Chapter 40 Clearing My Name (Part One)
Linda, having primped her hair and clothes, strutted confidently into Noah's office.
Lauren went back to her desk feeling somewhat defeated. She had to admit that because of Linda, she was considering leaving the Robinson Conglomerate and returning to PatrickHenryp.
Linda was an employee of Robinson Conglomerate. Every company seeks to protect its reputation and would naturally favor its own staff over an ‘"outsider’" like her. It wasn't that Lauren lacked a positive attitude; she just wasn't sure she could clear her name of the false accusations.
Therefore, regardless of whether Robinson Conglomerate believed she was the author of the proposal, she intended to wrap up her current collaborations so that if she left, she'd leave with her head held high.
While Lauren was immersed in her work, a message popped up on her computer screen.
"After an investigation, Linda is suspected of plagiarizing someone else's work. The leadership has decided that, effective immediately, Linda is no longer an employee of Robinson Conglomerate. Please prepare her departure documentation. Thank you!"
Was Linda fired?
That thought sprang into Lauren's mind. She stared incredulously at her computer screen, half-expecting her eyes to be deceiving her. But after checking several times, the message was clear; it came straight from the central computer, and the office was abuzz with the news.
"Linda got the ax!" someone shouted.
"What happened? How could she be fired all of a sudden? I saw her joking around with the Department Head earlier today..."
There was a buzz of speculation when a few heads from the Sales Department strode towardstoward Noah's office.
"What in the world's going on? There's gotta be something fishy, but it's not our place as the little guys to snoop around. Better to just keep our heads down and work," someone said with a hint of sarcasm.
Lauren, too, was puzzled. Could it be that Linda was fired because of her? If that was the case, she'd feel a twinge of guilt. Even though it was plagiarism, Linda's efforts were part of it. Losing her job over this seemed like a hefty psoup price to pay.
But,But whatever it was, it was the company's call. All she needed to do was to focus on her own tasks.
Lauren let out a long sigh and got back to work.
Quite a while later, the intercom phone rang, and Lauren picked it up.
"Hello?"
"It's Noah. Amelia, come to my office," Noah said, his tone neutral. He hung up without explaining why he wanted to see her.
Lauren, without overthinking it, went straight to Noah's office, only to find a scene. Linda was crying, the excited Department Head was there, Noah looked on as if watching a drama unfold, and Quentin wore his poker face. As she walked in, all eyes turned to her in unison.
Before Lauren could speak, the Department Head spoke up first,: "Amelia, you're claiming you wrote this proposal? Can you prove it?"
The Department Head's questioning confirmed Lauren's suspicions, though she hadn't expected the issue to escalate to the point where even Quentin was involved.
Lauren just frowned, about to speak, when Linda interrupted her.
"Amelia, I've always treated you like a good friend. I can't believe you'd smear my name, claim my work as your own, and ruin my reputation... I'm just so heartbroken," Linda sobbed, appearing the perfect victim.
Lauren had reached clarity. If she were to dwell on this with Linda, her own spirit would be diminished. Linda wasn't worth the heartache and pain. The guilt Lauren had felt towardstoward Linda shattered in an instant.
"All I've stated are facts," Lauren said curtly.
"Then where's your proof? You dare to claim it’s your own work without showing anything; don't you find that a bit ridiculous?" Linda growled fiercely.
Lauren sneered, ignoring Linda, finding solace in the fact that Linda's termination was the best support for her case.
The Theodore, couldn't stand it anymore; he felt that Lauren was completely disregarding everyone, and he suspected Lauren of using tricks to deceive Noah.
"Quentin, Mr. Martin, since things are still unclear, isn’’t it a bit hasty to blindly fire Linda?"
Noah slightly lifted his head to look at Quentin, who sat silent at his side. He was waiting for Quentin to speak up. He felt that this was the perfect opportunity for Quentin, a chance to win Lauren's genuine affection. So, he decided to stay out of it; he was content to just watch the drama unfold.
At this moment, Quentin didn’’t want to disclose his connection to the matter or reveal Lauren’s identity so soon, so he chose to remain silent.
Feeling snubbed, the Department Head turned to Lauren and said, "Amelia, as an employee of our partner company, we've been fully cooperative and earnest in supporting your work, yet now you've caused such a situation, forcing me to question your true intentions here."
"So, Theodore, you're taking Linda's side now? She claims the proposal is hers, but what proof does she have? Just because I'm not an employee of your company, does that invalidate all I say? How is that fair to me?" Lauren’s voice was hoarse with defiance.
Quentin, listening to Lauren’s strained voice, was reminded of how she had looked, shouting herself hoarse on the rooftop, and he didn't want to see her that distressed again.
"Firing Linda was my decision, any objections?"
The cold voice pierced the ears of everyone present, its undeniable authority forcing all to sit up straight.
Naturally, the words came from the authoritative CEO Quentin, who was not interested in wasting more time on this fruitless argument. He was clear on what the truth was; he simply deemed it beneath him to announce it.
"Quentin, we just want to get to the bottom of this, to ensure that the innocent party isn’’t wrongly accused," Theodore tried to persuade him with a calm tone.
Quentin's displeasure was evident on his face, while everyone else admired Head of Department Theodore’s courage. The rest remained silent and sat in their chairs, waiting to see how things would unfold.
Lauren did not want Quentin to use his position to force others to agree with him, nor was she the type of person who would stir up trouble without holding her ground, so she resolutely stepped forward.
"Alright, Linda, since you claim this proposal is your work, how about we both discuss its main concept and how it was planned out?. Then, we can let each Department Head and Mr. Martin pick a few questions at random from the proposal, and we each will answer again, to let them judge whose work the proposal truly is. Sounds fair?"
Linda appeared intimidated by Lauren's confident demeanor. She had a fair understanding of the proposal, having skimmed through it twice, but the intricate details eluded her memory. She was certain she wouldn't be able to respond if prompted.
