Valerie Hemsworth has always lived in the shadows, timid, obedient and the perfect assistant to ruthless, demanding billionaire CEO Damien Culligan. She has spent years trying to never step out of line. Their relationship has always been servant-master like, but after a drunken one night stand, she ends up pregnant for him. When Valerie tries to run from the humiliation and chaos, Damien stops her and she is forced into a loveless marriage. Not ready to let go of her long time lover, she decides to run away with him. However, as she enters his apartment, she catches her best friend in bed with him. Read to find out what happens when Valerie discovers the truth behind her marriage with Damien.
Chapter 1 The Ruthless CEO
Valerie's POV
"Get in here right now!!". I hear my boss screaming from the other end of the phone. It is another typical day at the office for me.
I walk into my office bathroom and stare at my reflection taking in deep breaths. If this had happened two years ago, I would have curled up to a ball and bawled my eyes out, scared out of mind.
Now I am so used to it that nothing surprises me anymore.
I clutch my folder and walk through the hallway of Culligan Inc. Although I'm used to everything, my heart still pounds with anxiety.
I may have gotten used to being yelled at, overlooked and punished, but I can never get used to the anxiety that comes with working for the most ruthless businessman in New York. Damien Culligan.
I rush towards the conference room to deliver some last minute report. You may be thinking, if I am used to working for someone as ruthless as Damien Culligan, why am I still messing up?.
This is not my mistake, I clearly asked Damien if the report would be needed for the meeting several times this week and got the same reply.
"If I want a report pumpkin, I'll ask for a report".
I groan at the memory and rush into the conference, not wanting to get on his bad side. Again. You have no idea how many times it has happened in the past two years.
I get to the hall in time, skeptical about how smooth everything is going, but I speak too soon. I bump hard into someone and the papers I'm holding scatter everywhere. Yup, typical day at the office.
The whole room of all the elite businessmen and women in New York turn around at the chaos. I freeze, praying that the floor opens up and sucks me in.
"Excuse my personal assistant, everyone gets clumsy sometimes", is what I expect Damien to say but boy am I wrong.
I scramble to pick up the scattered papers, embarrassed. Even the entire lobby outside goes silent, all eyes on me as I hastily gather the documents.
To my dismay, a shadow looms over me, and before I can look up, I hear his voice.
"You incompetent fool!" Damien Sinclair's voice booms, dripping with venom. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"
He doesn't give me a chance to respond. "These are confidential documents, and you have just made a fool of yourself in front of my clients!" His voice echoes through the lobby, making me shrink.
Clutching the papers to my chest, I stammer an apology, but Damien does not wait to hear it. He scoffs, straightens his suit, and with a dismissive shake of his head, turns away.
"Clean up your mess and get out of my sight," he mutters before walking off, leaving me humiliated.
"Do not cry Valerie, no tears, do not let him see you cry" I beg myself. I pick up the rest of the papers, arrange them into a neat pile, hand them to him and rush out of there.
I know I said earlier that I am used to it, but I realize now that I am wrong. I can never get used to being treated this way.
Over the past two years, Damien and I never got along. He has never failed to display his distaste for me and I could not care less. I had to learn to blend into the background, have a small voice and never speak unless absolutely necessary just the way Damien Culligan liked his subordinates.
All these things are clearly not enough because every time, he still makes me feel like a worthless and useless nobody.
I walk back to my office slowly, keeping my head down and avoiding the stares of everyone.
The moment the door shut behind me, I collapse into my chair, burying my face in my hands as hot tears pour out. I feel humiliated. I've tried so hard to stay invisible, to do my job quietly, but I still get treated like this.
After what seems like hours of sobbing, I pick up my phone and notice some missed calls. I'm about to return them when I hear a soft knock on the door startling me.
Quickly wiping my tears, I straighten up, forcing a weak smile as the door swings open.
"Val, what happened? I just heard," Sienna says, stepping inside with a sympathetic frown. She looks effortlessly beautiful, with sleek black hair and gorgeous green eyes. "Did the great Damien Sinclair finally bite your head off?"
"In front of everyone," I whisper.
Sienna sighs dramatically and perches on the desk. "You should quit. Honestly, no paycheck is worth that kind of humiliation."
Before I can answer, her phone buzzes. She grabs it, and hands me the phone when she sees Ethan's name.
"Hey," I answer, trying to hide the emotion in my voice.
"Val, are you okay? Sienna just texted me. What happened?" Ethan's voice is soft, warming me up.
I swallow hard. "It's nothing to worry about, I messed up, and Damien got mad."
"Again?" Ethan sighs. "Baby, you don't have to put up with this. I don't like how he treats you."
Sienna rolls her eyes. "Oh please, Ethan, if she quits, who pays for our weekend trips?" she teases, making me shoot her a glare.
"I just need to get through this week and then I can relax on our vacation ," I murmur into the phone, ignoring Sienna's comment.
Ethan exhales heavily. "I hate seeing you like this, Val. Maybe we should just...."
The door suddenly swings open, and Sienna flinches as Damien's cold voice fills the room.
"Valerie. My office. Now."
I stiffen as Damien turns and walks away without another word.
Sienna smirks. "Well, that doesn't sound terrifying at all."
I swallow the lump in my throat. Whatever this is, I have a feeling it would not end well.
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