Anna did as her boss had instructed her. Being in charge of the office while Nancy learnt from her. She asked alot of questions and Anna answered them as best as she could.

Nancy observed and within a week she knew all there was to know about being Mr. Jason Campbell's personal secretary.

Jason was not satisfied and put her through alot of test which she passed very well.

'You are really a fast learner', he commented smiling appreciatively at her.

'I have to be to survive. I am a survivor, sir', Nancy said smiling in response. She was glad that he was not the kind of boss who was hard to please or who find it difficult praising or appreciating his workers when they have done something commendable.

'Even then,Anna will still stay in this office with you, observing you and putting finishing touches to her training of you'.

'But....' Nancy was going to object. Not because she didn't like Anna but because she felt that Anna had to go back to her own job and not do a double job while she, Nancy was just sitting idle earning, the kind of salary, Mr. Campbell had placed her on. She wanted to justify the money she was going to earn.

'No buts. That is my final decision

And while we are at it,what plans are you making towards getting a better apartment?'

'I shall live where I have been living for sometime until I can afford a better place of residence', she said defensively.

'Yes, but now that you work here, I cannot allow any of my staff to live in such deplorable conditions. That place is not got for any human being, key alone a pregnant one. So, I shall advance you your salary to get a change of wardrobe. You have to get clothes that are worthy of your position as my secretary and till you can get an apartment for yourself, you will have to come live in my house's, he said turning to go, his stance showing that he condole any objections but Nancy had to have her say.

'You are my boss sir, but that does not give you the right to take over my life,plan my life and take decisions for me. I am an adult and capable to taking care of myself as well as decisions concerning my life. How can you ask me to pack up and come live with you? What would your wife say, have you thought about that?'

A shadow fell a Ross hos face but quickly disappeared and Nancy was not sure that she saw what she thought that she saw.

Anna who had been there, could not believe Nancy or how she could speak to the boss that way and most of all reject such a mouth watering offer. Any other person in her shoes would have jumped at such an offer. Living with the boss would certainly spare her money for feeding because she was sure the boss would not allow her buy her own food. So she would be treated to the best food money could buy and she would save the money for her apartment and use it for something else since My. Campbell would definitely not accept rent from her but here the foolish girl was refusing. Some people are so lucky and do not know it or fo not know how to appreciate it. But the mention of the boss'wife made Anna uncomfortable because they rembered what he went through when Mrs. Campbell left with the boss' best friend Terry. She excused herself and left the office, thinking that the boss would storm at Nancy for being so rude and assumptions.

'I do not have a wife!' he said harshly.

Nancy could not believe it. How was it possible that a devilishly handsome man such as her boss who was also as wealthy as this was not married?

She recalled the shadow and something else , anger? bitterness? that had flickered through his eyes and knew she had not imagined it. There was definitely something , a story behind his being unmarried. The girl he wanted to marry must have rejected him or left him for another or it could be a case of unrequited love. This shows that money could not buy love, else what else could a woman desire that Mr Campbell didn't have? But that was a subject to be contemplated at another time but for now, she had to stand her ground. It was her life afterall and she was not a baby, requiring a baby sitter or someone to father her.

'If there is not wife, the a girlfriend or someone and if not,how can I live with you, a single girl like me would it not raise eyebrows?'

'Did you really think about the eye brows that would be raised when you got yourself in your present condition with the loser who made you pregnant?' he said angrily.

Nancy was shocked. She looked at him with her mouth agape.

He regretted it as soon as the words were out of his mouth but he could not take it back and explaining himself would only make matters worse.

'You are not going to live insidey house. I have staff living with me and you will have a room in the staff quaters as well. It might not be what you want but it is definitely better than your present place of abode.I am not trying to impose anything on you and neither am I giving you charity, you work for me, so your welfare is of paramount importance to me. I would do it to any other person as well. You do not have to worry, your honour is intact where I am concerned', he said and left.

Nancy could not get over all he had said. She slumped I to a chair and cried. She supposed she deserved it. She was already pregnant with no father for her baby and she was still concerned about what people would say if they found out she was living with her boss? She just had not expected him to be so insensitive. The way he blurted it out was not flattering at all. She had a mind not to accept his offer but she had to put her pride aside and think about the welfare of her baby. She never doubted that her honour was safe with him though she was beginning to soften towards him because of the kindness he had shown and was still showing her. She knew that not every one would do for her what he had done and is still doing and instead of being grateful, she was fighting him.

She was not going to agree just yet. He had hurt her with his words and she was not going to forgive him that easily.

Another week rolled by but Nancy did not go to live in Jason's staff quarters. She had expected him to broach the topic with her again but he did not. It was almost as though he did not care anymore.

She was growing used to her job and duties and carrying them out effectively and effortlessly and even Jason had to admit that there was no need for Anna to continue coaching her.

Nancy had got enough corporate clothes for the office and was looking more attractive and the men in the office had started giving her the eye. Jason saw all this and though he thought in passing that she was really beautiful and had a great shape, he felt no other emotion. He had killed any emotion he had for the opposite sex and took his pleasure where he found it. He could not risk his hear getting broken again.

Nancy was in the office one day and she remembered what had bothered her for sometime. She wondered if Anna would know about it.

'Anna, why is Mr. Campbell still unmarried?'

Anna was taken unawares and did not know how to answer the question.

'Why do you want to know?'

'Well for one, he was s handsome and Roch and not really a bully though stubborn. I would have expected him to have a wife and children'.

'Well, you must not let on that I told you.Promise?'

'Promise', Nancy said thinking to herself that she had known all the while that there was a story behind his unmarried state.

'Well he was married to a very beautiful model called Rebecca. Their marriage I heard was in the magazines for months afterwards. It was a really lavish affair.

Mr. Campbell really loved her, giving her everything and more. It was a shock to us when the rumour started going round that Rebecca had run of with Mr. Campbell's best friend Terry.

He was so devastated that he did not come to the office for almost three months. And when he did, he was a ghost of his former self. He is only started to recover fully but since then, he did not allow himself get too close to any woman.

His wife also wiped their joint account clean as well as the one he personally opened for her. If his sister had not come to be with him,he might have died. It was a double betrayal, you know. The wife he loved dearly and his best friend who he trusted with everything. No one talks about his failed marriage and that was why I left that day you mention something like that to him when he was talking about your accommodation'. Anna explained.

Nancy could see now. She could also see why he felt that he had to protect her. They had alot in common. He was a broken man.He had not quite healed yet else, he would not be affected when the word wife is said, reminding him of his own wife's betrayal. And she had been betrayed as well nit by her husband but by a man she thought she was engaged to and with who she would soon get married.

She didn't want to think about Robert. She always felt like wringing his neck. She wanted to make him suffer. It did not trouble her that he was the father of her unborn child. She understood perfectly his pain. And his was even a double barrelled one. His wife and his most trusted best friend. It was a miracle he survived the hurt and betrayal.

'A penny for them?' Anna asked. She had been watching Nancy and had seen different emotions flick across her face. It was evident that she was deep in thought. What she had just heard must have affected her and why not? What woman in their right senses would leave Mr. Campbell for anyone else? Well everyone had their preferences and who was she to judge?

'They are not worth a penny, I assure you', Nancy said as she realised Anna was referring to her being lost in thought after listening to her narration. And indeed the thought of Robert was not worth anyone's hard earned penny. He was just an inhuman villain. Lower than the lowest animal alive. Even then,it was not enough to qualify his bestiary nature.

Nancy decided that she was going to tell her boss that she was ready to take up his offer of the quarters.

But Campbell did not come back to the office that day. She layer heard that he had travelled for a business sealed and would not be back for about three days.

She did not think that she would be hurt but she was. She was supposed to be his personal secretary and he had gone on such a trip without telling her and she who was suppose to let others know of her boss' appointments and trips was the last person to know of it.

She seethed. She could not understand her feelings. Why was it hurting her so much? She planned to give her boss a piece of her mind when he came home. He would have to explain her job description to her again do that she is sure if she was there as a figure head or as his personal secretary.

The three days went by still,there was no sign of the boss. Nancy was getting really impatient and worried.

She had tried calling him but he wouldn't pick her calls and she didn't know what to make of it. Yet others in the office seemed to be having easy access to him.

He came back after a week. And he looked so handsome that Nancy could not believe that he had gone on a business trip. Business trips were supposed to be stressful but no part of his body shoed any sign of stress. He seemed to have come back from a vacation and if her suspicion was true, then it must have been with a beautiful lady. No other sort would command such a man's attention.

Nancy could not understand why the thought that he might have gone on a vacation with a lady should bother her so much.

It must be because she had not been told that he was going anywhere at all in the first place and she was his secretary for goodness sakes.

And he looked so handsome, handsome enough to be eaten and so relaxed.

She caught herself.She would have to be careful, and not think such things. The thought she had had in the past about Robert had put her in a trouble she was yet to be free from and she was not ready to get into another one. Moreover she was not alone now. She had her baby to think of as well as herself. So there was no space for a third party in her heart and life.

And in any case, she was just being grateful to her boss for his kindness to her, not because she had any special feelings for Mr. Campbell.

He was therefore free to be with anyone he wished to be with but because of his help, she only hoped that the person he would eventually settle with will not break his heart like his ex wife Rebecca did.

Nancy put all her efforts into her work and on Wednesdays, she dismissed early from work so that she could go to the hospital for antenatal care.

The last time she had gone for the checkup, she had been told that her baby was okay and that it's limbs were moving admirably. She had been very happy because she had been afraid that something was wrong with her baby given the lack of care she had taken of herself and her near brush with death which of course had changed the course of her life for the better.

She knew that her problems were far from being over. It was not going to be easy being a single mother but she would definitely try.

Now all she had to do was concentrate on her work and keeping her baby safe.

Tomorrow was another appointment day with her doctor for her regular checkup and antenatal.

Mr. Campbell came in to work that Tuesday morning, asking Nancy as he walked into his office, 'What are my appointment for today?'

Nancy was fuming but she thought that she had better be careful how she spoke to her boss because afterall,he was still the boss and had employed her without her having the required qualifications.

'You have an appointment with Charlie's Automobiles by 10am and a lunch date with Corrine Farmer at midday.

At 4pm,you have a meeting with the board of directors. That's all for today. Your previous appointments were left on hold due to the emergency trip that you took but thankfully,just a few of them were really very important but not really urgent and will be rescheduled according to your dictates'.

She delivered efficiently.

It was not a month yet but Anna had started allowing her take most of the responsibilities because she knew she would soon be on her own.

'Good. I shall keep all the appointments but you can come in, in about thirty minutes to take down the new schedule for the appointments that has to be rescheduled and the others you can call the people responsible to find out when it would be convenient for them to meet with me since I am back,then after checking with me, you take down the appointment'.

She called up the individuals and cooperate bodies whose appointment with her boss had had to be put on hold and they were rescheduled.

She entered all these in the diary and marked the dates on the calendar like she had been taught to.

At about some minutes to ten,she called her boss to inform him of his appointment at the top of the hour. After ushering in the representatives from the automobile company into her boss' office, she quickly did some of the paper work she needed to do and then chatted with Anna.

Anna had started seeing some changes in Nancy. No one in the office,including Anna knew that Nancy was pregnant when she started with them but as a woman, she had started noticing some changes and though they were friends, she just could not bring herself to ask Nancy if her suspicion was right. She respected her and felt that everybody had a right to their privacy. If Nancy was indeed pregnant, then she would definitely tell her whenever she was ready. Anna did not want to force it out of her when she was not ready yet to reveal it but she did wonder who the father of the baby in her womb was because she knew that Nancy was definitely not married.

Mr. Campbell, their boss had specifically brought her to the office and as far as she knew, Nancy had not gone through any interviews and had not been specially trained for the position she was currently occupying. She would have been jealous but she just liked Nancy, she was so likable and not arrogant.

'Was the baby Mr. Campbell's then ?' Anna thought to herself but she kept all these thoughts to herself. She knew a few people who were feeling that Nancy could be having an affair with the boss and Nancy's reaction to the sudden trip of their boss had heightened her suspicion. But if they were indeed seeing each other, would she not have known of the trip and would he not have made up an excuse to take Nancy with him on the trip?

It could be that their relationship was based on an understanding of sorts. Afterall,Mr. Campbell could not afford to have his heart broken again though why any woman would want to forfeit the privilege of being his wife was beyond Anna's comprehension.

'Nancy, you know about my boyfriend Bryan.But you have not told me about yours. What are you doing hiding such an information? We are girls you know and friends too. Why keep it a secret?'

Nancy looked at her shocked.