The Billionaire's Pretend Wife (Isabella)
Chapter 34 Thirty Four

"Let go of me!" Claudia demanded, grabbing at a desk and digging her heels into the floor to keep Isabelle from dragging her any further. "What do you think you are doing?" "What are you afraid of?" Isabelle asked, not relaxing her grip around her arm. "You said that you saw us with your own eyes. We are only going to confirm with the director.”

"You are crazy," Claudia accused. "This is harassment, I can report you to HR-”

"I'll accompany you to show them the video of you slandering me," Isabelle informed her.

When they were almost at the director's office, the door burst open and Mr Grayson appeared, a frown on his face. He looked around at the gathered workers, and then his eyes zeroed in on Isabelle and Claudia. "What on earth is going on here?" he demanded.

Isabelle finally let go of Claudia and faced the department director. This was her chance to stop everything once and for all, in front of everyone. "Claudia is spreading rumours that you and I went to a hotel together last night."

Mr Grayson's face paled at Isabelle's words. Where on earth had such a rumour come from? He had been trying to seduce Isabelle in secret, and now there was a loudmouth ruining everything for him? "So we came to ask about your whereabouts last night to clarify things," Isabelle continued, her eyes focused on him.

As his face darkened with anger as he looked at the woman standing next to Isabelle, he arranged his thoughts. He couldn't let her ruin his reputation before he got Isabelle where he wanted her. "What are you talking about?" he asked Claudia, his voice firm. "I spent the night at home with my wife, and she can confirm that. Why are you making up rumours about Ms Cruz and I?" Everybody went quiet while Claudia faced the floor. "I'm sorry, sir. I must have mistaken someone else for you."

Mr Grayson stepped towards her, his face stormy. "Such nonsense will not be tolerated in my department. If you have so much to say, maybe you should move to the marketing department, they can do with your story-spinning talent over there."

Claudia bent her head further. "It won't happen again, sir. I'm truly sorry."

Mr Grayson looked around at everyone. "This show is over, you can get back to work. If I catch anyone else spreading malicious rumours at work, they'll face the consequences."

Then he turned and marched back into his office. Claudia left the office and hurried towards the bathroom. Isabelle finally felt relieved. She was certain that after this, Mr Grayson wouldn't try to pursue her anymore. After announcing to everyone that him seducing her was a story formed in Claudia's imagination, he wouldn't do anything that would get people talking again.

When he left, instead of going back to their desks as instructed, the crowd burst into excited whispers. Before Isabelle could get back to her desk, she caught sight of Seth walking into the office. On seeing her, he hurried over, a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking around at the gathered workers and then focusing back on her. "I got your message."

"I'm fine," she told him. "I wanted to ask you to clarify something if you don't mind. Someone started a rumour about my character in college-"

"I've heard," he told her, his expression softening. "Of course, I'll set things straight."

"Thank you," she told him, feeling grateful.

"Good afternoon, Mr Holding. What are you doing in our department?" one of her colleagues asked, approaching them.

"I heard false rumours being peddled around about my junior, so I came to clear them up," he replied.

The colleague looked from Seth to Isabelle and back. "You are...you are the schoolmate she was talking about?"

Seth nodded and gave Isabelle a fond look. "Yes. I was her senior in college, so I know all about her character. Everything you've heard is nonsense."

Isabelle smiled gratefully at him while the crowd burst into whispers again. Everybody's attention was now on Seth, and with the way they were all looking at him, she knew they believed him.

"Claudia really made all that up," someone said. "But fortunately, both the director and Mr Holding have cleared things up."

"Yeah, poor girl. What did she ever do to Claudia?"

"My junior has always been an honest, kind, and hard-working person," Seth said loud enough for everyone to hear. "She is also very talented, so many people are jealous of her. Maybe that's what is bothering Claudia."

"Maybe because she's quite pretty too," someone else added, and the crowd burst into chuckles.

"Thank you, Seth," Isabelle told him. "I don't know how I can make it up to you."

"Don't worry about that," he told her. "I told you to come to me if you came across any trouble, didn't I? I'm happy to help."

Isabelle felt really grateful in her heart and wished she could do something to thank him. This was the second time he had come to her rescue, and he never asked anything in return.

***

The next day when Isabelle got to work, she received the good news that Claudia had been demoted and transferred to an insignificant department.

She was relieved that she would no longer be working in the same office with someone who hated her so much. After humiliating her the previous day in front of their coworkers and director, there was no telling what she could have done to get back at her.

"I'm so happy that you stood up to her," the coworker who had given her the news said. "Everybody is happy that she is gone."

Puzzled, Isabelle asked, "Really?"

Her colleague nodded. "She was always stirring in the office and backbiting others. She despised everyone who did better than her. With her gone, this department will be a lot more peaceful." Isabelle had no idea that Claudia was used to treating everyone like that. Indeed, nobody liked working around someone like that.

"You are so brave," another coworker said, perching on the corner of her desk. "Nobody ever had the guts to stand up to her. What you did yesterday was amazing!"

"You are our hero," the first coworker said, grinning.

Isabelle laughed and dismissed her with a shake of her head. "You are exaggerating. People like her prey on those they think cannot stand up to them. If you stand up to them, often, their lies crumble in the face of the truth. I couldn't stand by and let her tarnish my name, so I had to act."

Her coworker nodded. "You have inspired me. The next time someone tries to create rumours about me, I'll not cower. I'll face them and ask them for proof!"

The three burst into laughter at her enthusiasm. For the first time since Claudia started spreading rumours about her, Isabelle felt completely at ease in the office. Her colleagues were now talking to her freely, with no one throwing her suspicious glances. She only hoped that the new peace would last.

After dealing with Ann from the time she had her interview, she had thought she wouldn't make any more enemies at work, only for Claudia to fill that space. Now, she hoped that her encounters with coworkers who were hell-bent on slandering her were done.

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