The CEO's Secret

The alarm clock rang, and I cursed under my breath, feeling somehow that today would be a lousy day.

Every day, I woke up early to get my son ready for school. Like every morning, I glanced at the picture of the man on my nightstand. I missed him and couldn't understand why he had left.

I picked up the framed photo and stared at it. It had been three years since he left, and I couldn't help but wonder why he departed.

Placing the frame back in its place, I got out of bed. I grabbed the hair tie from the nightstand and pulled my hair back as I headed to the bathroom.

Exiting the room, just two doors down from mine, was Adrien's door, adorned with dinosaur stickers.

I entered that door and looked at the child sleeping on dinosaur sheets. I smiled softly and approached the window opposite his bed, intending to open it and see his reaction.

He squinted, threw his arm over his eyes, and squirmed.

"Same thing every morning," I thought affectionately as I approached the bed. Sitting on the edge, I said:

"Come on, Adrien, you'll be late for school."

"I don't want to," he said groggily.

"Mommy has to go to work, and you can't stay home alone."

"Aunt Jackie is staying with me," he removed his arm from his eyes.

"Aunt Jackie also has to work," I rubbed his belly, "Come on, sleepyhead. Darío's dad is coming for you, and you have to be ready when he comes. We can't keep him waiting."

My boy lazily opened his eyes.

"Mama, promise we'll go to the park later?"

"Of course, but first, you have to do what Mommy says," I gently tapped his nose.

"Hey, Mommy, when is Daddy coming?" he asked, making me look at him surprised.

"That's what I'd like to know," I thought.

"Does Daddy not love us, so he left?"

"Where did you get the idea that he doesn't love us? Of course, he loves us very much. His job... it keeps him very busy."

"But still, Mommy! All my friends' dads are always with them, even though they work too," he pouted.

"Adri, sweetheart. Dad... his job isn't here, it's... somewhere else. I'm sure he'll be back soon and will never leave us," I lied, although that's what I wanted to believe.

"Mommy, will you give me a picture of Dad? It's almost Father's Day, but..."

"Of course, I'll give you a picture, but for now, let's get dressed for school," I said with a smile.

I helped him put on his school uniform, and we headed downstairs, towards the breakfast bar that separated the living room from the kitchen.

I sat my son on one of the stools and walked over to the fridge, grabbing milk and butter. While I prepared my son's breakfast, he glanced back occasionally to ensure I hadn't vanished. He was playing with a small red racing car.

I couldn't deny missing Adrien's father, but I did my best to ensure my son lacked nothing. Thanks to my friends, the burden of raising a child alone wasn't as heavy since they supported me.

After dropping my son off with Darío, Adrien's best friend's father, I drove towards the outskirts of the city, praying for light traffic.

On my way to work, thoughts drifted to the man who had left me three years ago. I wished he would return to explain why he had left without a word all those years ago.

I sighed.

I needed to get that out of my head if I wanted to rebuild my life, but I couldn't. I was still in love with my son's father.

I parked the car in my designated spot in front of a towering building. Before entering, I took a deep breath, pushed open the glass door, and stepped inside.

"Oh, Katia!" called the receptionist, gesturing for me to come closer. "Listen, listen. I have some fresh gossip!"

"What's this new gossip you have, Deva?" I placed my bag on the reception and started looking through the letters.

"I've heard from the HR Director that a new CEO will be coming to Oklahoma soon, and he's young!”

"What if? I bet he's got a girlfriend and thinks he's all that just because he owns something. I hate those kinds of people," I picked up three letters and showed them to Deva. "Taking these with me."

"Katia, please!" she called as I headed toward the elevator. "Why judge him without knowing him?"

"For the same reason you admire or hope he's handsome and young," I turned to the receptionist. "He's probably older and unattractive," then back to the elevator, pressing the button.

"You should find yourself a boyfriend! You've been so standoffish with men for three years," Deva said as a man in a suit stepped beside me.

"All men are the same," I spoke without looking at my friend, "they only want what they want."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, miss," the man suddenly spoke, startling me.

I placed my hand on my chest from the surprise but didn't respond. I pursed my lips, turning my head away from the man.

I sighed before the elevator doors opened.

Without further delay, I stepped into the elevator as my cellphone started ringing. I carefully searched for it, making sure not to drop the letters, which I managed successfully.

The man noticed the letters, stooped down, and picked them up. Finding my phone, I tucked my hair behind my right ear, answering the call while taking the letters from the man's hand.

"Tell me, Jackie."

"It's your turn to cook tonight. Don't forget, Carolina wants..."

"I know, Pizza Hut pizza, but they can order that while I'm still at work, and I'll pay for it when I get home."

"Do you have to stay late tonight?"

"Yes... Oh, Jackie. Could you take Adrien to the park later in the afternoon? I didn't realize it would be a long day until I saw what my boss has planned for today," I pleaded.

"Sure, no problem. I finish right around lunchtime, just in time to pick him up from school."

"No, today he's going to Darío's house for lunch. You have to pick him up at five," I pressed the button for the thirtieth floor and glanced back at the closing steel doors.

"Don't worry about that. Carolina and I have it covered," my friend said with a small laugh.