The Billionaire Who Saved Me - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

I went back to the bathroom and showered again. Only after that did I get dressed and head downstairs for breakfast.
By the time I finished eating, it was almost time for work in the afternoon. I'd skipped the whole morning and wasn't even sure who I should report to for leave.
But since I was the Deputy General Manager, I figured no one would really give me trouble for not calling in.
When I walked into the company in the afternoon, I could clearly feel the strange looks from the employees. And as soon as I passed by, I could hear them gathering in little groups behind me whispering.
Their voices were low, hard to make out, but I still managed to catch a few vague words that told me it had something to do with me and Oliver.
Could Oliver have stirred up trouble behind my back? I wouldn't put it past him.
I went to my office and sat down in the comfortable executive chair. Then I called Heidi over and asked, "What have they been saying about me? Tell me the truth."
Heidi didn't answer right away. She kept her head down, her hands fidgeting with each other, clearly unsure how to say it.
I waited patiently. After a while, she finally looked up and said, "Please don't get mad, okay?"
"Speak," I ordered.
Heidi was an honest person, so she told me everything word for word, just as the rumors were spreading in the office.
Apparently, I hadn't shown up this morning, and my phone had died, so no one could reach me. Oliver, of all people, also didn't come in, and his phone was conveniently unreachable too.
Since we'd left together yesterday and both went missing this morning, it was no surprise everyone jumped to conclusions.
Right when the gossip was spreading like wildfire, Oliver showed up. He looked worn out.
As soon as he walked through the entrance, he ran into Xander. Xander asked Oliver where he'd been all morning and whether he knew where I was. Oliver casually replied that I was too tired yesterday and needed rest.
That just so happened to be during lunch break, when plenty of employees were around and overheard their conversation.
Heidi had been among them when Oliver said that, so she knew exactly where the rumors were coming from.
I waved her off, telling her to leave, while sneering to myself. After everything that happened yesterday, Oliver still had the nerve to try to tie himself to me.
I sat in the office thinking of a countermeasure. But before I could come up with the perfect plan, Heidi burst in looking panicked. She reported, "Ms. Gordon, something's wrong. Mr. Anderson told me to tell you not to go outside no matter what."
"What happened?" I had a feeling this had everything to do with Oliver.
Sure enough, Heidi said, "Mr. Cooke's mother-in-law is outside the company gate cursing you out. It's really nasty stuff."
"What?" I shot up from my seat, completely stunned.
"Don't worry. The security guards won't let her in." Heidi misunderstood, thinking I was scared.
I ignored her and walked straight out. I had deliberately held myself back from visiting my parents after I came back this time. I didn't want to risk my true feelings slipping out and messing up my plan for revenge.
But now that my mom had shown up at the company, I couldn't avoid her anymore. I knew exactly what kind of person Oliver was. I was afraid he might do something to hurt my mom, and I had to protect her.
When I got to the company gate, two security guards were trying to push my mom away.
Just a few days before everything went down, I had snuck back to visit her. Back then she was still a graceful woman. Years of living in comfort had made her look much younger than her age.
But when I saw my mom now, I nearly lost it. Was this really her? Her hair was completely white, tied loosely behind her head with a hair tie, already disheveled from the shoving.
Her clothes were stained with dirt, clearly from being knocked down just now. My mom hadn't even had time to brush it off before scrambling back up and trying to charge through the company gate again.
It had only been a little over three months, but my mom looked like she had aged more than twenty years. Her once jet-black hair was now all white.
My once elegant and dignified mother no longer cared about appearances, screaming hysterically, "Oliver, give me back my daughter, you heartless bastard. Don't think I can't do anything just because you're hiding.
"Katherine Gordon, you home-wrecking bitch, come out and face me. What did you and Oliver do to my daughter? Where is she?"
There had to be some kind of misunderstanding. There was no way my mom could've known about someone named Katherine right after I returned.
I was sure Oliver was behind this. For all I knew, the reason he didn't show up at the office this morning might've had something to do with it.
Just as I was about to step forward, Oliver appeared out of nowhere. He grabbed my arm with one hand and tried to pull me into his embrace with the other. "Don't go over there. That woman's insane."
The way he positioned us looked way too intimate. Anyone who didn't know better would absolutely think there was something going on between us.
Without even thinking, I twisted around, grabbed his sleeve, bent down, and threw him over my shoulder. Oliver's body drew a graceful arc in the air before slamming into the ground. That thud alone sounded painful enough.
Oliver lay there wincing and groaning, unable to get up.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry, Mr. Cooke. Why did you sneak up on me like that without saying a word?" I said with fake concern, but the disdain on my face was plain as day. "Quick, you guys, come help Mr. Cooke up."
Oliver had been spreading rumors in the office, trying to make people believe we were involved. Fine. I didn't need to explain anything. Let them draw their own conclusions from what I just did.
I hadn't had much training. My combat skills were pretty basic, but clearly good enough to deal with Oliver.
I didn't think I'd get to use them so soon, and landing that scumbag flat on his back in front of everyone felt amazing.
But there was no time to enjoy it. Right now, the most important thing was calming my mom down. I'd already been a terrible daughter. I couldn't let her get hurt again.
I walked up to her. "Ma'am, I'm Katherine Gordon. I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying. Could you please explain?"
My gaze made my mom fall silent. She stared hard into my eyes, refusing to look away. Blood ties run deep. Even though my appearance had changed, nothing could ever change the fact that I was her daughter.
I was afraid she'd recognize me right here and now and shout it out loud. I quickly lowered my head, avoiding her eyes.
"You're Katherine Gordon?" my mom asked hesitantly.
"Yes," I replied. "I just got back to the country yesterday. I don't understand what you meant earlier, so I came out to ask. If there's been a misunderstanding, we can clear it up."
"I'm not looking for you," my mom said. "I'm looking for a pregnant woman who lives with Oliver. She said her name is Katherine Gordon, and that she's the Deputy General Manager here."
I got it now. My mom must've gone to Oliver's place and run into Jennifer. As for why Jennifer was using my identity, all I had to do was ask.
I turned around just in time to see Oliver trying to sneak away. I shouted, "Mr. Cooke, where are you going? Please come over here and explain this."
Every head turned to look at him. Oliver had nowhere to hide, no chance of slipping away. His face went red, then drained of all color, then turned a sickly shade of gray.
With hundreds of gazes locked on him, Oliver couldn't even get a full sentence out. There was no way I'd let this chance slip by.
"Mr. Cooke," I spoke, "wasn't that woman living in your house supposed to be your cousin? No, wait—your wife, Jennifer Pearson. When did she start using my name and become the Deputy General Manager?"