His Dirty Little Secret

Chapter One

“Andrews. Get in here,” his throaty, raspy voice snapped.

I jumped at the sound of it; I had heard it under so many different circumstances. I heard it every day at the office when he was intimidating or scolding me; never praising. I heard it whenever he made me do home visits to drop off his dry cleaning or his six-year-old daughter who he was too lazy to collect himself. I heard it in my nightmares, replaying that night over and over. I heard it that night.

“Andrews!”

Scrambling from my seat, I nearly tripped rushing into his huge office. My desk was barely two meters away from the door of his office which was always open. I suspected it kept open to watch me.

“Slow the fuck down Andrews, you make the place look sloppy. Have you the invoices I asked for?” he was probably hoping I would say no so he could have a reason to mortify and patronize me.

“I have them here, s-sir,” I replied, holding up the sheets of paper I knew he would be looking for.

“Hmm. I’ll have to read over them later and see if they’re good enough; you have a habit of messing things up. Give them to me and get out,” he ordered, flicking his hand in the direction of the door.

Placing the papers on his desk, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Once behind the sanctuary of my desk where I could see other workers staring at their computer screens, that’s when I could breathe again.

I glanced up once to ensure that Mr Wade wasn’t staring at me like he usually did. The staring used to creep me out. Now it terrified me; because I knew where it could lead. Where it did lead to. His grey, balding head was all I could see as he read over the invoices I had given him. I knew they were perfect; I had read and reread them a thousand times to ensure that.

But he would find a fault. Even if it wasn’t there; he would find one.

I gasped as a hand rested on my shoulder and spun around, sighing in relief when I saw it was only my friend, Lara, who worked as an accountant here.

“Jesus Jess! Calm down, it’s only me! What’s with you these days; you’re so jumpy. Anyway, I have more typing work for you. The Boss needs to sign them by the end of the day.”

I shuddered. I would have to go in to his office again. “Okay, no problem. Thanks Lara.”

She studied me for a minute before leaving. “If there was something wrong, you would tell me, wouldn’t you? I mean I know he’s a tough guy to work for, especially for you being his PA... I just want to make sure that you’re alright.”

I forced a smile onto my lips, which were cut and scarred on the inside from biting them in fear and worry. “I’m fine, Lara! You don’t need to worry about me; honestly.”

I hated lying to her. Could she tell I was lying? Probably not. Nobody ever could.

Giving me one last worried look, she nodded and walked away, looking back once with her eyebrows knitted.

I sighed as I turned back to my computer screen, ready to start typing the files Lara had given me up when a booming, familiar voice cut through my concentration.

“Hugo m’boy! What gives me the honour of your presence?” Mr Wade’s voice was enough to get my feet tapping and my teeth chattering. I feared him more than anything in the world; and he proved to be an appropriate thing to fear.

I looked up from my desk where a tall, broad man had just walked into Mr Wade’s office. I had never seen him before and I had never heard Mr Wade sound so happy before; it didn’t suit him.

“I’m home for the summer. I took three months off to see you all and catch up with Lily. I don’t like missing her growing up... I think she needs me in her life for a while what with you working and Mom fucking whatever toyboy she has these days,” Hugo’s voice sounded grim but refreshingly nothing like his Father’s. Hugo’s flowed smoothly and had a sensual tone to it.

That didn’t stop me from being weary of him though. He was probably a lot like his Father. And anything to do with Mr Wade was enough to drive me over the edge.

“Lily is just fine,” Mr Wade snapped, losing his happy facade, “but I’m still glad to see you here, son. Look, I was just about to make a conference call... how about I meet you back at the house or something? Give your number to my PA, I think I lost it.”

“Wha-, okay. Fine,” Hugo muttered, stalking from the room, shaking his head in frustration.

He approached my desk with long strides, muttering to himself things like ‘never changes’ and ‘no priorities’.

I straightened and waited to be berated and taunted by yet another Wade, but was surprised when a smile took over his lips instead.

“You’re my Dad’s PA?”

I nodded once, gulping. “Y-yes. Jessica Andrews.”

“Nice to meet you Jessica. I’m Hugo. Dad said to leave my number with you and he’ll get it later. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Giving my Father my phone number after how many years...” he muttered, writing digits onto a piece of paper I had slid towards him.

I just smiled politely, shaking my head in amusement, as if it was ‘classic’ for his Dad to do something like that. I was glad that Hugo didn’t look much like his Father. He had striking blue eyes and dark brown hair, unlike his Fathers grey, almost white hair.

“There. Thank you, Jessica,” Hugo handed the paper back to me, smiling again. I was in awe of the contrast between him and his Father; but what if it was just a front? A ploy to get on my good side until one night he shoves me onto his desk, holds a gun to my head and tells me to keep quiet while he brutally rapes me.

But then again, ‘like Father, like son’ doesn’t apply in all cases.

“No problem. Have a nice day,” I smiled politely again, going back to my work. I didn’t look up again for a few seconds, and when I did, he was gone. I sighed in relief even though he held no threat to me.

This was how I acted around men these days; weary and never trusting. Mr Wade and beaten any trust I had in a man out of me.

“What are you talking about? You said the contract was finalized, you can’t pull out now!” The roaring came from Mr Wade’s office. The door was closed for the first time in ages but the shouting was still easy to hear.

“I don’t care if you have to sell-” then there was complete silence and a sickening thud. The shouting had stopped abruptly which was extremely strange.

Everyone who was within earshot looked up with a confused frown etched on their faces. Something wasn’t right.

“Jess, go check if Mr Wade is okay!” Rita, the woman with the computer closest to me said. I gulped and stood up, wiling myself to walk. I hated going in his office and even though I doubted to see him standing there, fit as a fiddle, the mere thought of going in and getting more abuse flung at me scared me.

I knocked on the door once, clearing my throat. “M-Mr Wade?” I said in a shaky voice. There was no answer. I hadn’t expected one. Something was off. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and peeked around it.

I saw what I expected to see. Mr Wade, lying there, unconscious or dead.

I prayed for the latter.