His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 95

Helena had expected standard office chatter, not vile slander against her former daughter-in-law!

Before the woman could finish, Helena shot to her feet, her expression stormy. "The other woman?"

"Virginia and my son were legally married and completely matched in status. There was absolutely no 'other woman' involved!"

"Your... your son?"

The two gossiping women flushed deep red, exchanging panicked looks.

They never imagined their idle gossip would be overheard by the billionaire CEO's actual mother.

"That's right. The wealthy CEO you're so eagerly discussing is my son. When he married Virginia, he had absolutely zero ties to that so-called pianist!"

Helena was typically the epitome of calm, soft-spoken elegance, but fury sharpened her tone into something fierce and commanding. "I have no idea where this trash originated, but if I hear it repeated again, I promise you, I will ruin whoever is responsible!"

A pin-drop silence fell over the waiting area. No one dared to breathe a word.

Having vented her anger, Helena spun on her heel and marched toward Virginia's office.

Virginia was just walking a patient out. She looked up and paused in surprise.

"Aunt Helena?"

"I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by."

Helena looked her up and down.

Virginia was wearing a pale lotus-pink suit jacket, the collar slightly unbuttoned to reveal a crisp blouse underneath. Her hair was swept back into a neat bun, giving her a sharp, professional look.

But her complexion was paler, and her jawline seemed even sharper than the last time they'd seen each other.

A flash of heartache crossed Helena's eyes. She pulled Virginia back into the office, shut the door, and casually dropped her designer handbag onto the desk.

"Virginia."

Helena sat down on the sofa, studying her for a long moment, struggling to find the right words.

Only today did she fully realize the sheer amount of malice her beloved Virginia had been subjected to.

She had just witnessed the tip of the iceberg out in the lobby, but what about all the vitriol she hadn't seen?

"You were off that day, so you missed it. Mr. Vanderbilt's mother actually came down here and publicly defended Dr. Caldwell! She completely destroyed those two patients who were spreading rumors about her being the other woman. They couldn't say a single word back."

"I wasn't here, but the story is all over the clinic. I even saw Mrs. Vanderbilt bringing Dr. Caldwell homemade soup yesterday. It's glaringly obvious who the Vanderbilt family actually respects..."

Mrs. Vanderbilt?

Hailey froze in her tracks.

Her mind instantly flashed back to Chloe's half-spoken sentences and calculated expressions. It had all been an intentional performance!

And she had been stupid enough to swallow it whole. She had allowed herself to be weaponized, destroying Virginia's trust and throwing away her own career in the process!

Hailey gripped her phone, her knuckles turning white as she squeezed and released it, absolute fury and agonizing regret burning in her eyes.

Forcing herself to breathe, she turned and took the elevator upstairs. Even if Virginia never forgave her, she owed her a sincere apology.

But as the elevator doors chimed open, she practically collided with someone.

It was a woman in an off-white dress, her hair cascading flawlessly over her shoulders, her makeup immaculate.