The Billionaire Who Saved Me - Chapter 11: Chapter 11

A group of people surrounded me as we made our way to the conference room. Xander first announced my appointment during the meeting, and then it was time for my inaugural speech.
I had already memorized the entire speech on the plane. When I delivered every word smoothly and without a hitch, I was met with enthusiastic applause.
The meeting concluded successfully, and afterward, as per tradition, there was a welcome party. Department managers and above were invited, so naturally Oliver, the marketing manager, was there.
The party was held at a hotel near the company. It was clear that Xander had gone to great lengths for this. Not only was there a lavish spread, but it was set up buffet-style.
I moved through the crowd, able to greet each employee by name and title. After a bit of small talk, the respectful distance they'd initially kept gradually turned into genuine admiration.
When I walked past Oliver, even though I was seething with hatred inside, I didn't let a single trace of it show on my face.
Sure enough, just as I was about to pass by, Oliver let out a perfectly timed exclamation. "Oh my goodness, it's exactly the same."
"What did you say?" I turned to him with a smile, looking puzzled.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Gordon. I lost my composure." Oliver wore his usual look of hesitation, like he wanted to say something but didn't dare.
I sneered inwardly. This was one of his favorite moves. "But I clearly heard you say 'exactly the same.' Now I'm curious. Aren't you going to satisfy a lady's curiosity?"
Seeing me take the bait, Oliver leaned in with a mysterious look. "Ms. Gordon, I don't have the guts to tell you. I'm afraid it might offend you." He put on a troubled face, which only served to pique people's curiosity even more.
"Speak. I don't like men who beat around the bush." I pretended to be annoyed, my expression darkening.
Seeing the timing was just right, Oliver took out his wallet, opened it and flashed something in front of me before quickly putting it away.
The timing was perfect—just long enough for me to catch a clear glimpse of the face in the photo. The photo showed someone who looked exactly like me, only younger.
I scoffed internally. It was the same old trick—not even the slightest variation. I knew exactly what his next move would be.
But I had to play along, or it wouldn't be any fun. I acted surprised. "Oh wow, she looks so much like me."
Sure enough, Oliver put on a sorrowful expression and started his performance. "The girl in that photo is someone I've secretly loved for a long time.
"But I never felt worthy of her, and I didn't have the courage to confess. Later she married some rich guy, and now she's living a happy life."
Back then, I had fallen for this exact line. I thought Oliver was some loyal, sincere man and that the girl must've been blind, just another gold-digger.
That was when I fell for Oliver at first sight and threw myself at him without hesitation, all the way until Jennifer showed up on my doorstep and I finally saw who he really was.
After we got married, Oliver drunkenly bragged about it one night, and that was when I learned the truth.
There was no girl who looked just like me. He had secretly taken a photo of me, edited it slightly, and made up the whole story.
And when I found out, I didn't even get mad at Oliver. I cried like a fool, thinking he did it because he loved me.
Now Oliver was pulling the same stunt again? Too bad the woman standing in front of him now was Katherine Gordon. That foolish girl named Madeline Lane had already been killed by him three months ago.
"Well yeah, people always go where the grass is greener. There's nothing wrong with her choosing a rich guy over you." I looked at Oliver with a bright smile.
Oliver froze for a second. Clearly, he hadn't expected to hear that. But he quickly recovered and echoed my words, saying, "You're absolutely right, Ms. Gordon. Your perspective is truly on another level. Not something the average woman can even begin to compare with."
Oliver might be trash, but his ability to read the room and adapt was something else.
Even though I really wanted to put him in his place right then and there, I reminded myself that I only had one month to pull this off. I needed things to move fast.
I held back the urge to humiliate Oliver on the spot. I had to keep Oliver on my side for now. If he started getting suspicious this early, the rest of my plan would be hard to carry out.
"Oh really? What kind of perspective do I have?" I asked, pretending to be genuinely curious.
"Ms. Gordon, Mr. Anderson would like to see you." My assistant, Heidi Turner, walked over just in time to give Oliver a graceful way out.
"Don't mind me," Oliver said with an easy smile, neither arrogant nor humble. I had to admit, that kind of attitude could easily win people over.
As Heidi and I walked away, I deliberately asked in a voice just loud enough for Oliver to hear, "Who was that just now? He's quite interesting."
Heidi didn't think much of it and answered honestly, "His name is Oliver Cooke. He's the manager of the marketing department."
I was sure Oliver heard every word. And knowing him, there was no way he wouldn't take the bait.
Oliver's ambition to climb the social ladder was crystal clear to me. So I was sure that once he heard what I said, it wouldn't take long before he tried to get close to me again.
As for Xander, he hadn't called me over for anything important. Just like every fake-friendly boss, he used the excuse of checking in on a subordinate when what he really wanted was to dig into my personal life. He was hoping to catch a slip-up.
People like him always needed leverage. It was the only way they could feel secure. There was no way someone like Xander would tolerate a potential threat sitting at his side.
I was parachuted in from upper management to be the Deputy General Manager. I wasn't one of his own, so of course Xander didn't trust me.
And I didn't plan on staying long either, so I purposely handed him a glaring weakness. I made it look like I was very interested in Oliver and didn't bother to hide the affection.
My file said I had just returned from Navorange, a country known for its freedom. So being a bit passionate and bold wouldn't strike Xander as unusual.
Xander, being as slick as they come, was secretly pleased but kept it off his face. He was full of praise for Oliver, calling him a responsible man who valued loyalty and relationships.
Then Xander told a story—about me. He said, "Mr. Cooke's a good man, just unlucky. He worked hard, doing his best to support the family, but his wife resented him for not making enough money and picked fights with him constantly.
"And that wife of his is so two-faced. She acted all sweet and respectful to his mother when he was around. But once he left for work, she started mistreating his mother.
"Mr. Cooke's mother kept it from him all this time just to keep the peace and let her son focus on work.
"Then one time he had to take a last-minute business trip. Mr. Cooke went home to pack and finally saw the truth with his own eyes. He said a few harsh words to his wife, and guess what?
"She up and ran off with another man. She never came back. And her mother had the nerve to show up at their door, making a scene. I mean, can you believe that?"
I was so furious I could barely breathe. My nails dug deep into my palm, but I didn't even feel the pain.
Oliver was such a heartless jerk. If I hadn't come back, I never would've known he was out here twisting the truth like this, spouting absolute nonsense.
In my head, I wanted to cover Xander's mouth and shut him up. Every word he said stabbed into me like a knife.
Even so, I had to put on a sympathetic face. "I never imagined Mr. Cooke had it so rough. And he's so handsome too. For his wife to run off with another man—she really didn't know how good she had it."
Xander said, "Exactly. Speak of the devil—Mr. Cooke, just in time, come here."
Oliver walked over. I lowered my head, but not before giving him a look filled with affection.