty towards me.

Rather, he utters something that leaves my heart utterly still.

"Sophia, I require your assistance with something." "An important and secret matter." He stops and gazes straight into my eyes. "Please reserve a hotel room for tonight." The Ritz-Carlton Presidential Suite.

Under a false name."

The room spins around me. "A hotel room?"

"Yes. For a private meeting." His voice is calm and businesslike. "Make sure no one knows about this. Not even Maya or Alexandra. This has to stay between us."

He would like me to make a hotel reservation. This evening. That same evening, Alexandra's text expressed her excitement to see him soon.

He's requesting that I coordinate his covert meeting with another woman. The woman who refers to him as a baby. The woman who feels for him as I do.

And he wants me to carry it out discreetly. To be unwittingly involved in his deception.

I begin to speak, yet no words escape. I start to talk, but no sounds emerge. How can I show him I know about Alexandra without admitting I looked at her phone?

"Can you do that for me, Sophia?" he asks. "I trust that I can count on you for sensitive matters."

Confidence. He's discussing trust while deceiving me directly.

I compel myself to agree with a nod. "Certainly." "What name am I supposed to use?"

"Smith." "Mr. and Mrs. Johnson." He speaks as if it's no big deal. As if he's been through this previously.

Like booking secret hotel rooms for affairs is just another part of my job.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. He'll act as if he's married to Alexandra. Even if it's merely a false identity, it feels like another blade in my soul.

"I'll handle it immediately," I manage to respond.

"Thanks a lot." He grins at me. That familiar warm grin I once cherished. "You truly are the ideal assistant, Sophia." "I can't imagine my life without you."

Flawless. That word has come up once more. Yet now it has the flavor of venom on my tongue.

I rise to depart, my legs surprisingly supporting me even though they feel like gelatin.

"Oh, and Sophia?" Nicholas shouts after me.

I look back, wishing with all my heart that he's ready to reveal the truth. That he is on the verge of clarifying everything and ensuring it all is understood.

Rather, he speaks the phrases that utterly shatter the remnants of my heart: "Ensure the room is filled with champagne and roses."

Red roses. They're her favorite."

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