Chapter 138
Lucinda frowned and scanned the area.
A few partners were still organizing materials nearby. Staff members were cleaning up the booths. But Gaia was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Gaia?" She asked someone nearby.
"Ms. Fisher was just called out by a researcher. They said they wanted to discuss technical collaboration outside." The person pointed toward the side door. "She left not long ago."
Lucinda's frown deepened.
She set down her water bottle, stood up, and strode quickly toward the side door.
Outside the side door was a narrow alley connecting the conference center's back exit to the parking lot.
The moment Lucinda pushed open the door, she heard sounds coming from deep within the alley.
Something was being slammed against the ground repeatedly, mixed with muffled sobs.
Lucinda froze. Her pupils contracted slightly. She quickened her pace.
In the depths of the alley, several figures were tangled together.
Pearl stood in the center. Her hair was disheveled. Her makeup was smeared. A streak of blood trailed from the corner of her mouth.
Her right hand was wrapped in bandages—her pinky and ring finger, broken by Lucinda, still hadn't healed. Now she was using her left hand to grab Gaia's hair and slam her into the wall.
"What do you think you are? A broke nobody who thinks she deserves to stand on that stage?" Pearl's voice was shrill, laced with near-maniacal fury. "Everything you presented—you must have plagiarized it! A waste like you couldn't possibly produce results like that!"
Gaia was pinned against the wall. Her back slammed into the rough brick. She let out a muffled groan.
Her hair was clutched in Pearl's hand, forcing her face upward. Her eyes glared at Pearl, her lips pressed white.
"For the sake of the Fisher family's reputation, I have to teach you a lesson today." Pearl released her hair and slapped her hard across the face. "Your life is worthless. I sent so many people to beat you, and you still didn't die. You dare come looking for more? Today I'll beat you to death, and then I'll deal with that precious boss of yours!"
Gaia's face turned to the side. A trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
Hearing Pearl threaten Lucinda, her eyes went wide. She whipped her head around to stare at Pearl. The fear in her eyes slowly faded.
"You dare touch Ms. Wipere?" Her voice was hoarse. Every word carried an unprecedented ferocity.
Pearl laughed, her features twisting. "What wouldn't I dare? Once I'm done with you, I'll deal with her. Neither of you will get away—"
Before she could finish, Gaia's hand shot out. Her fingers locked onto Pearl's hair and yanked back with all her strength.
Pearl screamed. Her entire body pitched forward. Her forehead slammed into Gaia's shoulder.
Gaia didn't let go. Her other hand balled into a fist and struck Pearl's face.
"Who gave you permission to touch my idol!" she shouted, her eyes bloodshot, her tone carrying a savagery Pearl had never heard before.
As the words left her mouth, she swung again. Punch after punch rained down on Pearl. "You think you can touch my idol? Just you? You've bullied me since we were kids. Now you want to interfere with my career. Now you want to go after Ms. Wipere! What makes you think you're worthy?"
The two people who'd been holding her froze, instinctively trying to pull her off.
But Gaia was like someone possessed. No matter how they pulled or pressed, she wouldn't let go. Her fingers were locked in Pearl's hair. Her fists fell like rain.
"What are you standing around for! Pull her off!" Pearl shrieked, her voice cracking.
But the two holding Gaia exchanged glances. They both saw something different in each other's faces.
Their grip on Gaia slowly loosened.
One of the young women took a step back. She watched Pearl being beaten on the ground by Gaia. Her lips trembled. Then she suddenly spoke. "Enough!"
Pearl froze.
She lay on the ground, hair splayed across her face. She looked up in disbelief. "You… what did you say?"
"I said enough." The girl's voice grew louder, carrying a grievance that had been suppressed for far too long. "Pearl, that's enough. You've used your family's money to bully us, exploit us, make us work overtime day and night. All the credit goes to you. All the blame falls on us. We've had enough of you!"
Another girl stepped forward, her voice trembling. "You told me to falsify data. When I refused, you docked my pay and threatened to fire me. Pearl, you're a vicious woman!"
"You—you dare rebel?" Pearl scrambled up from the ground. Her expression twisted beyond recognition.
"We're not just rebelling—we're quitting!" The first girl straightened her back, her voice more resolute than before. "I don't want to stay in this hellhole for another minute."
"Me neither!"
Pearl's face changed completely.
She watched as the people she'd ordered around day after day, one by one, turned against her. Her lips trembled. She couldn't say a word.
She turned her head. Her gaze landed on Gaia.
Gaia stood up from the ground. Blood still streaked the corner of her mouth. Her hair was disheveled. But her eyes shone with a frightening intensity.
She looked at Pearl and walked forward step by step.
Pearl instinctively backed away. Her back hit the wall.
Her legs began to shake. Tears welled in her eyes. Her voice trembled. "You… don't come any closer…"
But what she didn't expect was that something even more terrifying was still to come.
After letting go of Gaia, the two women didn't stop.
The first girl who'd spoken out now stared at her. She'd been exploited by Pearl at the research institute for three years. She'd worked overtime until dawn every day. When projects succeeded, Pearl's name was always on them. When something went wrong, she was the first one thrown under the bus.
Her eyes reddened. She suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Pearl's hair.
"How many times did you dock my pay? How many times did you make me take the fall for you? Pearl, do you even remember?"
Her voice carried a sob, but her grip didn't loosen. She yanked Pearl's hair back.
Pearl screamed and stumbled backward. The back of her head slammed into the wall. Pain made her vision go dark.
The other girl also rushed forward. She grabbed Pearl's bandaged right hand and twisted it hard. "You told me to falsify data! I studied for so many years, and with one word, you told me to throw my professional ethics away! When I refused, you threatened me. What do you think you are!"