Chapter One

Chivalry and Honor

Two years ago, Michael Kane’s morals roasted his career and sent his life spiraling downhill.

The reality of his termination hit hard because he never anticipated the setup. What he did prepare for, was a battle with his treacherous bosses when his morals had gotten in the way of fattening their greedy purses by signing off on tampered documents that would only cause the previous organization, he worked with more harm than good.

Michael knew that if ever those documents leaked, the whole organization would be under so much heat they would be forced to sell out to hide their shame and save face. Those greedy bastards at the top never had the shareholders interest in mind, and would suffer the least from the impact, while innocent employees would be displaced without promise of a severance package to cushion the impact, so he declined vehemently because his heart couldn’t bear the burden of those losses caused by a single flick of his pen.

He was served the very next week, years of efforts and sweat gone down the drain, but he was a hero and not a villain in this story, except it didn’t feel like a heroic conquest anymore when everything fell apart in a nick of time.

At first, he and Meredith promised to fight through the hard times and stand strong for each other, through thick and thin until things cleared up again. She didn’t expect it to last so long, apparently her love was time bound and tied to all the comforts he could offer.

The coldness didn’t seem to faze him at first, the snippy comments, bad moods, nagging, late nights were all chunked up to administrative changes in her office, which sounded reasonable until she would take off days at a time without any word, and reappear later without any explanations as to her whereabouts. A year and six months later, she lost her job, drove him to the brink of madness, and the terrible fight that unfaithful night had been the last straw.

It wasn’t always like that for them, there was a time when pillow fights and bathroom privacy had been the highlights of the day for them. Her tender touch and caresses had driven the tension from his shoulders after a hard day at work, soothing his nerves and ignition his desires, while she worked his hard cock, driving him mercilessly over the edge with need.

Tangled sheets and bodies cuddled up tightly in blissful surrender to their passion rose up in the ambers of his mind, but he shot it down fast. Those memories were from a time when he left his heart unguarded, allowing the fantasy of love to drag him into this mess.

Soon, he was going to be a father. As surprising as it may seem, Meredith came bearing gifts two weeks later, after their separation, that she was knocked up and the child was his. As much as he despised the woman carrying his child, he was willing to do the honorable thing for the sake of the innocent one.

Slowly the strain between them began to ease up and both parties accepted to be cordial as her due date drew closer. Theirs was not a match made anywhere in the eternal realm, and the spark that had filled his heart with a longing once before only flickered bright whenever he thought about his flesh and blood. He knew he was going to be a wonderful father.

Every day he prayed for a miracle, and tirelessly he searched for an opportunity that would make his dreams come true and all his problems go away. Michael knew it was only a matter of time before this charade with Meredith was nipped in the bud, but he wasn’t going to be the one to walk away.

In a matter of months, his child would be nestled in the crook of his arms, wailing loudly into his ears, bringing purpose and joy back into his life. Deep down he felt the tingling in his toes which signaled he was so close to reaching the big moment that would turn his life around for good.

Hopefully, this time, his bosses wouldn’t be anything like the hounds he labored for. Michael prayed with intense fervor that his new assignment, when it came, would be free of drama and peaceful enough to allow his length of days there smooth and problem free.

All he had left to fight for was the future of his little one, love was not on the table because his and Meredith’s union would be devoid of that.

As long as she remained faithful to him and performed her duty as a wife, he was willing to stand by his vows and stay true to her matter what.

Michael screwed the bolts in place, lifting the piece of furniture upright to inspect his work. This was the perfect cradle for his little one, a small home to lay his head, and watch the swirling horses hanging from the ceiling hook in tiny strings. He gathered his tools together, ready to leave the nursery, thankful that all the exertions had helped to keep his mind off his latest trip to the last consulting company on his check list.

Apex Finance and Consulting was his last stop in the quest to land his big break, if this doesn’t pan out, he was burying his portfolio and taking up an apron at a coffee shop, if it got that bad. Shuddering at his thoughts, he sagged against the wall of the brightly colored room, his black shirt in sharp contrast to the blue walls. The last scan confirmed it was really a boy, he had been very skeptical of the first results, thanks to his affinity for double checking everything, it came with the territory of being a chartered financial analyst.

All he could do now was wait and hope for a miracle from the stars, a sign to show he was not doomed yet. As much as he tried to bury his worries and pretend it didn’t affect him, the constant clicking on his refresh mail button proved otherwise.

Michael knew he had done all he could and it was now up to faith to decide if he was worthy of a second chance at success.