The Billionaire's Trap

Chapter 2 - YOUR POSITION OR A WIFE

"‘Are you deaf? Who gave such orders?’ Ryan stood up from his chair, banging his fist on the table, making the board members shriek in fear.

‘Your father,’ one of the board members shouted in fear, while the rest nodded their heads in agreement.

Ryan collapsed into his chair in frustration. He never knew his father could go this far to make him get a wife.

‘Get out, all of you,’ he said in his hoarse voice as they all scrambled to their feet immediately, none wanting to be a victim of his wrath.

He loosened his tie knot, closing his eyes to rack his brain on how to solve the mess he was in.

He felt someone caress his broad chest, making him flinch immediately. He opened his eyes and saw his secretary staring at him with lustful eyes.

‘Do you think I was joking about my threat earlier?’ he asked, anger laced in his voice.

‘I was only trying to help you relax,’ she replied with her seductive voice, and Ryan stared at her with disgust on his face.

‘Say it or get out,’ he said, buttoning up his shirt when he noticed her wide eyes on it.

‘Sir, we have a candidate applying for the personal secretary position,’ she said in a low voice, embarrassed that her little plan of seduction had failed.

‘Send her in,’ he told her as she bowed her head and left his office, deliberately swaying her fake ass.

‘Slut,’ he whispered under his breath, eyeing her.

Vanessa roamed the streets of Singapore searching for a job vacancy. Her stomach growled in hunger, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since she was fired in the morning.

‘What a frustrating day,’ Vanessa groaned, approaching a nearby cafeteria.

She ransacked her bag, hoping to find a meaningful amount, but the money on her couldn’t feed a chicken, let alone a human. She dropped the bag in frustration, sighing heavily. Her eyes went to the electric billboard, and she saw the news:

‘VACANCY FOR THE POST OF PERSONAL SECRETARY.’

An adrenaline rush of happiness coursed through her veins as the feeling of hunger disappeared immediately. She picked up her bag and ran out of the cafeteria, attracting the stares of people. She got closer and read the details of the interview.

She flagged down a taxi immediately.

‘Ryan Enterprise,’ she told the elderly man driving the taxi.

‘$500,’ the taxi driver replied, as if in a hurry.

‘That is too expensive!’ she yelled at the taxi driver, making him angry.

‘The taxi is not for everybody. You can use your goddamn legs,’ he yelled back, speeding away.

Vanessa stared, speechless, almost breaking down in tears at the insults hurled at her. She adjusted her skirt and started jogging since she was too broke to afford a taxi.

**RYAN ENTERPRISE**

Vanessa arrived at Ryan Enterprise, reeking of sweat as she jogged all the way to the company. She stared at her ruined mini skirt and uttered a silent prayer in her head. She wiped her face with a handkerchief, and her mind flashed back to the young man’s naughty compliment. She shook it off and decided to focus on the interview. She applied powder to touch up her dull face and a red lipstick, spraying her cheap perfume to at least smell nice.

She stepped into the company, making all eyes focus on her. She managed to walk to the secretary’s desk despite the serious murmuring and jeering she was hearing about her appearance.

‘Why does she look so haggard?’ one of the applicants said loudly enough for Vanessa to hear.

‘She looks more like a frustrated b***h,’ the lady in front of her replied mockingly, making the rest burst into laughter.

Vanessa ignored all the jeering, clutching her CV to her chest tightly as she walked straight to the secretary’s desk.

‘Hello, I’m here for the job vacancy of the personal secretary,’ she smiled at the lady who eyed her with long lashes.

‘Did you apply?’ the secretary asked, without raising her face to look at Vanessa.

‘No,’ Vanessa answered in a low tone, and for the first time, the secretary looked at her.

‘Then how will they interview you?’ the secretary asked. Vanessa was confused at that point. She couldn’t let this huge opportunity slip from her hands; she was ready to do anything to get the job.

‘Please help me,’ Vanessa begged. The secretary sighed in pity after seeing how miserable Vanessa looked.

‘You’re late,’ the secretary’s harsh voice shocked Vanessa, making her lose her voice for a few moments.

‘I’m sorry,’ Vanessa apologized, palms forward.

‘Follow me,’ the clerk commanded, swaying her fake ass in front of her.

‘Sir, she’s here,’ the secretary announced to the young man who had his back turned to them, staring out at the outside world through the window.

‘Let her in and leave,’ Ryan’s deep voice answered, and the secretary bowed, leaving the office immediately.

Vanessa swallowed the invisible lump in her throat as she stepped into the cold office, covering the stain on her mini skirt with her CV.

‘Good afternoon, sir,’ she greeted the man, who still had his back to her.

‘Sit,’ Ryan replied hoarsely, and she gulped down nothing, sitting nervously.

‘Am I safe with these harsh people?’ Vanessa thought to herself, shifting uncomfortably on the foamy chair.

Ryan turned his chair to begin the interview when he widened his eyes in both shock and surprise as he stared at Vanessa, who was the most shocked of the two.

Vanessa silently begged the earth to swallow her at that moment.

‘I finally ruined my opportunity with this wide mouth of mine,’ Vanessa regretted how she had spoken rudely to him.

‘Can I have your CV?’ Ryan asked, pretending like he knew nothing, which made Vanessa more surprised.

‘Does he have a short memory?’ Vanessa stared intensely at Ryan, who checked her CV with his eyebrows knitted together.

‘Sorry, you are not qualified for this job,’ Ryan told her, throwing her CV back on the table. His eyes went to the blue handkerchief in her hand, and he frowned a little.

‘What do you mean, sir? I worked as a secretary in my previous office,’ Vanessa tried explaining herself, rubbing her sweaty palms in fear.

‘Then it must have been a local company. We deal with high qualifications, and the only thing you can offer is your high school certificate,’ Ryan’s voice sounded disgusted, making Vanessa bite her lips in embarrassment.

‘You can leave my office now,’ Ryan cleared his throat, feeling satisfied with his revenge.

Vanessa, not knowing how to defend herself, picked up her CV. That was when Ryan noticed the stain on her skirt.

‘Wait,’ she paused in her tracks when she heard his calm voice, thanking her stars.

‘When next you go for a job interview, dress like a classy lady and not a roadside beggar.’ Vanessa stared at him in surprise. She remembered that he was the one who had ruined her clothes. She wasn’t ready to let him insult her, so she decided to reply since she had nothing to lose.

‘Have you always been this dumb, or are you just pretending? You ruined my dress, and yet you still have the guts to insult me. I don’t blame you; I blame myself for allowing a frustrated man to interview me.’ Vanessa hissed, threw the handkerchief on his table, and walked out of his office without waiting to see Ryan’s reaction or hear his reply.

‘Wow,’ Ryan muttered, his mouth wide open, not knowing what to say.

Vanessa walked back to the elevator with wobbly legs. She felt a little relaxed but still felt bad that she had lost the interview.

She ran out of the company, crying profusely, not minding the stares from the employees.

‘Welcome to Ryan Enterprise,’ the secretary sighed after seeing Vanessa run out in tears.

**PENG MANSION**

Ryan drove into his parents' mansion roughly, ignoring all the greetings of the staff as he barged into his parents' sitting room, where they were curled up in love.

He scrunched his face in disgust and cleared his throat loudly to make his presence known.

‘Look who we have here,’ his mother said cheerfully, standing up to hug her son.

His father sipped his wine slowly, ignoring him, as he knew why Ryan had come to visit.

‘Dad, why did you give the board members such orders?’ Ryan questioned his father angrily, completely ignoring his mother’s greetings.

‘You know how much I’ve achieved and what my plans are for the company, so getting a wife now is definitely not my priority,’ Ryan continued, this time in a calm voice, hoping to convince his father, who still hadn’t said a word, except to sip his wine slowly.

‘I wish I wasn’t lazy enough to give birth to only one son who wants to remain a virgin till death,’ his father finally spoke, placing his wine glass on the glass table.

‘Ryan, we are trying to protect your reputation. Didn’t you see the blogs about you being gay?’ His mother held his face in her hands with a concerned look on her face.

‘I don’t care where you find a wife, but I give you thirty-one days to do that, or you can forget about being the CEO of Ryan Enterprise,’ his father said with authority in his voice.

‘Dad, I built this company, and you cannot take it away because of some stupid blogs,’ Ryan explained, but it was all in vain.

‘We will see after thirty-one days,’

his father smirked and stood up, leaving just his mother and him in the sitting room.

‘Do this for mommy, please,’ his mother pleaded, and he sighed in frustration

. He hugged his mother, and she smiled, rubbing his head.

‘Leave my wife alone and go get yours,’ his father shouted from the balcony upstairs.

‘Jealous freak,’ his mother whispered, making Ryan smile.

‘Take care of yourself, Ryan,’ his mother held his hands, and he nodded with a wide smile on his face.

‘And you too, mother. Tell that old man to take care of himself.’

Ryan kissed his mother on the cheek and left the house as if he were being chased.

His mother stared after him and, for the first time, wished her second child hadn’t died at birth."