My Boss Is My Secret Donor
starring: TALIA WYNZEL & TEIG SADHANA
SYNOPSIS
Leia, struggling with infertility, is caught slacking off at work by her boss, Alec, while browsing a sperm donor website. Mortified by the encounter, she tries to move on. After carefully selecting a donor at the sperm bank, fate takes an unexpected turn—she ends up choosing Alec’s donation without realizing it. When will Leia discover that the child she’s carrying is actually Alec’s?
REVIEW
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ok I love this so much. Now there are a few bits that I would change, and I will talk about these at the end.
But my word I loved this. For context you have to understand that my literary true love is Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables. He loves Anne for years before she finally realizes she can't live without him. (When he is ill btw...do you see the parallels?)
And this is by far the best and most believable long term romance I have seen in a vertical. We are told early on that Alec has loved Leia since she started as his office 3 years ago, but has never told her, he didn’t want to overstep and then she had a boyfriend. This is already swoonworthy material. Love a male character who will patiently wait. And personally I find this more engaging than the perhaps overused vert trope of 2 young children agreeing to marry each other, and that being the basis of the love story for years to come. Maybe it is because my 2 girls at that age had little time for the boys in their class who were either playing football, wrestling with each other or flooding the school bathrooms. Anyway I digress…
Now the catalyst for how Alec gets out of the friend zone is insane, this is a vert after all. Jerry takes far too much initiative. But it works because of Alec's absolute horror at what Jerry has done. You see the colour drain out of his face. And this realistic reaction to a vertical storyline is exactly what is needed because it provides that grounding reality for us as viewers to connect with the characters emotionally, and to believe in the story even when the setup is so preposterous.
It is fabulous to see Talia Wynzel break out of villain jail because she is super in this. She can do so much more, and some of my fave moments are the bits where she has little monologues to herself and all the expressions on her face. Playing the female lead in a vertical is a tricky job - you have to be the cypher for the audience, vulnerable enough for the male lead to be able to provide protection, but also strong enough that the audience don’t get annoyed with the character for not having more agency. And Talia nails it all, and is helped by a good script that gives Leia boundaries - she calls out Alex and Jerry when they deceive her, and doesn’t hang around to be insulted by Alec’s mother.
This might already be something of a Teig Sadhana fan site, and with the role of Alec Lawrence, he finally has the opportunity to show just how much he can do. I don’t know how he manages it, but you feel everything Alec feels. Every emotion is right there on his face — the happiness when he finally gets the girl, the utter desperation when he thinks he’s lost her, the quiet bargaining prayer at the hospital, and the heartbreaking vulnerability when he pleads "don’t leave me." His performance is outstanding.
Much of it lies in the physicality of the role: the small, genuine smile whenever Alec interacts with Leia; the way his shoulders hunch and he squirms in his seat during that meeting; becoming physically more imposing when he steps in to protect Leia from the sleazy client by the pool. I especially want to total lack of vanity when Alec becomes ill. Too often in verticals, characters simply lie in bed looking almost untouched by their supposed illness — but here, Alec looks genuinely exhausted, you believe everything aches, and that another coughing fit is incoming. It’s a level of commitment to the role that is rare, and I love it.
It’s easy to dismiss verticals as "silly little stories," but I would argue you get out what you put in. When you have an actor of Teig’s caliber fully commit to these characters, making you understand their actions, and feel their emotions — it elevates the medium from within.
Talia and Teig both deserve far more roles like this that allow them to show just how much they can do. Their chemistry zings off the screen — the fantasy sequence in the corridor at work is especially well done, particularly at the end when we see Alec just pacing with the phone, and giving a mildly confused glance as Leia. There are also lighter moments, such as the ketchup scene and Cookie’s perfectly timed dinner interruption, which nicely balance the more emotional, heartbreaking sections as various villains try to interfere in their relationship.
Oh dear the villains. Firstly, we have Alec’s mother — and it's something of a miracle he turned out as well as he did. The best part is that we are never in any doubt about who he will choose. From the outset, Alec is clear it will be Leia. He doesn’t shout or confront; instead, he stays calm and tries to help her see his point of view. It shows exactly the kind of man Alec is.
If you’re writing a great romance, you need genuine obstacles — situations where there are no easy answers, and where characters are trapped by their circumstances. That’s what real life gives us every day.
When Beatrice reappears with Alec’s daughter, it creates exactly that kind of situation. Alec is faced with an impossible choice — he wants to take responsibility for his child and be the father he should be, but he also knows that doing so risks losing the woman he loves. Leia, meanwhile, is understandably devastated. Overnight, her future changes beyond recognition. She has to grapple not just with the shock, but with the painful reality of what that future now looks like — and what sacrifices it might demand from her.
There are no simple solutions here. No one is entirely right or wrong. It leads to some truly heartbreaking moments, particularly on the stairs where Alec pleads with Leia to stay, and she can barely summon the strength to stick to her decision to leave. It’s beautifully done.
Thankfully, the story wraps up efficiently at the hospital rather than being dragged out over too many episodes. I would have liked a few more scenes of Leia and Alec as a happy couple, though — a little time showing them with Cookie in their home before jumping straight to the gender reveal party.
Note to writers: We like the happy domesticity scenes after the emotional rollercoaster, especially when the characters have been put through so much.
There are some great performances by other cast members. Jerry is brilliant, going from overconfident and enthusiastic helper at the beginning, to someone who genuinely realises he has gone too far. The scene when he tells Leia that Alec is ill, and apologises is surprisingly powerful.
I also really enjoyed the writing of Xavier Holland (Luke Dodge). It would have been easy to make him a more typical Vert love interest who takes it too far, or starts throwing punches. Instead we have a great meet cute with Leia, and he is highly respectful throughout the story, from the thumb over the lips publicity kiss, to being there as a friend when Leia needs him but never overstepping or pressing his suit. It’s so refreshing to see, and much more enjoyable for the viewer, as he then becomes a valid option for our heroine. He is the perfect second male lead.
Kudos to all the office staff, who provide some great comic moments with their reaction shots during the meeting, and then the duo who see Leia and Alex go in the cupboard.. I love the moment where she whips off her glasses and asks ‘whose side are we on?’. A perfect greek chorus moment.
This is a brilliant love story, and that is down to the performances of the leads Talia Wynzel & Teig Sadhana.
PS There are a few issues it would be remiss not to address - the title is dreadful, the mum character is badly written, let’s lose saying 'whore' and the slaps, Alec did not force himself on Leia, she pulled him in for a kiss, the swimming pool scene doesn't work, and no no no to the animal stuff. It's not nice to watch and doesn't need to happen. Do better please producers & clients. I didn't want to put this in the main review as it distracts from the fact Talia and Teig are brilliant and should get all the praise
💖 Top swoonworthy moment:
This one is top notch - we have a whole host of amazing K Drama tropes from Alec: protecting Leia from the crowd in the lift, the seatbelt lean, moving her head to go on his shoulder when she is asleep and a back hug.
We also have top tier pining, can’t keep your hands off each other chemistry, a man so in love he basically physically collapses when he thinks he has lost her, and willing to make the big gesture and leave his family.
Plus this is a couple that laughs together. There are moments of fun as well as tenderness and emotion.
🦹🏼♂️ Top villain award:
There are a few options, but I am going for Alec’s mum. I don’t know how he turned out as well as he did - she is AWFUL, beyond rude to Leia, swears in front of her granddaughter, chucks a heavily pregnant woman out and really doesn’t deserve to be forgiven.
😂 Comedy gold:
The whole meeting scene where Leia’s phone messages go on the big screen is perfection. From the staff’s glee and whispers, Leia’s total embarrassment, head in hands moment on the table and Alec’s awkwardness. So well done. Also clearly the man is a workoholic because he is in love with Leia. Of course he will spend all his time at work.
🎺 Unsung hero:
Xavier Holland - because he never oversteps with Leia, he makes it clear he likes her, but prioritises that she is happy and treated well by Alec. And even ends up at the baby shower. He’s a good guy.
✍🏼 DETAILS
2025
Available on Reelshort
