Chapter 117: Action against Lorie

Words : 1092 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 117: Action against Lorie Anne felt Megan’s words slam into her like a bolt of lightning. Rage surged in her chest as she spun on her heels, her eyes blazing. "Why?" she demanded with disbelief. "The previous manager has already approved it. On what grounds are you canceling it now?" "Watch your tone," Megan snapped, her expression tight with anger. "I don’t need to explain myself to you. The project is still in its early phase. There is no guarantee it will be profitable. I’m not authorizing any extra expenses." Anne’s hands curled at her sides. "We are short on staff at the factory. The workers have been putting in overtime just to keep up with the demand. If we don’t pay them fairly, we’ll fall behind. We won’t meet the deadline, and the entire project could suffer." Megan didn’t flinch. "Figure it out some other way. The company isn’t going beyond its budget this quarter. End of discussion." Anne ground her teeth, seething. She wanted to argue further, but she knew trying to convince Megan would be useless. Megan wasn’t listening—she was making a statement. Holding her head high, Anne turned and strode out without saying another word. Once the door shut behind her, Megan’s cold expression twisted into a scowl. Her fists clenched on the table. "She is bolder than I expected," she muttered. "But she’ll regret defying me. I’ll make sure of it." While they had been arguing with each other, a sudden hush fell over the area near Lorie’s desk. A woman in a sleek black suit, her sharp features framed by black-rimmed glasses, strode in with quiet authority. Two security guards followed closely behind, flanking her like shadows. "Miss Lorie," she called, her voice cool and clipped. She stopped in front of the desk, her posture straight and unyielding. "I’m Kate, from the PR department." Caught off guard, Lorie rose to her feet, brushing down her skirt out of instinct. She assumed Kate had come to meet Augustine. "Sir hasn’t come in yet," she said quickly. "He has been at the Sphere Group’s branch office since this morning." "I’m not here for the CEO," Kate replied flatly. "I’m here for you." Lorie blinked, confused. A ripple of anxiety stirred in her chest. What could PR possibly want from her? Despite the nervousness, she forced a polite smile and asked, "How can I help you?" Kate didn’t bother with pleasantries. "Did you post the photo of Miss Anne Clair with an unidentified man on the company portal?" Lorie’s heart thudded. Her instincts screamed to deny. She shook her head quickly. "No, I didn’t. I just saw it this morning—" "Don’t lie." Kate’s voice cracked like a whip. "The IT department traced the upload. It came from your account. You are the one who posted the picture and fueled the rumors." "I-I..." Lorie stammered, her face draining of color. "This is a mistake. Someone is trying to set me up—I didn’t..." But her trembling hands and pale expression betrayed her words. Kate didn’t listen to her. She reached over the desk and snatched the laptop. "Hey, wait... You can’t just take my laptop," Lorie protested, trying to grab it back, but before she could get far, the two guards stepped in. They moved toward her, one on each side, pressing down on her shoulders and forcing her back into her chair. Lorie struggled against their grip, but it was no use. She was pinned in place, helpless to do anything but watch as Kate calmly began navigating through her laptop. Moments later, Kate turned the screen around, her eyes glittering with restrained fury. "Are you still going to deny it?" Kate’s voice was cutting. Lorie felt chills on her nape. She had been exposed, caught red-handed. "The company’s portal is not your personal gossip blog," Kate said through clenched teeth. "You’ve broken our code of conduct. There will be consequences. We are not just terminating your contract—we are ensuring you won’t find a place in any reputable company in this industry again. You are banned." Lorie’s eyes widened in horror, and her mind reeled at the weight of what she had just heard. "What?" she gasped. She had never imagined her petty attempt to tarnish Anne’s image would lead to this. "No, please," she begged, her voice cracking with desperation. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Kate with a mix of fear and regret. "Don’t fire me. Please, I didn’t think—it was stupid, I know—but please don’t ruin my future. I need this job. I’ll do anything to make it right. Just one chance. Please..." But Kate’s cold expression showed no sign of sympathy. "You should’ve thought about that before slandering someone," Kate hissed. "Do you even understand the damage you’ve done?" Her tone had shifted from cold to cutting. "You didn’t just target Miss Anne—you smeared the entire company. Do you realize how serious this is? Your post implied that our hiring practices are corrupt, that candidates sleep with higher-ups to secure positions. Do you know what that does to our reputation? You even dragged the CEO into your mess. The media could’ve had a field day with this." Lorie sat frozen in her chair, the weight of Kate’s words pressing down on her like a boulder. Until now, she hadn’t grasped the full extent of the consequences. She had only wanted to tear Anne down, make her squirm under the judgment of others. But in doing so, she had pulled Augustine into the mud, tarnished the company’s name, and set fire to her own future. "I’m really sorry," she whispered as tears slid down her cheeks. Her hands trembled on her lap. "I never meant for it to go this far. I didn’t think— I was blinded by resentment. I just wanted to hurt Anne. I didn’t mean to damage the company’s reputation or involve the CEO. Please, I’m begging you." Sobs overtook her, her shoulders shaking. "I’ll do anything. Just... please don’t fire me. Don’t ruin my career. I know I messed up, but please give me a chance to fix it..." The silence that followed was heavier than any words Kate could say. Kate watched Lorie coldly, her expression stony as she delivered the final blow. "I’m just carrying out orders. If you truly want forgiveness, you’ll apologize to Miss Anne in front of everyone and confess that your actions were driven by personal resentment. You spread the lies—you clear them. Maybe then will management consider showing you mercy."

Chapter 117: Action against Lorie

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