Chapter 108
Lucille took a sharp turn in her tone.
“If not for you both, he would’ve reached the national top tier long ago!
It’s you dim–witted dead weights that dragged him down!”
“You…” Harlan and David’s faces twisted with rage.
Whoever Jumps Out Is Trash
“Cedrick!
Come out and explain your viper!”
Harlan shouted furiously.
Cedrick touched the stinging scratch on his cheek, frowning as he stepped forward. “Stop changing the subject, Lucille. What do you want?
Just say it.”
“Yeah, Lucille…” Maricela sidled closer. “Lucille, David already said this footage isn’t court evidence. Why escalate and hurt the company?
Why not tell us what you want?”
Lucille laughed. “Whether it’s evidence isn’t up to you. What matters is that everything in this footage is true–facts shape people’s judgment!
Even if the court rejects it, won’t the public believe it?
I’ll just post it online and let the court of public opinion decide!
Let everyone see how Cedrick and his crew framed his wife to protect his mistress!
Then we’ll see whether this counts as evidence!”
“You’re insane!”
11:35
Chapter 108
288 Vouchers
Harlan’s eyes blazed. “What do you gain from ruining Cedrick’s reputation, destroying the company, and making Maricela despised?”
“Me?”
Lucille smirked. “I gain satisfaction!
I want the trash publicly condemned!”
She raised one finger. “I didn’t name anyone!
Whoever jumps out is guilty!
Or maybe–all of you are trash!”
Maricela, Harlan, and David swallowed their insults, faces flushing with stifled rage.
“Fk this!”
Harlan rolled up his sleeves, cursing and ready to strike.
Lucille stood rigid, jaw clenched. Was he out of his mind–trying to hit someone at a police station?
Cedrick stopped him.
Officers barked warnings.
But as Cedrick restrained Harlan, the others erupted.
David hurled vile insults at Lucille while the receptionist and Lucy wailed, and the electrician pounded tables claiming innocence.
Chaos engulfed the station.
By now, as Lucille had said, regardless of the footage’s origin, the facts were clear–she was the victim.
Details needed investigation, but the outcome was undeniable.
Cedrick surveyed the bedlam, the noise near deafening. He inhaled sharply and roared, “Shut up!
All of you–shut up!”
11:35
Chapter 108
288 (Vouchers
A brief silence fell before weeping, shouting, and cursing resumed.
Even with officers restoring order, the uproar continued.
“Enough!”
Cedrick thundered. “Stop now!
Unless you want charges–shut your mouths!”
Only then did silence descend.
Cedrick strode past everyone–past Lucille–to the officers. “I’ll take full responsibility. As head of the company, any fallout is my leadership failure. The others bear little or no blame.”
Since Lucille had filed the report–and given the actual fire where she nearly got burned- how Cedrick shouldered blame depended entirely on her next move.
Would Lucille drop the charges?
The problem once again confronted Lucille.
At the local police station, Cedrick took full responsibility. “She didn’t want to, so I didn’t force her. Handle this as you see fit. They’re all my subordinates acting on my orders. I’ll take full responsibility.”
“No-” Maricela burst into tears first, rushing toward Cedrick. “Cedrick, it wasn’t you! How could it be? It’s all my fault…”
Tearfully, she turned to the officers. “Officers, it’s not Cedrick’s fault! He knew nothing! It was me! The recording was all my doing! I couldn’t stand how this woman treated Cedrick badly, how she treated all of us badly! So I played a prank to humiliate her. When she came to the company, I told reception to block her from going upstairs. When she threatened to call the police, I sent Lucy down to bring her up. Then I had Lucy lock her in the conference room and serve her lemonade spiked with mango juice to make her embarrass herself…”