Chapter 2
The woman on the security footage was crying.
She was standing beside the same reception desk where Victoria had humiliated me.
Her uniform was wrinkled.
Her hands were trembling.
And Victoria was screaming directly into her face.
"Get out of my building!"
I leaned closer to Daniel's tablet.
The timestamp showed a Tuesday morning, four weeks earlier.
The woman looked about fifty.
She wore a navy cleaning uniform and held a small plastic lunch container.
Richard stood beside Victoria.
He was smiling.
Then Victoria knocked the container from the woman's hands.
Food scattered across the marble floor.
My stomach tightened.
"What am I watching?"
Daniel's voice was low.
"Her name is Evelyn Carter. She worked here for three years."
"Worked?"
Margaret looked away.
"She was dismissed last month."
I watched the footage continue.
Evelyn bent down to collect her lunch.
Victoria stepped in front of her.
Then Richard pointed toward the exit.
The camera had no audio.
But the woman's expression told me enough.
She was begging.
I felt something cold settle inside my chest.
"Why was she dismissed?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Officially, for stealing company property."
I turned sharply.
"What?"
He showed me a disciplinary report.
Evelyn had allegedly stolen an expensive company laptop.
The report carried Victoria's signature.
Richard had authorized the termination.
And the security evidence supposedly supporting the accusation had disappeared.
Until now.
"Where was this footage?"
"Recovered from an archived server during last night's security audit."
I looked across the lobby.
Victoria was standing between two security officers.
Her face was white.
Richard was whispering urgently into his phone.
I walked toward them.
"Nobody leaves yet."
Richard stiffened.
"You can't detain us."
"I'm not detaining anyone," I replied. "You are free to leave. But your company access is revoked, and I expect every company device to be returned."
Victoria clutched her handbag.
"I want my lawyer."
"You're welcome to call one."
I looked at Richard.
"Who accused Evelyn Carter of theft?"
He blinked.
"Who?"
"The cleaning employee you fired last month."
Recognition flickered across his face.
Then he shrugged.
"That was a routine personnel matter."
"Routine?"
I held up Daniel's tablet.
"Does this look routine to you?"
Victoria stared at the screen.
Her lips parted.
"That footage was supposed to be deleted."
Silence.
Richard turned toward her.
"Victoria!"
She covered her mouth.
But it was too late.
I stepped closer.
"Why was it supposed to be deleted?"
"I didn't mean—"
"Answer me."
Her eyes darted toward the security officers.
Richard interrupted.
"This conversation is over."
I ignored him.
"Daniel, preserve every security recording, personnel file, access log, and email connected to Evelyn Carter."
He nodded.
"Already started."
Then I faced Margaret.
"Find her."
Margaret touched my arm.
"Nia, there's something else."
I waited.
She looked genuinely distressed.
"Evelyn wasn't only accused of theft."
"What else?"
"Richard's department also reported her to the police."
For a moment, the noise of the lobby faded.
"Was she arrested?"
"She was questioned. The investigation was eventually closed without charges."
I stared at Richard.
He refused to meet my eyes.
"Did you know the accusation was false?"
He said nothing.
"Richard."
He finally looked at me.
"You don't understand how difficult it is to manage a company this size."
I felt my anger rise.
"Then explain it."
He straightened his tie.
"Sometimes difficult decisions must be made to protect the business."
"By destroying an innocent person's reputation?"
He glanced around.
"We don't know she was innocent."
Daniel spoke from behind me.
"Actually, we may."
We all turned.
He showed me another video.
The footage came from an executive conference room.
A man entered carrying a silver laptop.
I recognized him immediately.
Richard.
He placed the laptop inside a cabinet.
Then he left.
Two minutes later, Victoria entered.
She removed the laptop and carried it toward a storage room.
The timestamp was from the evening before Evelyn's alleged theft.
I looked at Daniel.
"Was that the missing laptop?"
"We believe so. The asset tag appears to match."
Victoria began shaking her head.
"No. No, that's not what happened."
Richard suddenly stepped toward Daniel.
"Turn that off!"
A security officer moved between them.
"Sir, please step back."
Richard stopped.
His expression had changed from arrogance to panic.
I had seen enough.
"Daniel, contact an independent investigator and preserve the originals. If there's evidence of a crime, make sure the appropriate authorities receive it."
Richard laughed bitterly.
"You think you can destroy my career because of some cleaner?"
I looked directly at him.
"No. If your career is destroyed, it'll be because of what you did."
Security escorted them toward a side exit.
Victoria cried quietly.
Richard continued threatening lawsuits.
But I barely heard them.
All I could think about was the woman in the video.
Evelyn Carter.
A woman who had gone to work one morning and left with her reputation destroyed.
And nobody in my company had stopped it.
I turned to Margaret.
"How many complaints have been filed against these two?"
She looked uncomfortable.
"We're still reviewing the records."
"How many?"
Daniel answered.
"Twenty-three that we know of."
My breath caught.
"Twenty-three?"
"Over eighteen months."
I stared at both of them.
"Why wasn't I informed?"
Margaret swallowed.
"Several reports never reached the board. They were closed within Richard's department."
I closed my eyes briefly.
For months, I had congratulated myself on building a company that treated people fairly.
I had praised our leadership team.
Approved bonuses.
Signed expansion plans.
Meanwhile, people were being humiliated inside the building carrying my name.
I looked toward the reception desk.
The young receptionist was still standing there.
Her badge identified her as Maya Johnson.
When I approached, she flinched.
That small movement hurt more than Richard's insults.
"Maya," I said gently, "I'm not here to punish you."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I know, ma'am."
"Then tell me why you're afraid."
She looked toward the exit.
"Because Evelyn tried to tell you."
My heart thudded.
"What?"
Maya's voice broke.
"She wrote you a letter."
I stepped closer.
"What letter?"
Maya wiped her cheeks.
"Victoria found it before it was delivered."
I felt my hands turn cold.
"What did the letter say?"
Maya looked at Daniel.
Then at me.
"That somebody was stealing millions from your company."
May you like
She swallowed hard.
"And Evelyn knew exactly who it was."
