SECRETS WE INHERIT the

EPISODE 1 William's POV "Uhmm..." I yawned loudly as I stretched my hand across the cold floor, searching for my lamp. My fingers eventually found the switch, and a faint yellow light illuminated the small room. I squinted at the clock, it was 6:00 a.m. "Damn it." I sat upright immediately. "I have to be at my duty post by 6:30." I quickly folded my mat, which was practically the only piece of furniture I owned. Apart from it, there was a small wooden stool and a worn-out table that had seen better days. Before I continue, let me introduce myself. My name is William Jayden. I'm twenty-eight years old, and I work at a bakery as a bench hand. It isn't exactly the kind of life I'd imagined for myself. But then again, life doesn't always care about what you imagine. My salary was twenty dollars a day, along with a loaf of bread. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep me alive. I grabbed my towel and hurried into the bathroom. Calling it a bathroom was almost generous because The place was badly run-down. The sink had been broken for months, the bathtub had a huge c***k running across one side, and the water heater had stopped working a long time ago. I picked up a bucket, filled it with cold water, and poured it over myself. "Jesus..." The water was freezing. I clenched my teeth and continued bathing. I couldn't afford to complain. Not when I had bills waiting. Not when rent was due. And definitely not when missing another day of work could cost me my only source of income. A few minutes later, I dressed quickly and stepped outside. My stomach growled. It was the sound of Hunger. Indeed, I was hungry. But there was nothing in the room for me to eat. No cereal. No bread. No leftovers. Not even a can of beans. Ironically, I worked at a bakery. Every single day, I watched hundreds of loaves leave the ovens. Yet there were mornings when I couldn't afford to put even a piece of one into my stomach. I shook my head and started walking. I'd learned to ignore hunger. At least temporarily. *A Few Moments Later* The moment I stepped into the bakery, I knew I was in trouble. My manager was standing near the entrance with his arms folded. He looked at the wall clock. Then at me. "William." I stopped. "Yes, sir?" "What happened? You're late today." I lowered my head. "I'm sorry, sir." "I told you we have a lot of work to do today." I remained silent. There was no point explaining. My manager wasn't interested in excuses. "Go and resume your work." "Yes, sir." I hurried inside. The bakery was already filled with the familiar smell of freshly baked bread. The large ovens were running, the mixers were turning, and a few workers were already moving around the production area. There were only a handful of us when I arrived, but more workers gradually joined as the morning progressed. I put on my apron and got to work. That was my life. Wake up. Work. Eat if I could. Sleep. Repeat. Sometimes I wondered whether this was all my life would ever become. Our manager was a strict man. He valued discipline, punctuality, and seriousness. He had no patience for laziness, and everyone knew it. But there was something else about him. Something people rarely talked about when he was around. Rumor had it that he had once lost his only child. Some said it happened because of his wife's negligence. Others claimed his wife had cheated on him years ago. Nobody knew exactly what was true. But whatever had happened, it had changed him. He rarely smiled. He rarely spoke about his family. And whenever someone mentioned children around him, his mood changed almost instantly. I didn't know if the rumors were true. And frankly, I didn't care. Everyone had their problems. I had mine. I continued working. But somewhere deep inside me, I had the strange feeling that today wasn't going to be an ordinary day. I didn't know why. I just felt it. And I was right. Jenny's POV "Dad! Mom! Byeee!" I waved through the window as the vehicle pulled away from the driveway. My smile disappeared almost immediately. Today was my first official day at the company. Not as an employee. Not as an intern. As the CEO. I leaned back against the leather seat and stared through the window. The streets of California passed by in a blur. I tried to calm my nerves. Business Administration had never been my dream. Modeling was. But Dad had other plans for me. The moment he discovered that I wanted to pursue modeling, he strongly objected. Instead, he insisted that I study Business Administration. At the time, I thought he was simply being controlling. Now I understood his reasoning. My father, Sir Harlow, was one of the wealthiest business tycoons in America. He owned three major companies located in different parts of the country. But age was beginning to catch up with him. He couldn't continue managing everything himself. So he had decided to hand over his brewery company to me. The company produced an estimated three million units daily. It was massive. Far bigger than anything I'd ever managed. Mom, on the other hand, had taken control of the family's jewelry penthouse in Las Vegas. Apparently, running a business was now a family tradition. I sighed. "What am I getting myself into?" I stared at my reflection in the window. Twenty-five years old. Educated. Privileged. Beautiful, according to everyone who saw me. But none of those things made me feel prepared. The vehicle suddenly slowed down. "Ma'am, we're here." My driver's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked ahead. The company's enormous building stood proudly among the surrounding structures. "Already?" "Yes, ma'am." I straightened my clothes. "Okay. Park at that block closer to my office." "Yes, ma'am." The driver slowly maneuvered the Jeep toward the building. The moment I stepped out, my secretary approached me. "Good morning, ma'am." "Good morning." She smiled and helped close the vehicle door. I began walking toward the entrance. People stopped what they were doing. Some greeted me. Others simply stared. Then I began hearing whispers. "Wow. She's so attractive." "She's beautiful." "Where did our boss get this goddess from?" I pretended not to hear them. My secretary followed closely behind. The elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside. As the doors closed, I finally released the breath I'd been holding. "You're going to be fine," I whispered to myself. But something about that morning bothered me. I couldn't explain it. It was almost as though I was walking into something I didn't understand. Something that had already been set in motion long before I arrived. The elevator doors opened. I stepped out. My office was at the end of the hallway. I approached the door and pressed the button. The lock clicked. The door opened. I walked inside. The office was enormous. A large glass window overlooked the city, while a polished desk sat directly in the center of the room. I dropped my handbag on the table and sat down. For a few seconds, I simply stared at the desk. "CEO Jenny Harlow." I smiled faintly. It sounded strange. My secretary entered a few seconds later. "Ma'am, do you need anything else?" "No. You can leave." She turned around. "Wait." She stopped. I looked at her. "What's your name?" "I'm Kelly, ma'am. I..." "It's alright." I closed my eyes. "You can go now." "Yes, ma'am." The door closed. Silence. I opened my eyes again. Something caught my attention. A small envelope was lying on the far corner of my desk. I frowned. I hadn't seen it when I entered. Slowly, I stood up. I walked toward it. There was no name on it. No company stamp. No return address. Just a single handwritten word on the front. JENNY. My heart skipped. I picked it up. For a moment, I simply stared at it. Then I heard something. A faint sound. Almost like a whisper. I turned around. Nobody was there. My office door was still closed. I looked back at the envelope. My fingers tightened around it. Then, very slowly, I opened it. And the moment I saw what was inside... My entire expression changed. Because whatever was written on that piece of paper... was something I had never expected to see.