Chapter 3

The news of Chloe's termination spread through the company like wildfire.

But she didn't just pack up and leave quietly. She chose the most explosive route possible.

The next morning, she showed up in the lobby with her husband, Marcus.

Marcus was wearing a sharp, pressed city official uniform. The municipal badge on his chest gleamed under the lobby lights. He was a government employee.

He was indeed a good-looking man—around six feet tall, sharp features, with that dignified aura common among those in public administration.

No wonder Chloe treated him like some rare prize.

"Where is Audrey Miller? Tell her to get out here!" Chloe screamed at the receptionist, pointing her finger.

The young receptionist was terrified and immediately called security and our department.

Once I got the call, I went downstairs with my department manager.

A large crowd of co-workers had already gathered in the lobby, watching the drama unfold.

The moment Chloe saw me, she threw herself into Marcus's arms, wailing at the top of her lungs.

"Marcus, it's her!"

"She's the one who threatened me! She said if I didn't get you to sleep with her, she'd make me pack my bags!"

"And now she actually fired me! She's trying to ruin my life!"

Marcus held his wife tight, his face grim. He stared at me with an arrogant, disgusted look.

"Are you Audrey Miller?" he demanded, his voice filled with condescending authority.

"I don't care if you're a Director here. My wife is just a junior employee."

"You used your position to harass and pressure her, and now you've wrongfully terminated her. You owe us a major explanation!"

His voice was booming and righteous, as if he were the champion of justice.

The surrounding colleagues whispered among themselves, looking at me with pure disdain.

"So it's true. She actually fired the girl because she couldn't get the husband."

"That's so disgusting. And she's a leader in this company!"

"Poor guy. His wife got harassed by her boss."

Standing in the center of the crowd, I felt like a criminal on public display.

I took a deep breath, looking directly at Marcus.

"Mr. Jenkins, I think you have been grossly misled."

"Chloe's termination was a formal decision made by HR, not a personal one by me."

"Bullshit!" Chloe broke free from Marcus's grip, pointing directly at my face.

"It was you! You went and complained to the HR Director!"

"You're just jealous of my happy marriage! You're jealous that I have a husband who loves me!"

"You're just a bitter, lonely divorcee who can't stand seeing anyone else happy!"

Her words grew nastier, like poisoned daggers.

"Chloe!" I barked. "Watch your mouth!"

"Why? Did I say anything that isn't true?" Chloe was completely unhinged now.

"If you didn't do it, prove it! Do you dare to swear in front of my husband that you never had eyes for him?"

Everyone's eyes locked onto me.

This question was a complete trap.

If I swore, it meant I was validating her ridiculous accusation. If I didn't, they would take it as a sign of guilt.

I looked at the couple, who were putting on quite a coordinated performance, and suddenly laughed.

"Mr. Jenkins," I bypassed Chloe entirely, locking eyes with Marcus.

"Are you absolutely sure you want everyone here recording this and putting it on TikTok?"

"Do you want the whole city to see a promising public servant bringing his wife to her workplace to accuse her female boss of seducing him?"

"If this goes viral, do you think your superiors at City Hall will sympathize with you? Or will they think you're a liability who can't even handle his own domestic issues, making you completely unfit for promotion?"

Marcus's expression changed instantly.

He was a man who valued his public image and career above all else.

A scandal like this, once it reached his department, would be a fatal blow to his career.

He clearly hadn't expected me to turn the fire on him.

He glanced at the growing crowd, noticing several people already holding up their phones, recording.

"Are you threatening me?" He narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning dangerous.

"I'm simply stating a fact," I met his gaze without backing down.

"Your wife screaming here hurts my company's reputation."

"But if this gets out, whose face will be dragged through the mud, and whose career will be ruined? Mr. Jenkins, you know the answer better than I do."

Marcus's Adam's apple bobbed. His face turned incredibly dark.

Chloe, completely oblivious to her husband's hesitation, kept fueling the fire.

"Marcus, don't let her scare you! She's just guilty! We're going to ruin her reputation today!"

Marcus whipped his head around, snapping, "Shut up!"

Chloe froze, staring at him in disbelief.

Marcus grabbed her wrist, his grip so tight it looked like he was about to crush her bones.

"Haven't you embarrassed us enough? We're leaving!"

"I'm not leaving!" Chloe struggled. "We haven't settled this yet!"

"I said, we are leaving!" Marcus gritted out the words.

The glare he shot me was filled with warning and deep resentment.

He dragged the screaming Chloe out of the lobby, looking utterly humiliated under the whispers of the crowd.

The circus was finally over.

My department manager let out a long breath, patting my shoulder. "Audrey, I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

I shook my head. "It's fine."

But I knew this wasn't over.

A proud, face-saving man like Marcus, who had just been humiliated in public, wouldn't let this go.

Sure enough, that afternoon, I received a call from Arthur Vance.

Arthur was one of the founders of the company and my direct boss.

"Audrey, come up to my office," his tone was unreadable.

My heart sank. I knew trouble had arrived.

When I entered Arthur's office, he was sitting on the sofa, pouring tea.

"Have a seat," he gestured to the chair opposite him.

I sat down.

"I heard about what happened this morning," Arthur said slowly, pouring me a cup.

"The impact on the company is very bad."

"I'm sorry, Arthur. I brought trouble to the company," I said quietly.

"You didn't do anything wrong, I know that," Arthur looked at me with a complicated expression.

"I reviewed Chloe's file and spoke with HR."

"I know you've been helping her out."

My heart warmed slightly.

"But Audrey, here's the problem. Marcus went to a senior commissioner at City Hall and filed a formal complaint against us."

Arthur sighed.

"He claims our company has toxic management, that a director is abusing power to harass subordinates, and that we terminated his wife out of retaliation."

"The commissioner is furious. He's demanding we handle this severely and give them a satisfactory resolution."

My heart sank bit by bit.

"So, what is the company's decision?" I asked.

Arthur remained silent for a long time before finally speaking with difficulty.

"The board wants you... to take a temporary administrative leave. Just to let things blow over."

"Publicly, we will announce that you are under an internal investigation."

Administrative leave.

Investigation.

Those words felt like a heavy blow, suffocating me.

I had dedicated eight years of my life to this company. I started as a junior clerk and worked my way up to Director. I gave my best years to this place.

And now, over a completely baseless accusation, the company was ready to throw me under the bus.

My hands clenched into fists on my lap, my nails digging into my palms.

"Arthur," I looked up, my eyes slightly red.

"What if I refuse?"

"What if I say I did nothing wrong, and I won't accept any suspension or so-called investigation?"

Arthur looked at me, a mix of surprise, conflict, and a hint of respect in his eyes.

He remained silent for a moment, then said:

"Audrey, give me three days."

"If you can't prove your innocence within three days, even I won't be able to protect you."