Page 8 of Secret Baby for Dr. Billionaire

It was a very tiring day at the hospital earlier but rewarding nonetheless. I had three surgeries today, a hernia repair and two appendectomies, all of which I completed without any complications. By now, I could perform these surgeries with my eyes closed, but one could never be too cocky when it came to a patient’s life.

I stepped out of my car and put on my sunglasses, debating whether or not I should pick Billy Anne up from homeroom or wait for her here. She always told me to stay in the car, but I liked pushing Billy Anne’s buttons sometimes because it helped with her shyness.

I leaned on my newest black Bentley and took out my phone to answer some emails from our clients at Hayes PharmaCorp. The multimillion-dollar company that I happened to own was one of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical companies in the United States. I was planning to go international by next year.

Bright Heights Academy suited Billy Anne when it came to gently cracking her social skills open. I knew I was partly to blame for my nine-year-old daughter going through this intense social anxiety that made her refuse to talk to other people except her family, a few friends, and two of her teachers. In return for them taking care of her, I funded everything the school needed material-wise. Just this year, my company anonymously donated over a thousand books for their students in daycare.

I got a text from my sister, Maggie, who lived in a beach house by the coast. She was two years older than me, with two boys and a doting husband, Ralph, who was the most cutthroat lawyer in the state and who happened to be my company lawyer. She loved hosting sleepovers almost every other weekend, which meant unlimited beach time for the kids. It was a good way for Billy Anne to work on her social skills again with her cousins.

Maggie:The boys are looking for Billy Anne. Where are you?

Ben:Be there in ten.

On cue, I heard soft footsteps approaching me, and I didn’t have to look up to know it was Billy Anne.

My daughter might be the quietest kid in the state, but her big hazel eyes spoke for her. Right now, she had a frown on her face and an adorable wrinkle of frustration on the bridge of her nose.

“Hiya, sport.” Billy Anne carried a pink backpack and held her Bratz lunch box with the other hand. A white bow adorned her high ponytail, the only hairstyle I could pull off besides Elsa’s braid. I always took time to learn things for Billy Anne, especially the things a mother should be doing, like hairstyles and dress shopping. But to heck with stereotypes and gender roles. My hands saved lives every day. Why couldn’t they braid my daughter’s hair?

“Tough day?”

“We’re late,” she said, her voice low and soft. Billy Anne had no problem expressing herself with her aunt and me, which I was thankful for. Last night, I learned that it bothered her that her art teacher would be gone for a while, and she was worried that the new substitute after spring break wouldn’t like her.

She also liked being punctual just like me, a habit I’d developed since medical school because being a minute late could cause a person to lose their life. Billy Anne was never late when it came to things that mattered. She was always at least fifteen minutes early to school every day. She’d arrive a day before for her weekend sleepovers if she could.

“Aunt Maggie just texted. She said they’re just about to start,” I lied. I grabbed her bag from her and put it in the trunk, the pink standing out against the sleek, black interior of my car.

“Is Trish there already?” she asked, walking towards where I was, cocking her head to the side, her long brunette curls cascading over her face.

Trisha was Ralph’s niece, about the same age as Billy Anne. While Billy Anne was brunette, soft-spoken, and shy, Trisha was blonde, blunt, and feisty. They were made for each other and complemented each other well, and Billy Anne seemed to be really fond of her.

“I’m sure she’s there already, honey.” Billy Anne pouted, so I added, “But that’s because she lives across from them. Don’t worry; the party won’t start without you.”

I opened the back door of my car to help Billy Anne get into her car seat. She hopped in, and I waited for her to settle before buckling the belts. “Did you pack my toothbrush, Daddy?”

“I did.”

“How about the toothpaste?”

“I’m sure Aunt Maggie has toothpaste in her house.”

“But mine’s ‘Elsa Mint.’”

She was proud of the fact that she had mint toothpaste and not the flavored ones kids her age usually get. She said the flavor of these tasted artificial and icky. I should probably credit Maggie and Ralph for the vocabulary they were always teaching to my daughter.

“I packed your toothpaste as well, Billy Anne.” She smiled at me and swung her dangling feet. I gave her a peck on her cheeks, and she stretched out her arms to hug me by the neck.

“How about my iPad?”

“You’re there to have fun with your cousins and Trisha, sweetheart.” She frowned but didn’t complain. I didn’t tell her I hadn’t wanted to pack her iPad because she was supposed to enjoy socializing, not sit in the corner and play Roblox. But she still needed something to call me with if she needed anything.

Aside from her weekend backpack, I also packed her small carry-on filled with her painting materials. Her therapist had suggested before to let Billy Anne try out a painting to express herself. She hadn’t stopped painting since I brought her first canvas and a set of acrylic paint a year ago,

When she was all set and ready to go, I closed her door and rounded the car towards my seat. Our drive on the way to Maggie was quiet, just how Billy Anne liked it. I stole a glance at her brunette hair in my rearview mirror while she was eating her Pringles. I couldn’t help but think about Tonette, her biological mother, and how she’d caused so much hurt and trauma for Billy Anne.

I met Tonette at the hospital when I was just about to finish my residency. Her friend was about to get surgery and she was just there to visit. She had caught my eye instantly with how beautiful and smart she was. We hit it off instantly and started going out.

Two years into our relationship, she got pregnant with Billy Anne. She insisted on keeping the baby, and with my work and PharmaCorp at the peak of its success, I knew I can raise the baby with her. I bought a house far away from the beach because she hated how sunny it could get in the summer. I bought her a car because she said she hated commuting.

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