C3 A strange helper

If I fall down now, my granny will lose her final ray of hope.

"I’ll find a way to get my company back and stop James."

"This is the Linda, your parents would be proud of."

Rosy says.

"I need to go to Memorata Enterprise ."

"Now ?"

"Now , Rosy. I’m about to get back everything that rat bastard stole from me and save granny in the process."

I plan everything that I will say and do while wait for my Uber to arrive.

As my Uber pulls up in front of Memorata Enterprise , big fat drops. begin to fall from the sky. I rush up to the gate and hold my access card up to the reader, but the red light continues to blink instead of turning green.

"You bastard, you already rescinded my access ?"

"Are talking to me , madam ?"

"No just mumbling to my ass of a soon-to -be -ex- husband."

"I am afraid to ask you to leave ."

"How dare you ask me to leave ?"

"I’m just following orders ma’am."

"This is my company."

The staff begin to exit the building to watch what’s happening. The people who work for me over years.

"I watched Mrs. Linda got busted for having an affair. On live TV."

"I can’t believe she’d tarnish the reputation of the company this way. So selfish."

"Oh come on, you know if she was a man , you’d be high fiving each other ."

"Probably, but that doesn’t make it right. It’s only damaging Memorata’s image. I need this job."

As my former employees gossip about me, James exits the building with a mocking grin.

"Well , well , if it’s not the cheating chicken coming home to roost. What are you doing here, Linda ?"

"You know why I’m here . I’m here to take back everything. But this isn’t even about me. Susan needs surgery or she’ll die."

"Perhaps you can set aside any dignity you have left to save your grandma."

"What are you talking about ?"

"If you publicly admit to your affair, I’ll take that into consideration. You should accept responsibility as the one at fault, admit it, and sign the divorce agreement. I can grant you what you want, as long as you cooperate."

He leans close to me , murmuring with a voice that only the two of us can hear.

I can’t believe that my humiliation is complete. And he actually wants to tarnish my reputation in front of my employees.

I look at his seemingly virtuous face, finding hard to imagine he has been my husband and loyal assistant for a year.

"I think what is really catching everyone’s interest is why my account got wiped out all of a sudden, and how you managed to become the CEO."

"How can you dare talk nonsense ?"

"Where I went wrong was putting too much trust in our relationship. I might not be a perfect wife within our marriage, but that’s not a reason you can take so long to break me down. You should consider yourself lucky that I’m still keeping my manners , otherwise, I would have slapped your face hard by now."

"Full of lies !"

James looks at the gossiping employees around him, and he becomes angry and embarrassed. He raises his hand high as if he is about to slap my face in the next moment.

"Wait ! Why did I just arrive and witness Memorata’s new CEO wanting to strike an unarmed woman ?"

Amidst the pouring rain , a sleek, black limousine pulls up to the curb.

The door opens and an expensive black dress shoe appears , attached to the leg of the hottest guy I’ve just saw in the magazine.

"Riley Smith ?"

Riley Smith holds an umbrella out to cover my head , not only protecting me from the rain, but shielding me from the rumors and scorn.

"Sorry, I’m late. I have a very urgent meeting that I can’t get away from the whole day. Why are you all wet ? You must be cold. Put on my suit."

Riley takes off his suit and drapes it over my shoulders. He soothingly squeezes my arms, and his gaze oddly familiar yet determined.

"Wh… who… I."

Riley gives me a kind smile as I stammer, searching for words and understanding.

"You might be mistaking someone else , Mr. Smith, she is—"

Riley completely ignores James, staring sternly at the surrounding crowd. Now he looks like a walking Adonis statue.

"I know everyone gathered here has certain assumptions about Linda, but I can assure you every one of them is wrong. Every accusation Linda’s facing today, it’s all just slander.

"What ?"

"I know this because I’m the man in the picture from last night being splashed all over the media."

He turns his attention to me, but I’m transfixed on Riley’s jaw , hinged open in stunned silence .

"I’m happy to explain. I’m so sorry but I entered your room by accident last night. I got in late, and I was exhausted. My room was next door. In my overly tired state, I entered your room by mistake since the door was slightly ajar. I thought the concierge may have left it open for me after turndown service. He does that sometimes when I get in late. What I don’t know, though, is why I was caught on camera. I find that most interesting out of all of this."

He directs his next questions to James , who still hasn’t recovered.

"Did you have me followed, or was it your wife you were stalking ? It is «perfectly legitimate » for you, the new CEO , to divorce and quickly transfer assets just because of an unclear photograph."

He says in a cold voice.

Now I’m stunned in silence. How could he know all of that ?

"I, ummm, I well , you see. I really need to go !"

Everyone slinks away and soon everyone else, realizes it’s raining, seek cover inside the building.

"I don’t understand. What… why did you come here to explain ? You could have easily issued a press release."

"I saw you keep your calm. That was impressive. You never do anything wrong ."

"Thanks. That felt good. But I have to ask you, what are you doing here ? You don’t even know me."

"Look, you are soaked to the skin . Please get in the car."

He doesn’t answer my question. He’s only watching me , with a heartbroken look, as if repenting for arriving late.

"I have more important things to do, I’d better leave."

"I know you have a lot of questions. Your grandma’s medical expenses have been taken care of."

"What ? By whom ?"

"I’ll tell you everything, but —"

Before I can figure out the best way to determine Riley’s involvement, my phone vibrates with an incoming call.

"Oh it’s the hospital. Hang on a second."

•Phone call

-Linda ?

-Yes it’s me ! Is that for Susan’s case ?

-Yes. We wanted to let you know that Susan’s bill has been paid in full, and a VIP room has been arranged for her.

My gaze travels to Riley for a moment. He smiles at me.

-Thanks for letting me know. Please keep me updated for her prognosis.

-Of course. I’ll have the surgeon contact you as soon as she is out of surgery.

After hanging up, I felt an enormous weight lift from my shoulders.

"That was the hospital. I guess I have to thank you for that ?"

"I told everything was taken care of. I’m a lot of things, but a liar isn’t one of them."

"Good to know. Because I have a lot of questions and I need honest answers."

"I will tell you everything , but please just get in the car. Because even if you’re not cold, I am."

I climb into the limousine. Riley closes the door, then goes around the back and gets in on the other side.

After giving directions to the driver, he hands me a soft cotton towel.

"I’m not sure how much it will help. You are soaked all the way through."

He has a distinct lily scent, and his bath towel shares the same aroma.

I do my best to wipe my face wet, then squeeze as much rain from my hair as I can.

"I’m taking a chance that you are a Frappuccino kind of girl."

I set the towel aside and turn to find Riley offering me a steaming cup of hot Frappuccino made in the limousine very well -stocked bar.

"Thanks. I’m lucky that you have everything I need."

"It’s a well-stocked limousine."

"With exactly what you need in any situation ? "

"Yes, Linda."

I take the offered cup with a healthy dose of caution.

"Well, it’s not that I don’t appreciate all of this, but the people I’ve been closest to in my life just stabbed me in the back. So trusting a total stranger is a little outside my comfort zone at the moment."

"I’d except nothing less."

I can’t rule out that he is a part of James’s master plan. All of this is just a little too convenient.

"I promised you , I’d tell you everything and I will, but first…"

Riley presses a button, and a monitor slides down from the ceiling of the limousine. He presses a button on the remote and an image appears.

"You have to watch this."

"What the ….. is that James’s office ?"

I lean in toward the screen and watch in a horrified fascination.