Indulging The Billionaire: My Son’s Secret Father.

~~Joan’s POV~~ “Michael, please don’t do this to me.” My voice came out almost in a whisper as I pressed my phone tighter to my ear. Once again, the call cut off — switch off. My chest tightened as I walked into the hall where the celebration of my third wedding anniversary is being held. Today marked my third wedding anniversary with my husband, Michael Lewis, a union arranged by our families years ago, before I could even understand what love was supposed to feel like. I have liked Michael since I knew I would marry him someday. What I never knew was that my obsession with him was nothing but disgust. I walked into the hall in my evening dress, my gaze moving around the small crowd gathered for my third wedding anniversary, looking for the figure of my husband, but he was nowhere to be found. The party had been ongoing since an hour ago. I tried to reach my husband through the phone, but his phone was switched off. “Michael, I beg you, honor this anniversary with your presence. I can’t make the headline and become a laughing stock of the whole Paris by tomorrow morning.” I whispered to myself, my fingers clenched tightly around my phone, still dialing his number. The moment I walked towards the small crowd of the prominent businessmen and socialites of Paris gathered in the hall, a mocking voice made me stop midway. “Yoo Joan, President Lewis isn’t here yet?” Lilian’s gaze drifted around the hall, her gaze lingering everywhere as if Michael would materialize out of thin air, a mocking smile plastered across her face. “Has the groom run away with his rumored mistress, leaving his darling wife to enjoy the celebration alone?” Lilian's hateful remark filled the air, calling the attention of the guests nearby. My fingers clenched tightly around my evening dress, trying as much as possible to control my rage. Lilian was asking for it. The moment I turned around to give Lilian the response she deserves, a commotion at the entrance of the hall signals my husband’s arrival. All my attention was immediately shifted towards him. I rather use the strength I have to please my husband rather than exchange words with Lilian, the woman who had taken me as an enemy since childhood. I rushed over to welcome my husband. That was when I noticed the woman beside him, Irene Joss, my husband's secretary. They walked in hand-in-hand, exuding the air of affection, making them look like the perfect host for the grand ceremony. My eyes burn at the extent of my husband’s humiliation. I never knew he would go to such an extent of bringing his mistress to our third wedding anniversary just to disgust me, and also announce to everyone how little I mean to him. “Wow, they look so good together, unlike a pathetic b***h who couldn’t win her husband’s love.” Lilian’s snide comment cut through the hall again, the other socialites nodding their heads in agreement. I intentionally ignored Lilian, making her stomp her feet in anger behind me. I moved closer to my husband, who was exchanging pleasantries with his business partners. He has not spared me a glance since his arrival. I took a deep breath before putting on the sweetest smile I could come up with and walked forward as if the stunt my husband was pulling didn’t get to me. “There you are Michael. I was starting to worry.” I said with a smiling face, trying to get his attention while ignoring his female partner in the process. I could hear the whispers around me, but I chose to turn a deaf ear to them, dismissing their mockery and sympathy. My focus was all on Michael, whose gaze on me was as cold as ice. The disgust he felt due to my abrupt interruption was written all over his face. Instead of saying a word to me, Michael gave me a dismissive look and turned towards Irene, his disgust immediately replaced with a tender look a man in love would look at his lover with, a sharp pain hitting my chest at the realization. “Let’s go darling.” He said to Irene, his voice gentle. His words were more than a slap to my face. Heat rushed up to my face, but I forced the tears back. I refuse to break down in front of so many people. “Mich…,” I wasn’t opportune to finish my word before Irene and Michael walked past me, Irene brushing against my shoulder in provocation, a smug look on her face. My instinct screamed that something was wrong. Before I could step away, Irene's heels twisted. She crashes to the floor beside me. “Ahhh…” The room erupted with chaos as Irene’s blood-curdling scream filled the air. All attention immediately shifted toward us. I was so shocked by what just happened that I didn’t see the twisted rage on my husband’s face. “You b***h. What have you done?” Micheal roared as his palm connected with my cheek, the force sending me two feet backward. “Ahh,” a scream left my lips, my eyes widening in pain as I stumbled backward, tears welled up in my eyes as I held my stinging cheek, not expecting him to hit me in public. “Darling, are you okay?” Michael rushed towards Irene, knelt in front of her as he checked her body for any form of injury. “My baby, Daniel, please save my baby.” Irene cried as she held her stomach, making everyone gasp in shock. “What? Irene is pregnant?” Whispers filled the hall again, but all I could think about was the sudden revelation of Irene’s pregnancy, making my stinging cheek feel numb. “I’m here, darling. Nothing would happen to our baby.” Micheal consoled Irene as he held her close to his chest, his eyes filled with fear. Irene continued to cry while I stood there dumbfounded. Not only did my husband bring his mistress to our anniversary, he also gave me the biggest shock of my life. He had impregnated his mistress. “Michael, this isn’t true right?” I rushed forward, trying to yank Michael away from Irene, my breath caught in my throat as I waited for his reply. Michael raised his head towards me, his eyes filled with hatred. “You heard that right, Joan. What you can’t give me for the past three years, Irene did that with ease, and I will not allow you to hurt her or our baby.” His face was twisted in anger and disgust. His words rang in my ears like a thunderclap, the reminder of how I was unable to carry Michael’s child made the tears gathered in my eyes spill. I took a step back in shock, my head moving in helpless denial while my mind struggled to catch up. “No Michael, this can’t be true. We already found a solution to — ahhh…” My words were cut short as Michael mercilessly flung my outstretched hand off his shoulder. “Stay away from me…, " he snapped. The brutal force of his shove sent me stumbling backward. My heels scraped helplessly against the polished floor as my balance slipped away, and for a split second, I was certain I was about to land flat on my butt in front of everyone. But the humiliating fall never came. A firm arm suddenly wrapped around my waist, steady and unyielding, pulling me back from the brink. My back collided with a solid chest instead of the cold marble floor. A faint gasp rippled through the crowd. Startled, I looked up, my tear-blurred vision slowly focusing on the man who had caught me. His grip on my waist tightened slightly, steadying me before he spoke, his voice low but commanding. “Are you alright?” I opened my mouth after a few seconds of shock to thank him, but the words hung in my throat, instead, a wave of dizziness hit me. The man’s arm tightened around me as my body went limp. Voices erupted around us, but they sounded distant, just like underwater echoes. Then his voice cut through the noise, low and dangerously calm. “How dare you raise your hands on your wife? Touch her again and you will have to answer me.” That was the last thing I heard before everything went blank. The next time I woke up, the room was quiet. Too quiet. I tried to move, but my head throbbed. A cold voice spoke above me, startling me. “Sign them.” A stack of documents landed on the bed beside me. My breath hitched as I read the words boldly written on the paper.