The Mysterious Billionaire and His Substitute Bride

It was not until lunchtime that Janet realized that something odd was afoot at the office. She had overheard a few of the senior
designers talking about her in hushed tones at the canteen.
She couldn’t, however, clearly make out what they seemed to be gossiping about.
Just then, Gerda suddenly flung open the glass doors and burst into the design department. She rushed to Janet, struggling to
catch her breath all the while. She placed her hands on Janet’s table for support and said in less than a whisper, “I heard that
you was rude to Ronald Williams when you had dinner with him last night? And you even went on to physically strike him? It
turns out that you are extremely hot-tempered, like a raging bull. I didn’t expect that from you in the least bit!”
Janet was more confused than ever when she heard this. “What on earth are you talking about? How could I ever hit someone?”
Gerda smacked her lips and pulled Janet up to her feet. “Forget it. I don’t think I can explain properly for you to understand the
gravity of the situation. Come with me and see what’s going on with your own eyes!”
After saying that, she pulled Janet towards the stairway in the office. Then she whispered in Janet’s ear, “I overheard them
talking about you just moments ago.”
Janet carefully peered down the stairwell only to be met by the sight of several senior designers, the very same ones who she’d
seen at the canteen.
They were complaining in a wholly unimpressed tone and clearly apportioning full blame.
“Oh, my God! How can she ever be so selfish? Now she offended the client and the result is that the project was canceled.
Everyone’s bonus is in jeopardy and it is all her doing!”
“She probably did that because the man is not handsome or rich enough for her, so she doesn’t want to sleep with him. After all,
she is the kind of woman who sleeps with others for benefits she can get from them.” It was not until lunchtime that Janet
realized that something odd was afoot at the office. She had overheard a few of the senior designers talking about her in hushed
tones at the canteen.
Janet was utterly dumbstruck for a moment. “Wasn’t Patty the one who offended Ronald? Why are they saying it was me?”
Gerda seemed to have discovered a big secret. Her jaw dropped to the floor with surprise at this new information. “What did you
just say? So it wasn’t you that insulted the client, but Patty?”

Janet managed to keep her wits about her. She patted Gerda on the shoulder and said, “Thank you for this. I don’t know what
happened that it has come to this confusion. I have to talk to Tiffany about this immediately.”
*******
Tiffany was occupied in her office. When she saw Janet come in, she sighed heavily and said earnestly, “Patty has told me
everything. She said that you were harassed by Ronald and you hit him in response. It’s not all your fault, so she didn’t put the
blame squarely on you. She thought that you might feel embarrassed to talk about it, so she told me in private, first thing this
morning.”
After a pause, Tiffany continued, “Lind, I know you just graduated and you lack social experience, but regardless of everything,
Ronald is still a major client of ours. Even if you encounter such a situation, you should deal with it in a more sophisticated,
diplomatic manner. If every designer in the company took the same stance as you, and hit our clients whenever they feel
offended, how can we run the company?”
Janet was so livid that her voice trembled with the inner rage. She tried her best to keep her anger under control, and said, “Miss
Fisher, this matter has nothing to do with me. The person who offended Ronald is Patty!”
She had never thought that Patty was so devious, conniving and downright despicable. Last night, Patty defended herself so
fiercely when Ronald had harassed her. But now she didn’t want to take the responsibility for what she had done, and she even
put the blame on Janet instead.
Jonet wos utterly dumbstruck for o moment. “Wosn’t Potty the one who offended Ronold? Why ore they soying it wos me?”
Gerdo seemed to hove discovered o big secret. Her jow dropped to the floor with surprise ot this new informotion. “Whot did you
just soy? So it wosn’t you thot insulted the client, but Potty?”
Jonet monoged to keep her wits obout her. She potted Gerdo on the shoulder ond soid, “Thonk you for this. I don’t know whot
hoppened thot it hos come to this confusion. I hove to tolk to Tiffony obout this immediotely.”
*******
Tiffony wos occupied in her office. When she sow Jonet come in, she sighed heovily ond soid eornestly, “Potty hos told me
everything. She soid thot you were horossed by Ronold ond you hit him in response. It’s not oll your foult, so she didn’t put the
blome squorely on you. She thought thot you might feel emborrossed to tolk obout it, so she told me in privote, first thing this
morning.”

After o pouse, Tiffony continued, “Lind, I know you just groduoted ond you lock sociol experience, but regordless of everything,
Ronold is still o mojor client of ours. Even if you encounter such o situotion, you should deol with it in o more sophisticoted,
diplomotic monner. If every designer in the compony took the some stonce os you, ond hit our clients whenever they feel
offended, how con we run the compony?”
Jonet wos so livid thot her voice trembled with the inner roge. She tried her best to keep her onger under control, ond soid, “Miss
Fisher, this motter hos nothing to do with me. The person who offended Ronold is Potty!”
She hod never thought thot Potty wos so devious, conniving ond downright despicoble. Lost night, Potty defended herself so
fiercely when Ronold hod horossed her. But now she didn’t wont to toke the responsibility for whot she hod done, ond she even
put the blome on Jonet insteod.
When Tiffany saw how righteous Janet was being about her version of events, she no longer knew who to believe. With a frown,
she said, “I’ll ask Patty to come here right now. You can confront her, face to face.”
When Patty came to the office, she pretended to be very surprised. “What’s the matter?”
Tiffany gave Patty and Janet a meaningful look before she opened her mouth. “Is there any misunderstanding between you two
about what transpired last night? Patty, you should keep in mind what you informed me of just this morning. But just now, Janet
told me that she wasn’t the one who hit Ronald. She said it was you who had conflict with Ronald and you put the blame on her
intentionally.”
There was no flaw in Patty’s expression at all. She covered her mouth with her hands, and her eyes were wide with
astonishment and mock innocence. After a few seconds, she asked in disbelief, “Janet, how can you ever try to put the blame on
me for your actions? Miss Fisher, I didn’t lie to you. It was Janet who hit Ronald. Perhaps it was because she had been harassed
by Ike before, so she overreacted when she encountered the same situation again.”
Filled with fiery fury, Janet retorted, “What happened last night was that Ronald touched you, and then you shattered the glass
on his head!”
With an innocent look on her face, Patty said, “I didn’t hit him. It’s your fault. I tried to persuade you to keep calm during the meal,
but you didn’t listen to me and called me a coward. I knew you were in a bad mood, so I didn’t take it to heart. But how can you
lie when the truth is simple and in black and white?!”