The Billionaire Who Saved Me - Chapter 26: Chapter 26

This time, I had unintentionally intimidated the HR department without even trying. After all, I'd barely been here two weeks and had already taken down a marketing manager, then openly clashed with the general manager.
My reputation for being ruthless had spread fast. Naturally, the HR department didn't dare treat my request lightly.
Thus, a dramatic, large-scale recruitment campaign began—all for a single position: the deputy general manager's assistant.
To my surprise, the HR department moved fast. By the time I arrived at work the next morning, there was already a long line stretching outside the company building, easily a few hundred people.
As per my request, every single one of them was a woman. From twenty to sixty years old, those applicants were all waiting expectantly.
I frowned and said to my bodyguard, "Go find out what these women are doing—Wait, no need."
I just wanted to order my bodyguard to check out what was happening when I remembered the request I'd made to the HR manager yesterday. A bad feeling surged through me. I had a feeling that they were all for my assistant position.
As I expected, the moment I stepped into the building, Carl came over with a cheerful grin. "Ms. Gordon, good morning. These ladies are here to interview. How would you like to proceed?"
His smile was sweet—sweet as poison.
All this fanfare for hiring a single assistant looked like they were taking my request seriously. But in truth, it only reinforced my reputation as a domineering and temperamental general manager. He easily conveyed the message that I was difficult to work with.
Even the chairman wouldn't have received such a spectacle when hiring a personal assistant.
I knew full well Carl had done this deliberately to embarrass me, but I couldn't lash out. After yesterday's very public conflict with Xander, if I picked a fight with the HR manager today, I'd become the official company villain.
I forced a smile and said, "Thanks for your effort. Please send me the resumes of the applicants between twenty and thirty years old. You can tell them to go home now. We'll contact them if needed."
Truthfully, this wasn't a recruitment drive. It was a staged protest.
Among the applicants were women in their sixties or even older, some with gray hair and walking canes. Carl thought this was a serious applicant pool? I was pretty sure that Carl got Xander's approval to do this.
Back in my office, Carl soon arrived, personally handing over a thick stack of files. "Here you go, Ms. Gordon. Please take your time. I'll leave you to it."
"Wait." I casually spread the stack across the table, stirred the papers with both hands, and pushed over half of them straight into the trash bin beside my desk.
I looked up with a pleasant smile and said to him, "Have a seat. This won't take long."
Carl looked puzzled. "W-What does this mean?"
"Oh, I'm just reviewing the ones still on the desk. The rest have been eliminated," I explained.
"But you haven't even read them. How are they already out?"
"They are unlucky."
Carl blinked and then quietly took a seat on the sofa. But this time, his gaze toward me carried something new: respect. He sat upright, silently watching me flip through the files of the "lucky" ones.
I offered a very generous salary, so many of the applicants had impressive academic backgrounds. But I didn't care about that. I didn't need someone smart. I needed someone loyal, steady, and obedient.
Then, as I opened the eighth file, a familiar face jumped out at me. I nearly shouted in surprise.
The name on the resume read: Elena Peterson. Female. 23 years old.
There was no mistaking it. The girl named Elena was my high school classmate and my childhood bestie. We grew up together. But after I married Oliver, Amelia disapproved of me having my own career, and over time, we drifted apart.
I was about to finalize the decision on the spot, but then I hesitated. I was worried that Elena would recognize me. The fewer people who knew about my real identity, the better.
I frowned, torn between reason and instinct. But in the end, I chose her. I knew Elena too well. She was reserved and fiercely loyal. Even if she did recognize me, she wouldn't say a word.
She was tight-lipped about any secret, the kind of person who'd take secrets to her grave.
With a snap, I shut the folder and gave Carl a bright smile. "Number eight looks great. Please give her a call and let her know she can start tomorrow."
"You're not going to interview her first?" Carl asked, surprised.
"No need. She impresses me. Let's just have her," I replied.
Given the impression I'd already created—headstrong and imperious—my impulsiveness didn't raise any suspicions. Carl agreed readily and left the office.
I rubbed my hands together, unable to contain my excitement. I paced around the office like a child on Christmas morning. I couldn't believe it—Elena, of all people, had come to apply. Having her as my assistant would be absolutely perfect.
The adrenaline kept me wired all day and well into the night. Unsurprisingly, I couldn't sleep.
Lying in bed, I tossed and turned, memories of Elena and our childhood years playing in my mind like an old film reel.
It was well past midnight before I finally drifted off, and by the time I woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
I sprang out of bed, rushed to wash up, grabbed a hair tie, and pulled my hair into a quick ponytail. I bolted out the door without even doing makeup.
"Ma'am, you haven't had breakfast yet," the housekeeper called after me.
"I'll skip it," I yelled as I ran out.
On the way, I kept urging the driver to go faster while calling Carl for updates. When he told me the new assistant had already arrived and was waiting in my office, the anxiety finally disappeared.
I pushed open the office door to find Elena already inside, and she had already cleaned the space. She looked a little nervous when she saw me, and she greeted me politely. "Good morning, Ms. Gordon. I'm your new assistant, Elena Peterson."
"Nice to meet you," I said, flashing a big, genuine smile. "I'm pretty easy to work with. I'm sure we'll get along just fine." I needed her to feel my sincerity. I couldn't afford to have her scared off by gossip and rumors.
She smiled, "Absolutely. I'll step out for now. Just let me know if you need anything."
Having Elena around felt like I had grown wings.
I didn't have that much work to begin with, so as soon as she arrived, I handed everything over to her. That freed me up to focus on what really mattered—making Xander's life difficult.
For a whole week, I wandered around the company like a loose cannon. I started by barging into the finance department for an impromptu audit, sending everyone there into chaos.
Then I made random stops at Xander's office to have coffee. I nearly bumped into Jennifer once.
After that, I roamed through other departments under the guise of inspections. Truth be told, I had no clue what I was looking for. But the usual gossip and backstabbing among the staff noticeably died down.
With my assistant changed, there was no longer anyone reporting my movements to Xander. He had no idea where I'd show up or when. That feeling was addictive.
But the excitement didn't last long. A week later, Amelia was released from detention and came right outside the company gate, screaming my name and cursing me out at the top of her lungs.
Security tried everything to calm her down, but they couldn't exactly get physical with an old woman. Still, letting her stand out there and scream was not an option either. Eventually, someone came to ask for my instructions.
When Elena heard that Amelia was causing trouble, she got more fired up than I was. Without a word, Elena rushed downstairs to confront Amelia.
Elena had always been impulsive. I was worried she'd end up getting hurt, so I ran after her. Sure enough, as I reached the front gate, Amelia was still spewing venomous insults.
The moment she saw me, her eyes burned with rage, and she tried to charge through the doors. With her spittle flying, she screamed, "Katherine, you ruined my son. I'm gonna make you pay. I'm taking you down with me."