The Billionaire Who Saved Me - Chapter 28: Chapter 28

When Thea saw the online post, she was absolutely livid. If it had just been a simple affair, maybe she could've forced herself to swallow the betrayal. But the mistress was pregnant, and that changed everything.
A child meant inheritance rights—whether legitimate or not. If Jennifer gave birth, even a bastard child would be entitled to a share of Xander's property.
Still, a tiny part of Thea clung to denial. She thought maybe the baby wasn't Xander's. Maybe it was all some misunderstanding. She called Xander, but his phone was off, and so was Jennifer's.
Growing suspicious and furious, Thea grabbed her niece Heather and drove to the company to confront Xander. But halfway there, her worst nightmare unfolded right before her eyes—she spotted Jennifer, clinging to Xander's arm, entering a shopping mall together.
Heather quickly pulled her enraged aunt back. The two of them followed the couple in silence, hiding in plain sight.
Blissfully unaware of the shadow trailing behind them, Xander and Jennifer strolled through the mall, laughing and chatting, radiating sweetness. They walked all the way to the maternity section and finally stopped to browse.
It was like they wanted to get caught. Jennifer, playing the part of the doting mom-to-be, was picking out baby clothes while leaning into Xander, cooing, "Honey, look at this little outfit. Won't our baby look adorable in it?
"Honey, the morning sickness is really killing me.
"Honey, when are you finally going to divorce her?"
That last line was the final straw. Thea's blood boiled. She had always thought Jennifer was a meek and harmless maid. She never guessed Jennifer would dare hook up with her husband.
Thea charged forward, grabbed Jennifer by the hair, and unleashed hell. "You shameless slut! You dare snatch my man? I'll tear you to pieces."
Thea was a full head taller than Jennifer and built like a tank. Her presence alone was enough to intimidate—pregnant or not, Jennifer never stood a chance.
Jennifer curled up, shielding her stomach, crying and asking Xander for help.
But that only fueled Thea's fury. Seeing the mistress still had the nerve to cry out for her husband, Thea didn't hesitate. She raised her foot and kicked Jennifer hard—straight in the belly.
Blood immediately soaked through Jennifer's clothes. Still unsatisfied, Thea spat on Jennifer before yanking Xander away and storming off. Thea wasn't afraid of consequences. Her family had power—she could back up her rage with influence.
Jennifer lay there, bleeding, barely conscious. In the end, it was Heather who called an ambulance and rushed her to the hospital—fearing she might actually die.
Technically, Jennifer and Heather were distant relatives, but after what happened, even that fragile connection was shattered.
Thea, still seething with rage, went home but found no relief. The more she thought about it, the more humiliated she felt. So she picked up the phone and called Jennifer's parents. She cursed them out for raising a daughter so vile.
Still not satisfied, Thea dragged Heather to Oliver's house to deliver the news to Amelia.
She didn't want to stew in betrayal alone. If she was going to be devastated, then Oliver's family deserved to suffer too.
When Amelia heard that the grandchild she had dreamed of was actually someone else's child, and that her beloved son had not only landed in prison but had also been cuckolded, she fainted from the shock on the spot.
A bucket of cold water was used to bring her back around. But the moment she woke up, Amelia launched into a tirade. She refused to accept the truth and accused Thea of fabricating everything out of spite.
Thea wasn't one to be trifled with. The two women screamed at each other—from the living room all the way down to the gated entrance of the neighborhood. By the time they were done, every neighbor had heard the dirty laundry.
When Elena finished recounting everything, I sat in stunned silence. The story was so dramatic that it felt like something ripped from a soap opera. Things were playing out even more smoothly than I had expected.
"How do you know all this in such detail?" I finally asked Elena, pulling myself back from the shock.
She answered, "Total coincidence. Wendy is Heather's old classmate. They ran into each other in the neighborhood and... well, you can guess the rest."
Elena's eyes gleamed with anger as she continued, "Oliver deserves every bit of this. And his shameless mother finally got what was coming to her."
I knew Elena was speaking for Madeline. Her anger was on behalf of the friend we had lost. My chest felt warm when I heard her remarks.
Thinking back to how I had once distanced myself from such a loyal friend just to please Amelia, I felt nothing but regret. Luckily, it still wasn't too late to make things right.
I tucked away the emotion and put on a calm face, asking, "Hey, do you have some history with Amelia?" Though I was touched, I still had to pretend to know nothing.
Elena said, her voice trembling, "Yeah, we did. Oliver's ex-wife is my best friend."
"I see. She is lucky to have someone like you in her life," I said sincerely.
"She's dead now. That bastard Oliver and that old hag drove her to her grave." After speaking, Elena collapsed onto the couch and sobbed uncontrollably.
Her grief hit me hard. For a second, I almost told her the truth that Madeline wasn't gone.
Just then, my phone rang at the perfect moment. I breathed a sigh of relief. That was close. I quickly took it out and saw Mason's name on the screen.
Elena wiped away her tears, realizing she'd lost her composure. She apologized softly and slipped out of the office, clearly a little embarrassed.
I swiped to answer the phone. Mason's magnetic voice came through. "Is this a good time to talk?"
"Yes," I said.
"That post online was your doing, huh?" He sounded pleased.
He was in a surprisingly good mood. I had a hunch that I was about to get praised.
I asked, "Yeah. What do you think?"
"Sloppy in execution," he said. "But effective. Good job."
Ugh, really? Couldn't he just say something nice without the backhanded critique? Still, I kept my tone light. "Is there a bonus?"
"No," he replied without hesitation.
He continued, "Xander won't be coming back to the office. For now, you'll be acting in his place until the new GM takes over."
"What? No way. I'm not doing it."
"Salary gets doubled."
"Sure, I'm glad to help."
The moment I hung up, I wanted to smack myself in the face. He dangled money in front of me, and I just folded like a cheap suit. My mouth agreed before my brain could even process it.
My mom always told me, "Don't take the tasks you're unable to handle." And she was right.
Speaking of my mom reminded me of something much more important.
With Oliver's sentence, his assets were bound to be seized to pay restitution for his embezzlement. That included this house. But the house was bought with my mother's money. I needed to get it back for her.
I sat down on the couch, thought for a moment, and called my mother. She answered after just one ring, like she'd been waiting by the phone.
I started with the good stuff. "Oliver's mistress wasn't bearing his child. He's been cuckolded."
"It serves him right," she said, clearly savoring the news. "I'm going to visit him in prison today. I want to be the one to tell him."
Hearing her sound like her old self again made my heart swell. I added, "There's one more thing. Word is, Oliver's house was bought by your daughter with your money. You should definitely reclaim it."
"Definitely," she replied immediately. "Tell me exactly what to do."
I laid the plan out for her over the phone. By the time I hung up, it was already four in the afternoon.
My stomach growled loudly. I suddenly remembered I hadn't eaten lunch, nor had Elena. After everything we'd heard today, it felt criminal not to celebrate. This kind of satisfying drama deserved a proper feast.
"Elena, Elena," I shouted toward the door.
"Yeah, Ms. Gordon. Can I help you?" replied Elena.
"Let's go grab lunch. My treat."
"Sounds great, but it's not even time to clock out."
"I need you to join me for an urgent business inspection," I said, dead serious. "We're assessing the city's food and beverage market. Critical work. Immediate action required."
"Got it. Lead the way, boss."
Just like that, the two of us strutted out of the office. We were heading for Valen Prime. I'd treat my best friend to a feast.