Hidden Desires - Family Secrets-Chapter 47 - 0 Honey, I need to go on a business trip for a month

Time just keeps ticking by, and before I knew it, another month had passed.

Over this month, I’ve been busting my chops to wrap up my work during the day, avoiding overtime, and making it home on the dot after work. Plus, I’ve been dodging business trips like the plague. Whenever a trip comes up, I try to get the boss to send someone else, claiming it’s for health reasons.

Having been at the company for a while, I’m pretty tight with the leadership, so I managed to skip out on travel this month and enjoyed the break from all the running around.

That spat I had with Betty finally made her see my side of things. While she’s good to Michael, she’s been making sure not to sideline me, keeping things fair and square. Maybe it’s because I’ve been around the house more, but Michael hasn’t been putting on any acts. He’s been sleeping peacefully, and Betty spends every evening with me, showering me with affection.

It feels like everything’s reset to square one. The new kid, Michael, seems to be blending into the family, and Betty and I are getting used to having him around.

The only thing that hasn’t progressed is that Michael still hasn’t called me ’Dad.’ He sticks to ’Uncle,’ and I haven’t pushed it. Betty hasn’t forced it either; after all, it’s something Michael needs to come to on his own.

But the calm didn’t last long. Suddenly, there’s a new assignment at work—heading to Donetsk, Ukraine to covertly investigate illegal coal and brick kilns.

There’s been some buzz about shady activities there, but no solid evidence or impactful data yet. As a news agency, this kind of story is hot and sensitive.

After the higher-ups got wind of the rumors, they decided to send our best reporters for a covert investigation, hoping to gather some hard-hitting evidence. News reporting needs the real deal, after all.

But these illegal kilns are dangerous. If a reporter’s cover is blown, those shady operators, desperate to protect their interests and safety, might do something drastic. It’s a tough and risky assignment.

Given my track record of nailing these high-stakes undercover gigs, I’m the best man for the job, which is why I’m respected as a senior figure in the company. The bosses came to me first to discuss it.

After a long think, I decided to take on the mission. Not just for kicks, but for my career. This assignment is both dangerous and high-profile.

If I pull it off, I could hit the peak of my journalism career. The boss even said that if I nail this, he’d recommend me as his successor when he retires in less than a year. That’s a big deal—the position is something I’ve been eyeing for a long time.

For my dreams, my goals, and a better situation for my family, I decided to take up the challenge.

I went over the detailed info about the illegal kilns that the company had gathered. They provided me with all the resources and personnel I needed. That night, I sat down with the leadership for a long time, finalizing my partner and our strategy. Everything’s set.

Holding the action plan, I led a brief meeting with my team. I’m both scared and excited about this mission, but thinking about the promotion and raise that could follow, the thrill is starting to outweigh the fear.

"Honey, I’ve got to head out on a business trip the day after tomorrow..." I said to Betty as we lay in bed after dinner.

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"Oh, how long will you be gone?" Betty, already used to the nature of my job, didn’t seem surprised.

"At least a month, maybe longer. This assignment involves going undercover, so I’ll be careful with my phone. Wait for me to contact you, and please don’t call me. If you do and my phone is off, don’t worry, okay?" I explained, trying to prepare her for the upcoming silence.

"Is this assignment particularly dangerous?" Betty sat up quickly, concern written all over her face. She had always been against my more perilous jobs, like when I went undercover at a logging camp or served as a war correspondent abroad.

Though she couldn’t stop me, she’d reluctantly send me off with her blessings. I often travel for work, but I try to shield her from knowing just how risky some of these gigs can be.

"It’s risky, but not life-threatening. Trust me, compared to some of the stuff I’ve done before, this is minor..." I reassured her, choosing not to divulge the full danger of this mission.

In truth, it was as perilous as my stint as a war correspondent in Singapore, but I was confident in my abilities. After all, I was dealing with shady kiln owners, not foreign military forces. Caution was key.

"You’re not lying to me?" Betty asked, half-doubting.

"I’m not, babe. Trust me, after this one, I’m done with undercover work..." I promised her. Completing this mission could mean a promotion and a raise. Once I’m in a leadership position, why would I need to do fieldwork?

I could delegate that to my team while I managed things from the office—sipping tea, handling paperwork, and crunching numbers.

"Really? What are you smiling about?" Betty caught me grinning to myself.

"It’s nothing..." I initially wanted to share the potential good news of a promotion and raise with Betty, but I decided to keep it as a surprise for when I returned safely. If I spilled the beans now and the mission fell through, I’d be left with egg on my face.

After a month of living this way, I wasn’t too worried about home. Betty and Michael, though impulsive, were handling things well enough.

During a particularly sweet moment last month, I had hinted to Betty about keeping an eye on Michael during his adolescence, especially his mental and physical changes.

I was subtle yet firm, and it seemed to have made an impression on her. She became slightly more cautious around Michael, which was better than nothing at all.

Two days later, after going over some final details with Betty, I gathered my team and we hit the road. Sitting in the car, watching my house and the city I call home fade into the distance, I always get a bit sentimental.

That feeling probably will never go away because I deeply care about my beloved wife and our home—the only place where I truly feel safe and warm.

As the city vanished from my sight, I turned back around, rubbed my face, and started to psych myself up.

I had to succeed, I must succeed. Everyone, including myself, was counting on my triumphant return. Money, power, here I come...