My Secret Son Is His Only Chance For A Legacy

The day Alexander “Alex” Sterling chose the “true love” over me, I discovered I was pregnant. Eight months later, while he was finalizing the details for a sprawling, televised society wedding to Tiffany Reed, I was in a brutal, near-fatal delivery giving birth to Leo. Then, the news alert: Breaking: Sterling Heir, Alex Sterling, Involved in Late-Night Street Racing Crash. Tiffany Reed Seriously Injured. Sterling Permanently Sterilized. Terrified he would try to take Leo, I spent five years looking over my shoulder, disappearing into the city’s background noise. Until Eleanor Sterling’s sixtieth birthday gala. Drafted as a last-minute server, I brought Leo with me to the staff lounge. He must have slipped out, because I heard the commotion just as he ran headfirst into Eleanor. The entire ballroom went instantly, shatteringly silent. That face. It was a perfect, heartbreaking copy of Alex’s own childhood portrait. Alex pushed through the crowd, rushing toward the child. His voice was hoarse, warped with shock: “Little guy, whose son are you?” Leo was frightened, his voice catching on a sob: “Mommy… I can’t find my mommy.” “Her name is Joanna Nelson.”

1 Knock, knock, knock. My supervisor, Mr. Chan, rapped impatiently on my desk. “Joanna, the catering company for the Sterling gala is short-staffed. You’re drafted for a server shift tonight. Triple pay.” I hesitated. Eleanor Sterling’s birthday. That kind of high-society event was exactly where I risked running into people from my past. More importantly, I hated leaving Leo alone at night. “Mr. Chan, I can’t leave my son tonight…” His tone turned dismissive. “Leave him with your parents, a neighbor, or the staff lounge for God’s sake. Can’t you figure out basic childcare?” A sneering laugh came from the next cubicle. It was Brenda, the office gossip. “Oh, triple pay. I’d kill for that! Mr. Chan, you’re doing Joanna a favor, aren’t you? After all, a single mom with a kid whose paternity is a mystery always needs the cash.” Brenda’s words were cruel, but they were true. Leo was growing fast, and the cold snap meant he needed a proper winter coat. I told myself I’d only be working the external area of the hotel, far from the main ballroom. I nodded, accepting the assignment. “Thank you, Mr. Chan. I’ll do it.” “Fine. Change now. Hotel service entrance, six p.m. Don’t be late.” As I walked toward the locker room, I passed Brenda’s desk. Her voice was just loud enough—intentional, I knew—for me to hear. “Please. Unwed and pregnant. Acting like some high-and-mighty saint. She doesn’t even know where the hell his father came from. Someone probably knocked her up and tossed her.” A muffled snicker came from a nearby intern. I felt the sharp sting of heat in my eyes and couldn’t help but stop. “Brenda, you’re a mother yourself. Watch your mouth.” Brenda humphed, crossing her arms as she stood up. “My mouth isn’t clean?” “And yours is? A little tramp. Coming here acting like a virtuous maiden when we all know she was just used goods. If I were you, I’d fix myself up. Maybe some drunk millionaire at the party will be desperate enough to look past your little brat and offer to be a stepdad.” My eyes were burning. I was ready to fire back, but Mr. Chan intervened, smoothing things over. “That’s enough, Brenda. Joanna, go get your son and don’t be late for the shift.” I tilted my chin up, ruthlessly shoving the heat back down. I wouldn’t cry here. On my way out, I could still hear Brenda laughing with a colleague, their expressions flicking to me with undisguised contempt. I turned the corner and quickly wiped my eyes. Joanna, you cannot cry. For Leo, you can swallow anything. I couldn’t shake the worry of leaving Leo alone, so I brought him with me to the staff lounge at the hotel. I set him up with his favorite dinosaur picture book, snacks, and water. “Leo, Mommy has to work just outside for a little while. You play here, okay? Promise me you won’t leave this room.” Leo was always so earnest. He nodded, then asked quietly: “When will you be back?” “Very soon.” I kissed his forehead. “As soon as you finish reading this book, Mommy will be back.” “Remember, don’t run off, ever, okay?” He nodded firmly and stuck out his pinky. “Promise, cross my heart.” We completed our ritual, and only then did I feel slightly better about heading toward the main hall. Brenda and a few other female colleagues were already there, gathered near the ballroom entrance, touching up their makeup. “God, the Sterling heir is such a tragedy. Handsome, rich… why did he have to get ruined?” “I heard the Tiffany girl was the one to blame. The long-lost daughter, right? Total loose cannon. Loves to race. She almost killed herself and took him out in the process. Now the poor man’s sterile.” “If you ask me, the Sterling family is cursed. She’s a jinx. She destroyed their entire bloodline.” … Just then, a delicate, yet furious voice spoke from behind them: “Who are you calling a jinx?” Tiffany Reed glared at Brenda and the others. They went pale, bowing their heads and muttering apologies. Tiffany’s gaze swept past them until it landed on me, standing a little way off. “Joanna?” she called out, a note of startled surprise in her voice.

2 I swallowed a heavy sigh, annoyed I hadn’t slipped away fast enough. I braced myself and walked toward her. “Tiffany.” Tiffany closed the distance, her eyes raking over my cheap server uniform. She managed a smirk that was half triumphant, half sickly-sweet. “It really is you. Why are you wearing this? Are you low-tier staff? It must be exhausting.” With an overly dramatic gesture, Tiffany grabbed my arm and tried to pull me toward the main ballroom, her voice dripping with fake concern. “Come on, I’ll get you a job inside, it’s easier work. Who knows, maybe you’ll even see Mom and Dad!” She led me a few steps, then remembered the terrified huddle of Brenda and the others. Her face instantly hardened. “All of you. You’re fired. Get out of here! A bunch of filthy trash.” Brenda’s group scattered, too shocked and scared to beg. They shot daggers at my back, unable to direct their hatred at Tiffany. Inside, Tiffany stopped and wore a mask of sudden, innocent realization. “Oh, Joanna, I completely forgot. We don’t need any more staff inside right now. Only the restrooms and the trash bins need attention.” She tilted her head, enjoying the moment. “But you…” I knew this was a deliberate humiliation. But honestly, compared to the last five years I’d clawed my way through, this was nothing. “I’ll do it.” I took the cleaning supplies without preamble. I was wiping down a bin tucked away in a corner when the guest of honor, Eleanor Sterling, made her entrance. Before the crowd could swarm her with fawning compliments, Eleanor’s voice, sharp with fury, cut through the noise. “How can I have a long life when my son’s future is destroyed!” I looked up. Five years hadn’t touched Alex; he was still impossibly handsome, but his face was etched with a new, dark shadow of perpetual gloom. The inability to have children had clearly broken him. Alex stood silent. Tiffany offered a nervous, careful smile. “Mom, don’t get upset. It’s bad for your health…” “Don’t call me Mom!” Eleanor roared, cutting her off. “I can’t bear it! If you hadn’t insisted on that ridiculous street racing, Alex wouldn’t have been in that accident! What terrible luck has the Sterling family had? Our son, ruined. You destroyed the Sterling line!” Eleanor turned her wrath on the silent Mr. and Mrs. Reed. “And you two! You brought back some… some fraud. Now you’ve ruined my son! Are you happy?” The Reeds’ apologetic murmurs were lost in the lavish room. Eleanor was becoming hysterical, years of pent-up resentment finally erupting. “That Joanna girl you two raised, she was quiet, decent, and respectable! It was Alex who lost his mind, insisting on bringing this jinx into our house! I regret it! I regret it all!” Tiffany’s face went even paler, a mix of sheer hatred and mortification crossing her features, especially when Eleanor mentioned me. She quickly diverted the attention. “Mom, you won’t believe the coincidence. You just mentioned Joanna. I ran into her here today!” Before I could react, Tiffany grabbed my arm and dragged me into the center of the ballroom. The spotlight was unforgiving. My coarse uniform, the half-wet cleaning rag still clutched in my hand, were starkly visible. I felt a rare rush of shame, but forced a greeting. “Hello, Mrs. Sterling. Mr. and Mrs. Reed.” Eleanor stared at me, her eyes complex. The words of praise she’d just spoken seemed to hang awkwardly in the air. The Reeds were stunned. After a beat of deafening silence, a light, contemptuous laugh was heard. Soon, low, mocking comments spread through the gathered guests. “Oh my God, is that her? The one who used to follow Alex around?” “Look at that uniform. That’s the lowest-tier housekeeping staff. And she’s still holding that filthy rag! Tiffany calls her ‘sister’? I’d have security toss her out. What a bad omen.” “I heard she got a massive payout when they broke up. How is she this broke? Must have blown it all on some loser boyfriend.” … The waves of humiliation were about to drown me when— “Quiet.” I hadn’t expected Alex to intervene. His expression was flat, but his gaze swept the room with such cold authority that the crowd immediately fell silent. He turned back to me, his tone almost gentle, pitying. “Joanna, why are you working as a cleaner? I thought I gave you a substantial amount when we broke up.” Money? I looked up at him, bewildered. In five years, I hadn’t received a cent. After giving birth to Leo, I couldn’t even afford the rent. I’d been out taking odd jobs before my six weeks were up. I opened my mouth and instinctively whispered the question: “…What money?” Those two quiet words were a thunderclap. Alex’s pupils instantly constricted. The shock was impossible to hide. His gaze snapped to Tiffany. “Tiffany, where is the money?”

3 Tiffany stammered, choked on an excuse, and frantically looked to her mother. Mrs. Reed instantly stepped forward, reaching out to take my arm, but I subtly pulled away. Her hand hung awkwardly in the air before she recovered and scolded me with a forced affection. “Oh, Joanna, you silly girl! You left in such a hurry back then! We’ve had that money set aside for you all this time, just waiting for the right moment. It’s a complete misunderstanding, darling!” Mr. Reed nervously rubbed his hands together, nodding frantically. “Yes, yes! We never forgot!” The lie was transparent, riddled with holes. Alex’s face went dark. His eyes were like cold steel on Tiffany. “Three hundred million dollars. Every cent. You have until noon tomorrow to deposit it into Joanna’s account. Fail to do so, and you can stop pretending to be a Sterling.” Tiffany was aghast that Alex would be so ruthless, forcing her hand in front of this entire crowd. She shot me a look so venomous I could practically taste the acid. She managed a strained smile for Alex. “Alex, I was just so negligent. You don’t have to worry. I’ll handle it tomorrow.” I sighed. I just wanted out of this mess. All I wanted was to take Leo and live our quiet life. “The money is unnecessary. I can provide for myself now.” “I still have work to do. Please excuse me.” Without looking back, I headed for the corner. The ballroom returned to a muted buzz. Clutching the mop and bucket, I returned to cleaning. One more stall in the restroom, and I could take Leo home. Suddenly, I heard shouting outside. Tiffany’s shriek cut through the noise: “How is this possible? It was right here on my wrist! That diamond bracelet is fifty million dollars!” “It’s gone!” A knot of dread tightened in my stomach. A wave of ominous foreboding washed over me. The next second, I heard Tiffany continue, her voice low and calculating: “Just now… only Joanna was close to me. The bracelet was still there right before I walked her in from the entrance. Could it be…” Tiffany didn’t have to finish the sentence. The door to my stall was violently shoved open. Two massive security guards grabbed me. “I didn’t do it!” I cried out. “I’ve been working this entire time. I haven’t touched anything that wasn’t mine.” I struggled desperately, but I was easily overpowered and dragged back toward the ballroom floor. Tiffany hurried forward, putting on a pretense of distressed apology. “Sister, I’m so sorry! I truly am!” “But this bracelet is irreplaceable. I only need to check. If it’s not on you, I’ll tell them to release you immediately. I’ll even apologize!” Despite her gentle words, her actions were precise. She reached immediately for my right pocket. Under the cruel glow of the chandeliers, in front of every single person present, the diamond bracelet was pulled out. The entire ballroom erupted in gasps, followed by a torrent of disgusted whispers and judgmental glares. Tiffany stumbled backward, feigning shock and profound disappointment. She clutched the bracelet. “Sister, how could you…?” “If you needed money, you only had to ask! How could you resort to… stealing?” At that moment, the police and venue security arrived. The evidence was irrefutable, played out under the harsh, public eye. I looked around in a panic, my voice a desperate, choked whisper. “It’s not me! I swear, it’s not! I don’t know how that got into my pocket!” Frantic, I grabbed the sleeve of Alex’s suit. I was so helpless, so terrified, I could only plead with him. “Alex, we grew up together! You know me!” “I am not a thief! Alex, please, you have to help me!” “I didn’t take it! This is a setup!” Tears streamed down my face. Alex looked at my wet, pleading eyes, his own expression complex. He reached up, gently wiping a tear from my cheek. His voice was chillingly devoid of warmth. “Joanna, you know the rule.” “I only trust the facts.”

4 Alex didn’t believe me. The lead officer didn’t hesitate, stepping forward to address me gravely. “Ma’am, we suspect you are involved in the theft of a high-value item. Please come with us to the precinct to assist with the investigation.” Click. The cold, metallic handcuffs snapped shut on my wrists. I stared at Alex, unable to speak. The old wounds ripped open, a fresh, painful ache in my chest that made me sway. We had been inseparable since childhood. He once swore he would always protect me. Why? Why did he keep hurting me like this? As the officers escorted me away, Tiffany leaned in close, her voice a low, triumphant hiss that only I could hear. “Bitch, you really think you can win against me?” I was led away and pushed into the back of a police cruiser. Meanwhile, back in the staff lounge, Brenda and her friends were sullenly gathering their things. “It’s that Joanna’s fault. She was probably trying to get us fired! She saw them coming and didn’t warn us!” The intern chimed in, “Serves her right to get arrested as a thief! I hope they lock her up for ten years. Let’s see her flaunt that little brat then!” Brenda had lost her job and was seething. She zipped her bag shut, her teeth grinding. Just as they were about to leave, Brenda’s eye caught a small figure in the corner. It was Leo. He was still being a good boy, quietly flipping through his old picture book. A malicious idea instantly seized Brenda. She dropped her bag and pasted a fake smile on her face, walking over to Leo. “Leo, honey, reading your picture book? You’re so good.” Leo was shy but polite. “Hello, Auntie.” “Aww. Leo, Auntie has to tell you something. Your mommy was just taken away by the police officers in uniform. They said your mommy did something bad.” “What?” The picture book slipped from Leo’s hands. He frantically shook his head, his voice high and thin with panic. “Mommy doesn’t do bad things!” “Auntie believes you, too. That’s why you have to go save her!” Brenda pointed toward the main ballroom. “Leo, don’t cry. See that way? Run toward the brightest, loudest place. Go in there, and find a… a very glamorous old lady who looks the most important!” “Find her, and you beg her to save your mommy! Tell her to make the police let your mommy go!” “Remember, she’s the only one who can help your mommy!” Leo was too young, too distraught to register the malice in Brenda’s words. “Thank you, Auntie!” he cried. He didn’t even stop to pick up his book. He bolted toward the ballroom. Brenda watched him go, a twisted, triumphant smile spreading across her face. Her friends crowded around, slightly worried. “B-Brenda, will he be okay?” “Okay? What could happen? He might annoy the Sterlings and make Joanna’s life harder in jail. If the little brat gets lost, it has nothing to do with us.” Brenda walked out, leading her relieved group. Leo was terrified, but the need to save me was a primal urge. He ran blindly into the main ballroom. He instantly saw her: the imposing old woman in the center, surrounded by fawning people. She was sparkling, and everyone deferred to her. That’s her! Leo didn’t hesitate. Saving Mommy was all that mattered. He ran with all his strength, pushing through the barrier of adults, crashing into Eleanor Sterling. Eleanor staggered, only caught by an attendant’s quick reflexes. She looked down, her angry words freezing in her throat. “Oh my… who is this child…” That face! The entire room went instantly, shatteringly silent. His eyes, his nose, his brow—they were the exact, tiny replica of her son, Alex, when he was small. At that moment, Alex rushed over. He saw Leo’s face, scooped him up in disbelief, and asked in a voice raw with emotion: “Little guy, whose son are you?” Leo, frightened by the sudden attention, sobbed into Alex’s shoulder. “Sir, please save my mommy! The police took her!” “Mommy… I can’t find my mommy.” “Her name is Joanna Nelson.”