Helen’s POV
The executives of Zhester Technology were already seated in the meeting room. Jane was also there.
Just then, Anya walked in with the other M&A lawyers.
Apparently. George was set to make a big announcement Would our entire team get dismissed because
of my mistake? I was deeply saddened by this turn of events, I did not wish to incriminate my colleagues.
If George insisted that we should accept accountability, I was ready to take full blame for the blunder
squarely on my shoulders and withdraw from the case. I sat next to Phil.
Under the table, I was clenching my fists nervously. I was ready for Anya to unleash her tirade on me.
Instead, she consoled me. She told me calmly, “It’s not a big deal. Don’t hit yourself over the head about
it.”
“Miss Pierce, does that mean that you believe me?” I asked her in pleasant surprise.
“You are part of my team, Helen And I personally trained you. Would I let you stay on in the team if I did
not trust you?” Anya stated firmly, indicating her attitude.
I knew she trusted and believed in me. My heavy heart was suddenly relieved and filled with gratitude. I
unclenched my fists. George walked in and threw the document on the table.
“Who can offer an explanation to me?” he asked icily. Usually, nobody would kick up such a fuss for
mislaying one document of the client company. I was sure George was making a mountain out of a
molehill to get me to apologize in front of everyone. I felt inconsolably sad and a sharp pain struck across
my heart. I remembered Jane said George always separated business interests from personal affairs
Then why did he have to humiliate me publicly today? I silently stood up, ready to take responsibility.
After all, it was true that I had lost that very document, and it was also true that George wanted to teach
me a lesson. However, as soon as I stood up.
Anya grabbed me by the skirt and pulled me back to the seat before I could utter a word.
“Mr. Affleck, I’m so sorry. We will be more standardized in the future,” she said.
What I really admired about my boss was that although she was very strict, she always protected her
subordinates in a crisis. She was a compassionate person under all that sternness. I was so touched that
tears welled up in my eyes. “More standardized in the future?” George questioned firmly, casting a cold
glance at Anya and me.
“So in your opinion, throwing the document in a trash can is because you are not standardized enough?
How does that even make any logical sense?”
“Throwing the document in a trash can?”
Both Anya and Phil almost fell off their seats with shock. They stared askance at each other but no
words came out of their open mouths. It was clear that George did not tell them that he had found the
document in the trash can. Anya glared at me, and then her eyes fell on Mattie.
By her own quick mental deductions, she became suspicious of Mattie. But Mattie guiltily bowed her
head, deliberately avoiding her gaze.
“You haven’t answered my question. Who can offer me a plausible explanation on what happened
here?” George repeated impatiently. Before Anya and I could say anything, Mattie suddenly stood up.
“I can explain. I went with Helen to get all the documents yesterday,” she said.
“After Helen checked them, I am sure that I put them into the box. I think she can explain to you how this
specific document ended up in the trash can.”
“What are you insinuating?” I asked harshly, looking at her with cold eyes. How could Mattie stoop so
low? She was slandering me in front of the clients and our colleagues.
Right then and there, she was causing infighting and bringing absolute shame to our law firm before all
executives of Zhester Technology. It was hard to imagine that such a well-educated woman could be so
disloyal and insidious Anya wanted to bury her head in the sand like an ostrich. But she just braced her
forehead with one hand and forced an embarrassed smile.
Phil flared his nostrils at Mattie, disappointed in what she had done.
“So are you saying that it was Helen who deliberately threw the document in the trash can?” George
interrogated further.
“Yes! I have no doubt. Because I put the document in the box she was holding and she was standing
beside the trash can outside the office building of Smart Technology Company while we were waiting for
a taxi. I’m sure that was when she threw it away!” Mattie assured George with unflinching confidence.
She raised her chin condescendingly and looked at me defiantly.
“Oh! Is that so? How did you know that I found the document in the trash can outside the office building
of Smart Technology Company and not here in the trash can of Zhester Technology?” George asked,
poker-faced. His elenchus turned all eyes on Mattie. Everyone was under the impression that George
had found the document at Zhester Technology, not at Smart Technology Company. It was self-evident
that Mattie was the criminal. Besides George and me, no one else knew where the document had been
found.
“This is just my speculation!” Mattie explained hastily after she realized she had been caught out in her
own lies.
“Helen and I had been together all day. She only got an opportunity to throw away the document when
we were waiting for the taxi outside the office building of Smart Technology Company. I was wondering
why she stood so close to the trash can.” Mattie’s explanation was powerless. I needed the document to
work with. What motivation would I have to throw it away? Her game was up. Phil narrowed his eyes and
looked at her with disgust. So did all the other colleagues. Not a single soul seemed to be on her side.
“I don’t trust speculation. Like you lawyers, I only believe in evidence and facts. So let’s look at some
scientific proof. I’ve asked the security department of Smart Technology Company to bring me the
surveillance footage outside the office building of yesterday. Miss Pierce, would you like to watch the
footage with me?” George asked, still maintaining his emotionless tone of earlier. He played the video on
the big white screen for all in the meeting room to see
The surveillance video was very clear and the camera angle focused on Mattie and me Lo and behold!
The video distinctly showed Mattie standing beside the trash can.
When I was looking away. she threw the document into the trash can without hesitation. Thereafter, she
got into the taxi with me as if nothing had happened. George replayed the scene where Mattie threw the
document into the trash can once again in slow motion so that no one had any doubts about who the
perpetrator was
When the video ended, the meeting room was as silent as a morgue. No one dared to say a word. All
eyes fell on Mattie, who sat there with her tail between her legs.
“Miss Pierce, I give you the ugly task of dealing with this matter in the most effective way known to you. I
don’t mind if I have an unskilled cooperative lawyer working here, but I will not tolerate any flaws in the
moral fiber of any person. It is shameful and unforgivable to harm the interests of the client company and
to slander one’s colleague for personal gain.”
George stipulated, without looking at Mattie. George deliberately played the surveillance footage before
the executives of Zhester Technology and the colleagues of our law firm. He had stripped Mattie of all
dignity. If George had not exposed her in this way, then Anya probably would have secretly managed the
matter by condoning Mattie’s behavior and making excuses for her. In that way, she would still have
Mattie’s father in her good books. But now there was no room for compromise. . Anya was stuck with
Hobson’s choice.
“I agree with you, Mr. Affleck. Mattie should be sternly punished,” Anya said sincerely. giving Mattie a
cold stare.
“Don’t let me see her face again.” George finished his words and walked out of the meeting room
Only now did I finally realize that George had been helping me all along. I was so wrong about him. What
a man!
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