Secrets and Heirs: A Child of Revenge

The tea and biscuits lay on the dining table untouched. Cassidy watched it to ensure everything about the tray was perfect. Any small mistake could anger Richmond and throw him into a fit. Today marked their fifth wedding anniversary so the day had to run smoothly. It just had to. If everything was perfect they could be intimate tonight, another chance to make a baby. Cassidy waited at the dining table for over thirty minutes without any sign of Richmond. She kept glancing at the staircase expecting him. The last time she prepared a meal for him was two months ago when he bluntly condemned her cooking skills. Growing impatient, Cassidy went up to his room only to find it empty. So she called his phone. The call went through the first time with no reply. She tried again and he picked up on the third ring. "Good morning, my love," she tried to sound confident, "I made breakfast but you're not here. You know today is our anniversary so I wanted to do something special..." "And your definition of special is a bland meal on a work morning?" he answered coldly. "I've told you not to call me for trivial things like this. What about the papers I asked you to prepare?" Cassidy's heart sank at his tone. She did not have the papers ready. "I'll turn them in tomorrow, I'm not feeling too well today," she replied with all form of joy stripped from her tone. "I need those papers in the meeting today, what will the stakeholders think of me when I have nothing to show?" He gave a brief pause in his scoldings. "I don't even know what to do with you anymore. You can't work in the office, you can't take care of the house and you can't bear a child." Richmond's tone was fueled with annoyance before he ended the call abruptly. Cassidy Calloway has been trying to be intimate with her husband for weeks now as that will increase their chances of finally having a child and putting an end to the strife in their marriage. They had been trying for over three years and Richmond is frustrated. They're both frustrated. A child, they said, would secure Richmond's place as the heir to Calloway group, the number one company in the state. Richmonds stepbrother has eyes for the company, he could marry a wife and sire an heir anytime soon and the company would go to him. Mr. Mondrich Calloway, the founder of Calloway group doesn't want that. No one would want that and that's why Cassidy has to get pregnant as soon as possible. With Dante showing up six months ago, the pressure on them increased. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Months ago Richmond would cooperate with her but now he seemed to avoid his home like a plague. And whenever he was around he barely even spoke to Cassidy. Anytime they got in contact it always ended up like this. Now she cannot be comfortable in her own home as it feels like walking on eggshells anytime Richmond is near. Even breathing the same air with him seemed difficult. At least he wasn't one of those men who stayed out late and slept around with other women. The worst thing that could happen was Richmond coming home with another woman. A sick feeling erupted in her stomach and she rushed into the bathroom immediately and threw up in there. Her stomach twisted underneath her. She had been feeling sick for days and Richmond still put pressure on her to finish up the pile of work he assigned to her. She was his secretary so she had no other choice. If she couldn't be a good wife, at least she should be a good secretary to him and not a curse to his life according to her mother-in-law. She laughed at her own foolery. She was crazy to expect Richmond to consider the fact that it was their wedding anniversary. What was she thinking? She couldn't even perform her primary duty as a wife. She owed him a child! Her phone rang in the bedroom. It was a call from Claire, her closest friend and coworker at Calloway Group. Cassidy wiped her tears as she returned to the bedroom and picked up the phone. "Have you been crying?" Claire asked. The lady knew Cassidy to the core. There was always a deep understanding between them. Since Cassidy got married to Richmond, the other ladies at Calloway group suddenly took her as an enemy except Claire. She was lonely and isolated but Claire had won her heart over time. Now they shared a deep trust for each other and an unbreakable bond. Cassidy broke down in tears again. She cried for some seconds on the phone before coming to comport herself. "Sorry, Claire. It's Richmond. He's acting up again. I honestly don't know what to do to please him. I feel like I'm only his wife on paper. I've been trying to do everything right but it just seems to infuriate him the more. Claire, I don't know what to do! " She wailed. "Everything is going to be fine, Cassidy, just wait. Richmond will come around. You'll soon get what you deserve. If you need anyone to talk to I'm available okay? You don't have to do this alone." "Yes, thank you, Claire," Cassidy said as she wiped the tears off her eyes. After the call ended Claire dropped the phone and turned to Richmond who was snuggled beside her on the bed. "You really broke her," Cassidy said, trying to hold in a snicker. "More like she already came broken," Richmond replied and they both laughed. "At first I thought she was perfect but it turns out I was wrong." Cassidy snuggled up closer to him and Richmond placed his hand around her. "Does she know about us?" "Does she need to know?" The question hung in the air, making Claire uncomfortable. She's supposed to be the first lady of Calloway group and kick Cassidy out. She cannot do that as Richmond's secret affair. She moved away from him and sat up in the bed. "How long will you keep me hidden, Richy?" Richmond sighed as he sat up and looked at her. He placed a hand on her cheek. "You don't need to worry my love, everything will be sorted soon. We just need to lay low for now, okay?" Claire looked him straight in the eye as she asked, "Then, would you keep our baby a secret too?" Richmond let go of Claire's hand. He opened his mouth to speak but the words were not forthcoming. He never expected Claire to be pregnant.