3

Emma Starr 

A brief knock on my door brought me to reality. 

“Who is it?” 

I stood up, walking to my doorstep to see an envelope slid under. Narrowing my eyes, I picked it up. It was sealed with a gold stamp and neatly wrapped making me knit my brows as I opened it. 

“Dear Emma Starr,” It wrote. 

“We got your application to work as a governess in the Country Club’s house of billionaires. I must say, we were impressed by your outstanding experience and decided to hire you as a manager of our staff. 

Feel free to begin tomorrow! 

Yours, Management. 

I stared blankly standing on my spot entirely shocked. Couldn’t believe I just got a real salary job. 

“Oh, my goodness... oh my goodness!” 

I jumped up excitedly, re-reading the letter over and over again. “Thank God! Yes!! Yes, yes, yes!” 

Little did I know. 

My life complications began. 

------------------------------------------------- 

Five years later. 

“My niece is coming back today,” 

The owner of the country club let out, with pride in his tone at the white and black tiled hallway. Today was a Saturday. 

“I’m sure you must know him, Nicholas Russell. The well-known movie producer. Ring any bells?” 

I stared astonishingly at him as he constructed those words. “T-This can’t be.” 

I uttered, wondering why Mr. Henry didn’t have the same last name as Nicholas. However, the Country Club’s owner chuckled balancing his walk stick firmly on the ground. As an old man in his 60s, he was a quite lively and energetic type. 

He made his Country Club a volunteer place, with the community people around the vast area doing all sorts of recreational activities. It was mostly filled with old and elderly people though, with limited youngsters. 

“You’re surprised, right?!” 

Mr. Henry laughed adding. 

“Not really?” 

“Oh, that’s okay. That’s the reaction I get from most people when I tell them Nicholas Russell is my niece.” 

I tried not to look flustered, batting my eyelash with my cheeks heated with balled fists at what was happening. 

The man I had a one-night-stand with was coming back?! 

“I see.” 

“Yep,” he replied. “So, you know the drill, Emma. Organize the other staff to prepare the VVIP room, make everywhere tidy, and let me know if you have a welcome plan in mind.” 

“Okay sir, I will.” 

I said, bowing my head only for him to chuckle excitedly walking ahead to interact with the community. 

“I say a lovely day, you have, Mrs. Gibbs...” 

His voice faded in the background as my heart began to thud erratically with my hands shaking in nervousness as I walked to my son. “Mommy! Mommy! Come see,” 

“Jonathan dear, what is it?” 

I muttered as I rested my hands on the shoulders of my five-year-old son who took most of his father’s appearance. His almond-brown hair, pretty face, and his lips too. 

“I won this round, mommy! Isn’t your son a genius?” 

He commented at the knots and crosses he won a girl around his age, while she pouted. 

“But, Miss Emma, he cheated.” 

The platinum blonde-haired child said, with a frown. 

“That’s a lie! I didn’t cheat? Is that even possible in a knot and cross?” 

“No, you’re the one who’s lying.” she retorted at him, making me step in to sit with them a bit. 

“Jonathan, did you cheat son?” 

“Nope, she watched me play everything and I didn’t.” 

“Maya, is that true?” I asked, but she didn’t say anything. All of a sudden, she began crying out loud. 

“Hey, hey... shhh.” 

Everyone looked at us, only for me to lean in to pet her. She held me with her tender hands, saying, 

“I don’t know how to play knots and crosses that’s why I said he cheated. I wish I could play it like him! I feel so much like a loser, Emma.” 

“There dear,” I hugged her, with my hands in her hair. “Don’t cry? Losing doesn’t make you a loser, you hear me?” 

She raised her head, nodding at me, who wiped her tears away. “Yes...”’ 

“He can teach you if you find it difficult, right Jonathan?” I uttered, only for my son to nod in support. 

“I will show her how to,” he said. “After she says sorry...” 

“Maya?” 

I motioned to her that second nodding that she’d do it. 

“I’m sorry, Jonathan. You’re my friend and I didn’t mean to accuse you of cheating.” 

“Apology accepted, Maya. I will teach you.” 

“Thank you!” 

She extended her hand, connecting it with my son’s own to shake it making me smile walking to carry on with the duties Mr. Henry assigned to me earlier. 

I am currently probating whether or not to flee this place with my son or not, as his father is coming back to town. 

Thus, I mobilized every working staff to arrange everywhere and as soon as we were done, I entered a lonely room slamming the door shut to think. 

Flashback. 

“Miss Emma, you’re 3 weeks pregnant.” 

“What?! How?” I asked, wondering what went wrong. 

“If you’ve had any sexual interactions, I’m sure you’re aware this is the result.” 

I ran to the Doctor who had always treated me, desperately holding his hands. 

“Doctor… what do I do? I think this is a miracle baby cause I’m currently not seeing anyone,” 

He grasped that instant. “Huh? You didn’t see anyone?” 

“Not at all. So, where did I go wrong?” 

“Emma...” he said in a pitiful tone. “You poor thing. You have one complication already and then this? Not even knowing the father of your child?” 

Nicholas Russell imprinted in my memory suddenly, making me blink several times with an open-mouthed gasp. “It can’t be… but, but I took the pill!” 

“What pill...” The Doctor trailed. 

“Does a contraceptive pill always work, Doctor?” 

“It is 95% effective and yes, can fail sometimes, Emma.” 

As he let those words, I placed my hands at the sides of my lap squatting with a loud shout. I was pregnant for a playboy movie director? 

“It can’t be!!!” 

A car honk blared from outside, making me curiously go look at who it was. It was just a man driving a Toyota who got angry at another driver. “Tsk.” 

I was about to leave the window when a familiar Rolls Royce drove inside the Country Club’s compound. The speed was almost like a pro, and so was the entirety of the way the car user parked. 

A coaster bus drove in too, making me knit my brows. 

A familiar face came out of the Rolls Royce, straightening his outfit and locking his car. Nicholas Russell. 

“Fuck me.” I needed to get my son. 

I ran out of the door, slamming it shut with the thought that Jonathan mustn’t meet his father. There was a reason I didn’t contact him years back and I will like to keep it that way! 

On getting to the place he played knots and crosses in, he wasn’t there anymore. The little girl was also nowhere to be found and in fact, the Country Club house had fewer people compared to before. 

“Jonathan, honey...” I trailed, searching for him. 

My heart began to pace hastily at the possibility of where he could be. I went to the passage opposite, checking every recreational room, yet I couldn’t find him. Not at all. 

“Dammit. Son, where are you?” 

“Have you seen my son anywhere, please?” The servant nodded. “No, I haven’t.” 

“Have you seen Jonathan?” I asked another who said, 

“He went that way, towards the entrance.” 

“The entrance?” 

God, I hope he didn’t meet his father there. I thought as I opened the main door. That will be a disaster! What was I supposed to do...? 

I stopped midway in my thoughts when I saw my son. He was just ahead, face-to-face with his father who currently smiled at him. “Jonathan, dear!” 

A worried expression plastered on my face as Nicholas raised his gaze to mine with a mesmerized expression. 

Apart from the beards he made grow around his chin, he hadn’t changed at all. It was like over those five years, he remained ageless. Nicholas Russell was clothed in a white summer shirt, with his hair packed to the back in a little 

“Emma?” 

Do something, Emma. You know you have to look surprised. “Hey...” 

He extended his hands which I took, only to feel sparks run through as we shook each other. It’s been so many years, yet this chemistry was still... What was I doing? 

“What are you doing here?” In a pretend tone, I asked. 

“My uncle owns the place. This is your son, right?” 

Jonathan held his little red ball a smile at him. 

“Yeah sure... come on, Jonathan. Your father just called and is expecting us at home.” 

I said those words, hoping they sounded believable. 

“Dad is finally back?!” he replied with a happy look. I had lied to him his father traveled on a long trip and will come back one day. 

Unknown to him, he was the man standing right in front of us. “Yeah sure, let’s go...” 

“It was nice meeting you, sir! Thank you for helping me get my ball.” 

Before I knew it, Nicholas placed his hands on our son’s brown hair shuffling it playfully with a grin before stating, “You’re welcome.” 

“Regards to your husband, Emma,” he added making me swallow nervously as I walked away with my son. 

“Yeah. Thanks.” 

I shouldn’t have lied. This was a small town. No one kept secrets because it ended up opening at the end of the day.