Chapter 39 The Truth Exposed
Unable to hold back any longer, Quentin strode toward Lauren.
Just then, Lauren's phone rang. Quentin paused, deciding to watch the situation unfold.
Lauren wiped her tears and cleared her throat before answering the call calmly.
"Hello, Mr. Martin."
Noah had seen Linda return without Lauren and was unable to reach Quentin, so he resorted to calling the concerned party directly.
"Amelia, where are you? Are you alright?" Noah's voice was filled with anxious care.
Lauren laughed sadly, "I'm fine, thank you, Mr. Martin. I'm just up on the rooftop getting some air. I'll be back soon, and actually, I have something I want to discuss with you."
Noah opened his mouth as if to say something but then decided against it. After a few seconds of silence, he reverted to his usual assertive tone.
"Alright, we can talk when you get back."
Lauren hung up the phone and slowly stood up from the ground. Perhaps she had been crouching for too long, as a wave of dizziness hit her the moment she rose. Instinctively, her hand grasped the railing for support, appearing quite the mess.
In the background, Quentin clenched his fists, watching the defiant and resilient Lauren. A hint of pity broke through his indifferent facade. He thought for a moment and decided to leave the rooftop before Lauren could turn around.
Quentin made his way down the stairs quickly and quietly, ultimately managing to avoid Lauren. The two did not cross paths.
Lauren felt a gaze on her from behind and turned her head, but saw no one. She couldn't help a bitter smile. At this point, what was she still hoping for?
Determined, Lauren decided to seek out Noah. She was ready to reveal the truth, whether he believed her or not, as long as her conscience was clear.
Meanwhile, Quentin pulled out his phone and called Noah straightforwardly, "Fire that Linda from your office."
Noah was thunderstruck by Quentin's command. What prompted this sudden decision?
"Quentin, you might not know, but I didn't get the chance to tell you—Linda just submitted a proposal today that was approved by me and all the Department Heads. She's a promising talent, you can't fire her just because of your personal preferences," Noah argued, trying to retain this ‘"valuable employee.’"
"What if I say she committed plagiarism? That proposal she submitted was stolen from Lauren," Quentin said coldly.
"What? Seriously? How do you know?" Noah found it hard to believe, but coming from Quentin, he couldn't dismiss it.
Recalling Lauren’s unusual behavior and knowing Linda's capabilities over the years, Noah had been incredibly surprised and pleased with the feasible sales proposal she put forward. His level of surprise was matched only by his delight.
After thinking it through, Noah decisively sided with Quentin. They couldn't keep someone in the company who would plagiarize someone else's work.
"I'll fill you in on the details later; Lauren is coming to see you. Don't go into specifics with her, and definitely don't mention my decision," Quentin instructed before abruptly hanging up the call.
Noah stared at the disconnected phone, shaking his head in resignation. Quentin, buddy, you must have feelings for Lauren, even if you won't admit it!
True to her word, a few minutes later Lauren showed up at Noah's office. Noah pretended he was in the dark about the whole plagiarism incident concerning Linda. He wanted to see what Lauren was up to by coming to him – and it was a good chance to put her to the test.
"Mr. Martin, I apologize for bothering you again. What I'm about to tell you is nothing but the truth, and I hope you'll listen to everything I have to say."
Lauren's face was athe picture of seriousness, and even though she was nervous, deep down, she refused to take the rap for something she didn't do. She had to speak up.
Noah dropped any pretense of flippancy and nodded, "Alright, go ahead. I'm all ears."
Lauren was visibly agitated, "The proposal that Linda showed you... I was the main brain behind it. Yes, she was involved, but it wasn't unrelated to me like she claimed!"
Since Noah had already been filled in by Quentin, he wasn't as shocked as he would have been otherwise.
Lauren anxiously gauged Noah's reaction, but all she saw was a serious demeanor and nothing more. Disappointed, she asked with a bitter tone, "Mr. Martin, do you not believe me?"
She realized how it looked – no solid proof and seemingly squabbling with Linda over credit.
Inside, Lauren felt wronged, but she was aware of her place at the moment. She held back her tears and hung her head, letting them stream down her face unseen.
The betrayal stung and not being believed only added insult to injury.
Noah was tempted to reveal the truth but decided it was better to leave that to Quentin. So, he bit back his words.
"Amelia, let's not jump to conclusions. Give me some time to look into this properly before making any judgment, okay?" Noah offered this as a stalling tactic.
Lauren nodded, taking some consolation in the fact that Noah was at least responding to her words.
"Why don't you head back now, and I'll get in touch once I've got a handle on things," Noah suggested, his voice light.
"Alright, thank you, Mr. Martin."
Lauren walked out of Noah's office feeling bereft, only to run into Linda passing by. Witnessing Lauren's state, Linda couldn't help but give a sneering laugh.
"Some people just don't know their limits, huh? They're not happy until their reputation is in tatters. Well, it figures for some – an outsider’s mistake is just cause to cut and run."
"Linda, I actually feel sorry for you," Lauren faced her squarely, her words laced with mirth. "It's quite sad, really."
"What do you mean by that?" Linda, provoked by Lauren's words, grabbed Lauren's arm, eager to continue their argument.
It must have been the noise outside that disturbed Noah. The door to his office opened, and Noah greeted them with a rare stern expression: "Linda, come in for a moment."
Linda immediately released Lauren's hand and put on a gentle facade, lifting a professional fake smile, "Of course, Mr. Martin."
Lauren watched the swift change in Linda's expression and felt oddly cheered. Lucky for her, she'd seen Linda's true colors. Being friends with someone so two-faced could only have unpredictable consequences.
Before turning to leave, Linda glared fiercely at Lauren, "Just wait, our war has barely begun. I won't make this easy for you."
Lauren just shrugged. She was new here, an ‘"outsider’" with nothing to fear. Worst case scenario, as Linda said, if she messed up, she could always leave. What's the big deal?
But if it really came to that point of retreat, someone would probably laugh at her...
