The Breakup, the Billionaire, and the Secret Baby

The distinct chime of Jasmine’s ringtone echoed throughout the living room. Aaron didn’t react, probably because his noise-cancelling headphones were currently blaring whatever video game he was obsessed with that day. Jasmine glanced at the clock and saw 3:15 P.M. displayed on its screen. She sighed, already knowing what was coming.

Hey girlie. Natalie is gonna be super late. Will u pretty pretty plz come in and cover 4 her till she shows up?

Typical. Her boss, Miranda, always asked her first for coverage. She understood why: every single tip went to paying her tuition, and Miranda knew that. But this was her first day off in a week, and she was hoping to spend some time with Aaron after he finished up his game.

Still, she needed the money, and with great reluctance, she replied:

Sure. I’ll be there in 15.

Jasmine locked her phone and got ready to head to the restaurant. She’d been doing this routine for so long it didn’t take more than five minutes for her to get ready. She pulled her blonde hair back into a high ponytail and applied some lip gloss. Customers seemed to like the natural beauty look the best, or at least that’s what their tips said.

With her work uniform on and keys in hand, she tapped Aaron’s shoulder. Fortunately, he appeared to still be in a lobby waiting for the next round.

He pulled one side of his headphones away, looking up at her. “What’s up babe?” He’d been playing whatever new game this was for four hours today, which was frustrating now that she had to go to work. But every time she was annoyed with him, those big brown eyes melted her heart.

“I’m gonna head into work for a couple of hours. When I get back, do you want to hit up a bar or something?” she asked hopefully.

He smiled. “Of course. We should go to the Train Station.”

“Sounds like a great plan to me.” Jasmine leaned down and planted a kiss on his lips. “I’ll see you tonight. Love you.”

“Love you too,” he said. The screen changed, and he went back into gamer mode, staring at his screen as she headed out the door.

She hopped into her car, thinking about the nice night they’d have once she was home. Between her MBA program and job, there hadn’t been much time for their relationship. Her intense schedule left her exhausted every day, leading to a long dry spell. She knew that Aaron was getting frustrated, and she wanted to make it up to him.

Despite her split focus, Aaron was supportive. He helped keep the roof over their heads, no matter how dingy it was. He even got her little gifts to cheer her up when she worked a double and had an exam the next day. They didn’t have a lot, but they had each other, and that was enough for her.

Jasmine spaced out for most of the drive, thinking of ways to repay Aaron. Muscle memory got her there in fifteen minutes. She snapped out of her daydream and walked in, seeing that the place was busier than usual. Was something going on in town? Miranda made sure to keep a schedule of all the events in town since they normally got slammed after a concert or game finished. Jasmine couldn’t recall anything specific today, and if there was something going on, she would have been scheduled.

Miranda approached her, her brown hair pulled back in a ridiculously tight bun. The woman was breathing hard as if she’d just come back from a jog.