Chapter 43 Misunderstanding
The large office area fell silent in an instant.
Sarah was stunned by the outburst, her mind going blank, her face full of confusion, her lips trembling. "Photo? What photo?"
"Still pretending? The photo in the Salary Slaves United group chat was sent from your account. What's your game?" Nancy's righteous indignation, all for Rachel's sake, left Rachel herself dumbfounded.
Upon hearing this, Sarah quickly took out her phone and opened the group chat, scrolling through the records. The more she looked, the more terrified she became. "Ms. Davis, this isn't me. I didn't do it."
Rachel's face was cold as she asked, "But this photo did come from your account. How do you explain that?"
"I... I don't know. I really don't know, Ms. Davis. I never took such a photo. You can check my gallery. There's definitely nothing like that in there."
Nancy interrupted her, raising her voice a few notches. "You don't know? Then who does? It's not a screenshot that can be faked. We all saw it. Or are you saying someone hacked your account to post it on purpose?"
"I... I... I really don't know." Sarah was at a loss for words, tears streaming down her face.
Rachel frowned and asked, "Did you go to the display team around four o'clock this afternoon?"
Sarah wiped her tears and nodded. "Yeah, I did. I went with Nancy and Julia."
"Did you come back together?"
"No, Nancy had something to discuss with Casey from the display team, and Julia had to go to the first-floor showroom. I needed to print some exhibition catalogs for Area B and file them, so we split up at Elevator 2."
Nancy, standing nearby, was tense. Rachel's calmness surprised her. She worried that if Rachel and Sarah continued to talk, the truth might come out, ruining all her efforts and possibly implicating her.
"Rachel, don't be too angry. Sarah is still young. She was just being gossipy, without any malice." She interjected at the right moment, giving Sarah a meaningful look. "Aren't you going to apologize to Ms. Davis?"
Sarah, already panicked and irrational, didn't catch the trap in Nancy's words and instinctively took a couple of steps toward Rachel. But as soon as she was about to move, Rachel raised a hand to stop her.
Rachel was truly disappointed in her and annoyed by Nancy's interference. She wouldn't let herself fall into Nancy's trap. It was time to teach her a lesson.
"So you're admitting that you sent the photo?"
Sarah was stunned, forgetting even to cry. "I didn't. It wasn't me, Ms. Davis."
Rachel let out a cold laugh, her icy gaze shifting from Sarah to Nancy, lingering for a few seconds. "It seems Ashley's incident hasn't taught you any lessons! Stargaze Gallery can't tolerate those who spread rumors and create trouble. I'm straightforward and accountable! If someone wants to slander me, they better measure their strength first and clean up their dirty thoughts. If I catch them again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Nancy's heart pounded under Rachel's stare. She bit her lip and averted her eyes, unable to meet her gaze.
Sarah, still crying, tried to explain, "Ms. Davis, I really didn't take that photo. I don't know."
But before she could finish, Carol walked over and nodded to Rachel. "Ms. Davis, we've reviewed the corridor surveillance from the display team. From 4:13 to 4:23, five employees passed by. The photo was taken in a blind spot."
"Additionally, the four office surveillance cameras didn't capture anyone approaching Sarah's workstation."
Nancy's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. This was solid evidence. She quietly breathed a sigh of relief, pretending to speak up for Sarah. "Rachel, don't be mad. Give Sarah another chance. She's still an intern, and our team is really short-staffed. We just lost Ashley, and if we lose another, we won't manage."
Rachel glanced at her and then smiled. "Alright, Nancy, since you're so generous, I won't hold it against her. If you're so busy, I'll send someone to help you."
"Nancy, as the leader of Curatorial Team A, has failed to manage her subordinates properly. During an important exhibition at Stargaze Gallery, her team caused repeated incidents. Effective immediately, she is relieved of her duties, and Emma from Team A will act as the team leader."
She then turned to Carol. "Issue the position adjustment notice today."
Carol snapped out of her shock. "Yes, I understand."
Nancy was stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked at Rachel. She had only intended to stir up trouble, never imagining it would backfire on her. For a moment, she thought she was hallucinating.
But Emma, who had inexplicably been promoted, stood there in disbelief too, though her eyes soon sparkled with joy. A promotion and a raise, all in one unexpected moment!
Rachel returned to her office, glanced at the time, and decided not to work late. She packed up her things, grabbed her coat and bag, and left the office.
As she reached the elevator, Nancy hurried over. "Rachel, you were joking earlier, right?"
Rachel cut her off. "Why would I joke with you?"
"But..."
"If I don't do this, and this behavior continues, what if tomorrow someone says you ruined my marriage with Steven and you're a homewreck? Should we believe it or not?"
Nancy was struck dumb, her eyes flickering as her throat tightened.
As Rachel stepped into the elevator, Nancy clenched her fists, stomped her foot in frustration, and headed to the restroom, dialing Steven's number.
At that moment, Steven was in his office, handling some work. He answered the call in a gentle voice. "What's up?"
"Honey, Rachel demoted me," Nancy said, her voice sweet and tearful.
Steven paused, stopping what he was doing. "What happened?"
Nancy sniffled. "A colleague in my team posted a photo of Rachel and Mr. Wright in the group chat. They looked pretty close, which caused some misunderstandings. Rachel got angry, and when I tried to calm things down, she said I wasn't managing my team well and had someone else take over my position."
Steven caught the key point. "Which Mr. Wright?"
"The one we met at the alumni event, Benjamin. He's quite famous in Dawnlight City." Nancy's tone was innocent. "I'll send you the photo."
She didn't hang up, sending the photo along with the chat screenshots to Steven.
"Take a look." She suddenly seemed to remember something. "Don't misunderstand, Rachel has already explained. Although I don't know why she knows Mr. Wright or why they met in a secluded place, I've known Rachel for years and can vouch for her character."
Steven enlarged the photo, scrutinizing their blurred expressions, his eyes darkening, lips pressed into a thin line.