59 Controversy

The next day I woke up with my mom knocking on my door. I was still in a daze when she asked me about the news. I was, of course, baffled as I only woke up now. When did I have the time to read or watch the news?

"Mom, what news are you talking about?"

"It was the one where you were spotted dining with Liam Wang." She told me.

Dining with Liam? Is she asking about the day where I ate vegetable dishes for lunch? "If you were asking about some lunch date that happened weeks ago then yes, if it's recently then no."

I saw my mother stunned for a few seconds before asking again. "Lunch date?"

"It's a date because it's a social appointment, not a romantic date. If you remember that night in the past weeks where you ask about the person who drove me home, then I believe that I already told you in passing."

"I did not remember such thing. Didn't you say Liam saw you walking back and offered you a ride home? Where was the lunch date mentioned?"

'Okay, so I did not mention it literally. I just thought I conveyed the message.'

"So what happened was, I was walking down the street when his car passed me. Then he stopped and honked his car, so I looked up. He waved at me through his window, and I recognized him at a glance. I went up to him, and he told me that he could give me a lift home. On the way through, my stomach grumbled, and he said we better eat first before sending me home. So we ate." I narrated in detail. I already lied before so might as well add some details.

"I understand, so you are not dating him as the report say?"

"What? What report?" 'Didn't she say it was only a picture of me and Liam eating?'

"The news we just talked about. Did you not see it? Last night, one tabloid just released a picture of that model. What's her name again? She's that girlfriend of Liam."

"Are you talking about Gerbera?"

Mother clapped her hand and said, "Yes, Gerbera. They released a picture of her holding hands with some other guy. She was wearing a mask yet somebody still recognized her. And the guy…he's a common man with a dirty background. The internet has exploded, my darling."

'So somebody spotted her that day at the back alley. Well, she's a B-list model after all.'

"They said that Liam had dumped her, and so she changed her man. Then just this early morning, another tabloid released a picture of Liam with another lady. It was you."

Without asking another word, I quickly checked my phone about the latest news in entertainment. What Mother said was true. They posted our picture and claimed that I was Liam's new beau. They even titled it 'High Society Amour' and posted my basic profile stating my status as the heiress to my parents' fortune.

The topic created a buzz and gained mixed responses. I was, of course, slandered by Gerbera's fans. Most were talking about me being the shameless third party. Apparently, Gerbera posted a few pictures of us during our summer getaway, and that's how her eagle-eyed fans noticed me. Heck, I was always in the corner in the pictures she posted. I was even made as a background in one of them. She also cropped Heather and me out in one of the group pictures. I know because I recognized that ear with a hearing aid at the end of the image.

Within all of these, both sides chose to remain quiet.

I thought that after Aster's accident has concluded, I'll get some days of peace and quiet, but here I am somehow connected in a controversy. It was only yesterday that comrade Linden teased me about being single yet now, I was labeled as the third party in a rumored break-up. It's not even confirmed, but these anonymous f****** kept dirtying my name. I was only asleep for a few hours before this thing blew up. What an off-putting surprise!

I turned to look at my mother who was sitting at the edge of my bed, waiting for me. "Mom, don't you think we need to do some damage control? I think this rumor is getting out of hand."

My mother nodded. "That's why I came here, darling. I want to know the truth so that we can counter those tabloids."

"Mom, believe my words. I am not in a romantic relationship with Liam Wang."

"I believe you, darling." She got up and said, "Don't worry, I'll handle it. Go and take a bath so you can prepare yourself early at work."

I went and hugged her, "I know, Mom, thank you."

"What's there to thank? I am your mother, and it's my responsibility." She said as she hugged me back.

--

I was on the ride going to work when my side denied the allegations. Mother really handled it fast. But rumors were as fast as the wind. Even with my side of the story, people only accepted what they thought was the truth.

I was going to the break room when I heard some employees talking about the newly-born couple, namely Liam and me.

"I'd say, the chief creative officer was so daring that she was snatching somebody else's boyfriend."

"Come on, man, she wasn't daring. The model was just born in an environment unfit for the royalties."

"Poor her, she must have latched onto that thigh thinking he'd save her from her unfavorable birth, yet she was dumped unhesitatingly."

"Don't talk like Gerbera's so poor when she already bought a house for herself. She has been modeling since 16-years-old with a clean record, so I doubt her background is an issue. So I believe that our Ms. Lin snatched her boyfriend."

"But they already refuted the claims. Didn't you see the news? It was her mother who made the statement."

"As you said, it was her mother. When did parents not interfere with their child's life? Pretty sure that was only made up to lessen the bad comments on her child."

"So will you believe it if I said it myself? No, right? Because you only want to accept the things you want to see or hear. It's human nature after all." I walked in and interrupted them.

They were all stunned silly after hearing my words, after all, it was the first time I spoke up for myself. Before they could respond, I already left the room. I couldn't let them suffer the same fate as the lady in the first branch that I terminated as one of them was in my team, and she's efficient at work, but that does not mean that I won't remember what happened today.

I must have looked petty yet cool in defending myself, but it honestly breaks my heart when a person makes mean comments to me. And it was pretty depressing that I did not have the chance to make some tea and eat the bread and biscuits in the break room. Tsk, they could've gossiped in other places.