Chapter 8
Dr. Roberts explained, “Mr. Gardner, I’ve already said everything I needed to say. You didn’t listen, and now my information has been exposed too. I’m going back abroad.
“All of this was done at your request, not my choice. I believe the recordings will make that clear to everyone. Whatever debt I owe you is repaid now. Goodbye.”
Then, Dr. Roberts stood up and left without waiting for Dad to respond. Before leaving the country, Dr. Roberts posted an article on his blog to clear his
name.
In the recordings, he had repeatedly urged Dad to reconsider, so the online backlash against him was minimal. Meanwhile, Dad was overwhelmed with calls from the various companies under Gardner Corporation, all seeking guidance on how to handle the scandal.
Later, Helena showed up. “Dad! What do we do now? Reporters were at my company asking if I’m Helena Gardner. I had to show them my new ID to get away. You can’t let my identity get exposed!”
Dad studied her panicked, selfish expression, and his eyes narrowed with suspicion. He said, “Allen told me Mae left last night. I had people look into it- she’s already out of the country.
“While we look for her, you should come forward and admit that you were inexperienced and made a mistake by hurting her. It’s the best way to handle this. You have legal waivers, so you won’t go to jail.”
Helena shook her head frantically. “No! Dad, don’t you remember? Bowen never actually married her! If this gets out, I could still go to prison. I can’t do that!”
Dad’s expression darkened. “Then what do you suggest we do?
“I’ll go back abroad and lay low, like before. You can just tell everyone Maisie’s gone crazy, that the audio is fake, and the chat records are photoshopped. That’ll fix it!” Helena replied.
Her words left Dad, Mom, and Bowen speechless and angry. Dad snapped, “You want to run off abroad and leave us to clean up your mess? Do you even realize that audio can be authenticated? You can’t just claim it’s fake and expect people to believe you!”
Bowen added, “And those messages? Do you have any idea how much backlash I’ve gotten because of them? People are accusing me of being a two- timer; some even threaten to sue me for bigamy!”
He stepped in front of the door, blocking her way. “We cleaned up your mess five years ago. This time, you’re staying to face the consequences!” “You’ve been living too comfortably, flaunting your life and provoking Maisie. This is your fault!” Bowen continued, his anger boiling over.
Helena turned to my parents, pleading for support. However, Mom let out a weak sigh, clutching her chest.
She murmured, “Lena, have we spoiled you too much? You knew you had to keep a low profile, yet you left so much evidence in Mae’s hands. And as if that wasn’t enough, you even pushed her further? If you hadn’t done that, she wouldn’t have dragged your father and me into the fire like this. You’ve been incredibly irresponsible.”
Helena opened her mouth to argue, but her phone buzzed. She glanced at it, and her face turned pale.
“Maisie sent me a lawyer’s letter! She knows there’s not enough evidence, but she’s still trying to humiliate me! Who told her my new name?” she demanded, her eyes darting between the three of them.
What she did not realize was that her new identity was not hard to uncover. My parents had set up a real estate company in her name, listing her as the legal representative under Ruby Jefferson. She had taken Mom’s maiden name, Jefferson, so it was not difficult for me to figure out.
My parents and Bowen were stunned by her accusatory tone. It was the first time in over 20 years they had seen such a vicious expression on her face. “You’re blaming us?” Dad asked, his voice rising in disbelief as he pointed a shaking finger at her.
Chapter 9
