Taming the Billionaire

#10 The Rumor

"What is going on between you two?" Sara badgered. She was so curious to find the truth that she hadn't dressed for her work till now. Sara was still in her pajamas, pestering Elise for an answer. She would follow Elise everywhere.

It was so weird that the CEO slept on their couch! And is it okay to live in a company guest house that looks better than a holiday resort home? No one was so benevolent to her, Sara thought. The last time someone tried to misbehave with her, Nolan simply sent her back home- the one he thought was not befitting for Elise. Not that she was comparing the two intentions. Elise had to face something too cruel. But Nolan's motives made her suspicious.

But Elise pretended like she couldn't hear Sara at all. She avoided her wary eyes and never-ending questions. And when Elise couldn't ignore Sara anymore, Elise left for work much before her shift when Sara left to get fresh, especially because Sara was nagging her to extend the leave. She was afraid. Sara intended to keep her locked in the home and interrogate Nolan.

Elise was on her way inside when someone called her from behind. She turned to see Helena, feeling ridiculous. Helena was wearing a see-through blouse, tight pants, and high heels. Even if it didn't look like work attire, it made her look glamorous.

"Are you alright now?" Helena smirked, mocking her with her body, eyes, and words. Her eyes were shimmering with malfeasance.

When Elise took the sudden leave, she knew Helena and Mike would assume it was because of them. She didn't feel like correcting her misunderstanding. And why would anyone be in her situation? It was better if she presumed it was because of them. She didn't want anyone to find out about Nolan. Sara was already pestering her at home. She wanted her workplace to be quiet.

Elise rolled her eyes at Helena. She was about to leave when Helena scoffed. "Do you know what you missed when you were on leave?" She let out an evil smile.

"Do I really need to know? Is it that important? I am late." Elise grunted. She glowered at her, then puffed the hair falling on her face in annoyance.

"I guess Sara didn't tell you." Helena's smile became even more intense. She was purposefully trying to infiltrate pain and make Elise feel less. It irked her that Mike had dated Elise for three years before accepting her advances, even if they went out secretly. She didn't want to miss an opportunity to belittle her.

"It must not be important for her to share." Elise defended her friend as well as herself. She was a little worried and more curious now. Why would Sara hide something from her intentionally? What happened when she was on leave?

"From your face, I can tell you want to know. Shall I fill you in?" Helena snickered. She folded her hands against her chest, mocking Elise with her posture.

Helena's eyes were jeering at Elise, making the latter uncomfortable. Se kept looking for obvious hints to get some idea of what Helena was taunting her about so confidently. She took her time speculating if she should give in to her novelty and give Helena the satisfaction of demeaning her more. Even if she was curious, she chose to play indifferently. It was best for her.

"No, I would pass," Elise responded after a full minute of speculation. She didn't wait for Helena to badger her for more. Helena kept calling for her, but she pretended like she couldn't hear Helena at all.

Helena stomped her foot in a rage. The girl was a nobody. But still, she managed to secure the upper hand every time. She was going to humiliate Elise publicly shortly. She didn't know how, but it was her goal. But for now, she had to ensure that Elise found the truth.

When Elise entered the main door, all her free eyes were gawking at her. A few were whispering something about her. She wondered if they had found out about her and Nolan. Did Gianna make a commotion? Has everyone found out that she had spent a night with the CEO? Sweat beads formed on her forehead and neckline. She was worried. What was she going to do now? Were they going to fire her? She can't afford to lose her job, especially now. She had to pay her debts, and finding new work after covid wasn't easy. Should she turn deaf ears and pretend innocuously? She wondered if Sara had asked her to stay at home because of this.

But the more Elise tried to avoid the lurking eyes, the more they followed her. After a point, people freely gaped at her or gossiped about her. When she could no longer take it, she rushed to the washroom, where she could take some respite. She had barely managed to wash her face and get some fresh air. To her dismay, some staff entered the washroom. Elise rushed to hide inside the laboratory.

"Have you seen Elise? Did she really return to work? Wah! The girl is something." A lady staff member said. It sounded like she was really astounded to hear Elise had returned to work.

"She should have taken a leave for a month at least. What was she thinking? The rumors won't die down before something more enticing happens." The second woman said with concern and curiosity. Such were rumors and gossip. People pretend to care, while all they do is aggravate it.

Elise gasped inside the toilet. What did she do? Was it really that wrong for two adults to participate in consenting s*x? How on earth did everyone find out about their one-night stand? Did Nolan spill it to Gianna? Did a big ruckus happen? Or was this about her being with the CEO alone in a room? She hoped for the latter.

"Do you really think she did that? Who could tell Elise could be a gold digger? She always behaved so sweet and noble." Another woman chastised. It felt like she was full of wrath and hatred for Elise.

Elise wondered what she did to earn such hatred from that woman. At least the others sounded pitiful.

"What? She is a cunning woman. I knew it when she got that unfavorable promotion. But now I know. The director general was only trying to distance himself from that gold digger. He must have realized that she was trying to trap him with her charms." The fourth woman was full of prejudice. She had affirmed something she did not know about completely. She didn't even think about finding Elise's side of the story. Was she a judge?

Elise crashed on the floor. Was it about her and Mike's affair? How did everyone find it out? Didn't Mike say that he wanted it to be a secret? So how did everyone find out about it while she was on leave? Elise wondered if it was Helena. But she sounded too confident to have done it and drew Mike's wrath. Or was Helena doing this by using others? That woman was vicious and evil to the core.

"What charms? She is pretty but not enough to trap the director general." The first woman scoffed.

"Right! Have you seen her outside work? Even though she doesn't have decent clothes, sometimes she trots out expensive ones. She must have trapped many men for that. She is using whatever charms she has to lure wealthy men." The third woman spits venom.

Elise scoffed. She had dated only Mike, and occasionally she would accept his gifts. Elise didn't want to receive costly presents. But she took them because they were in a relationship, and she thought he was serious about it. She had already couriered everything back to him.

"She is such a leech! Poor Helena!" The fourth woman scorned.

Poor Helena? Are they able to hear what they are talking about now? Elise rolled her eyes, rubbing her ears in disbelief. How could they assume her to be a leech and Helena a poor girl? What has become of the world?

"How didn't we all know about it all this while?" The second woman wondered. She was the most sensitive, Elise thought.

"If not for Helena, no one would have found out. Apparently, she saved the director general from Elise's trap. No wonder he is smitten by her. The poor girl had to go through Elise's ragging all this time. She had been keeping quiet and taking it all in for his sake. Had the office staff not overheard Sara and Helena's conversation that day and stepped up, who knew what would have happened?" The fourth lady scorned.

It left Elise startled. How could they believe she was bullying someone like Helena? Did Sara fight with Helena because of her? Had she been taking all the people's wrath instead of her for all this while? How did she land such a loyal friend?

Elise let out a deep breath and came out of the toilet, looking determined. She had to step up for herself and her friend. The women were shocked to see her. They pretended not to have seen her, but she would not let it slide.

"I don't know what happened and what you know, but your truth is so much different from mine. Why don't you ask poor Helena the factual truth?" Elise folded her hands against her chest and glowered at them. The women looked down in confusion. They looked at each other vaguely and started to leave when Sara blocked their path.

"Apologize!" Sara demanded.

"What?" One of them asked, startled.

"You heard her the first time. It is a workplace. How could you spread rumors based on wrong information?" Elise badgered, stepping forward. The two friends smiled at each other, blocking their path.

"How could you bully us, too?" another woman scoffed.

"Didn't you already know we are bullies?" Elise scoffed in return, looking annoyed. Weren't they talking about it a while ago? Sara grinned, looking happy. She was worried her friend would be left disheartened after finding out about it. But she was doing great.

"Apologize!" Sara insisted, chuckling. "Who knew the black belt would come in handy some day?" She boasted.

Elise looked at Sara in surprise. They weren't black belts. But one look, and she knew Sara was bluffing. She smiled, playing along.

The four women looked at each other in confusion. They felt like dangerous gangsters trapped them. So they quickly apologized without creating more ruckus. Once they were out of the room, they could seek their revenge.

"Sorry!" One of them said, and the rest followed.

"I know you are going straight to Helena. But she was the other woman when we were still in a relationship." Elise spilled. She did it in a moment of fury.

The women looked at her in surprise.

"You heard her right." Sara badgered, moving aside for them to escape.

It left them shocked but fed them enough gossip material. Neither of them was sure if what Elise said was true, but it would not take them long before spreading the rumor.

Elise and Sara strolled to the farther end of the garden in silence. They were saving their questions till then. They had a lot to catch up with each other and come clean with their secrets.

"You shouldn't have told me about your and Mike's relationship. Till now, Mike stayed out of it. But now, I don't know." Sara spoke in concern. She finally broke the ice that had settled between them.

"I was angry." Elise looked at the bright sky. She wondered why her life was so gloomy. The drama wouldn't stop.

"Angry? Wah!" Sara shook her head, startled. "Really?" She asked to confirm. "You are really something, Elise Sinclair."

"You shouldn't have fought because of me," Elise mumbled, feeling remorseful for what her friend had to face because of her. People were talking ill about Sara because of her.

"I shouldn't," Sara grunted. "Can't you be a little thankful?" Sara was angry.

"I am." Elise hugged Sara to solace her.

"If you are, tell me, what is going on between you and the CEO? Didn't he save me that night? You didn't return home. Did something happen?" Sara questioned more directly this time.

Elise looked down, avoiding her eyes. What was she supposed to say, and how much when Sara looked scared?

"God! What can I do with you? How could you sleep with the CEO after getting dumped by the director general? The women were right. You are something!" Sara groaned, a little angry and more surprised.

"I didn't plan it. I was drunk and heartbroken. I didn't even know-" Elise fumbled, playing with her fingers. Why did her explanation sound so vague to her ears?

"Didn't you know he was a playboy? Didn't you tell me that when I was drooling at him? How could you stop me from making an advance on him when you spend a night with him? Was he good? How did a girl like you fall for someone like him? Are you in a relationship already? Is that why he was there on our street that night? Do you know what will happen when everyone finds out?" Sara bombarded Elise with questions, making her terrified. She gaped at her in fear and hesitation.

"No, we are not in a relationship," Elise stuttered. Technically, she was right.

"Why? Stop playing cat and mouse. Get into a relationship with Nolan just to make Mike feel bad. At least the gossip will stop," Sara insinuated, looking as scared as she could. Her hands were against her hips, and she sounded like a mother. She was both giving her suggestions and scolding her in the same sentence.

"How could you suggest something like that after what Mike did? I would never get into a relationship with a man far beyond my standard." Elise blurted out in shock. She was staring at Sara with equal intensity now.

"Are you mad? He is perfect for your revenge." Sara insinuated.

"Are you serious?" Elise groaned.

Then why did you sleep with him? You should have left him for me. Now I can't date him because of that pact!" Sara hissed, looking annoyed.

"Date him! Who is stopping you? Huh!" Elise hissed back.

"I would do it." Sara threatened.

Elise glowered at Sara, narrowing her eyes. Sara glared back. The two friends were fighting an intense battle with their eyes when someone interrupted them.

"She is right!" The voice startled them both. They turned to see the handsome man standing in front of them.