Chapter 40
Marguerite didn’t let anyone down. From the moment she entered Pinecrest High, she held the number one rank in her year.
Only on rare occasions did she slip, losing by just a point or two.
But on the final exams, she became Northpine’s valedictorian in the sciences.
Everyone at the company had been ecstatic, bursting with pride. It felt like watching their own daughter come into her own.
But then, disaster struck. She died in a car crash-a sudden, shocking accident, just like her parents’ years ago.
With her gone, morale at the company crumbled. The new CEO couldn’t fend off Fitch’s schemes, and when Fitch took over, the company began its slow, painful decline toward bankruptcy. Most of the employees left.
Only these four veterans stayed, their loyalty to the company’s memory unwavering.
Fitch, holding a stake in the company, didn’t want it to fail completely, so he dumped the entire mess onto Theobald.
Theobald’s talent was undeniable. He resurrected the company from its deathbed, and Fitch ended up in prison.
For a few years, the four veterans were overjoyed, certain their persistence had paid off.
Lately, however, Theobald’s behavior had left them deeply disappointed. They were starting to lose hope. The Scott family was all but gone—Simon had vanished into the world of entertainment, and Aaron was missing.
They, too, were thinking of leaving.
But who could have imagined that after eleven years, Marguerite would return, demonstrating such incredible power at the corporate assembly?
In that moment, it felt like the sun had finally risen. They were filled with a renewed energy, ready to fight for the company for another hundred years.
Watching this reunion of old friends, even Theobald, who always wore a mask of indifference in public, felt his eyes grow moist.
Hannah and her assistant, however, were utterly bewildered. They just stared at each other, having no idea what was going on.
Besides, wasn’t her own issue still unresolved?
For the first time in her life, Hannah, who was always the center of attention, felt like
an invisible outcast. No one seemed to care whether she lived or died.
But she was wrong. Marguerite cared.
After a brief chat with the four veterans, her cool gaze landed on Hannah.
“A moment ago, you were accusing us of victim-blaming, weren’t you p>
Hannah, who already felt intimidated when facing Marguerite alone, now felt her confidence evaporate completely. Still, as a celebrity accustomed to the spotlight, she forced herself to remain calm.
“Am I wrong? You’re the one who hit me, aren’t you p>
She knew perfectly well that Theobald’s office didn’t have security cameras. Otherwise, she never would have said those things. Without proof, they would all just look like they were ganging up on her, unfairly siding with Marguerite.
Marguerite raised an eyebrow and took out her phone, playing a recording she’d started the moment Hannah walked in.
It began with Hannah’s voice: “What gives you the right to stop Theo from seeing me? You’re a homewrecker, you know that p>
Then: “Don’t blame me for what happens next p>
And: “Even if you’ve already climbed into his bed p>
The recording ended with the sharp, resonant sound of a slap.
Marguerite had originally intended to play it for Theobald, to snap him out of his lovesick haze, but now she had no choice but to expose it publicly.
After listening, the four veterans turned to Hannah, their faces contorted with rage.
Grace clutched her chest. “Listen to yourself! You call yourself innocent? You march in here, hurling baseless insults, then threats, and finally, crude lurs Maggie has the patience of a saint. If it were me, I would have slapped you long ago p>
Sean rolled up his sleeves. “If I didn’t have a rule about not hitting women, I’d be tempted to knock some sense into you myself p>
Boris narrowed his eyes. “Maggie said you have a thing for Joshua, and you didn’t deny it. So if you’re into Joshua, why are you stringing Theobald along p>
Edith nodded in agreement. “Exactly! Every time you have a problem, Theobald drops everything at the company just to appease you. You’ve nearly cost a lot of people their jobs p>
A surge of fury rushed through Theobald. How could Hannah’s mind be so foul? And
if she really was interested in Joshua, what had all their time together meant?
His eyes darkened. He took a deep breath, his left thumb running over the prayer beads on his right wrist, forcing himself to stay calm.
Hannah’s face was as white as a sheet, her eyes filled with panic. She stammered, “No, no, it’s not like that! It’s not p>
Marguerite’s expression was unreadable as she stared at Hannah. “What do you think would happen if I posted this recording online p>
The question hit Hannah like a thunderbolt.
She shook her head, her shoulders trembling with fear. “Don’t. Please, don’t post it. I’m begging you p>
If that recording went public, her career would be destroyed. The revelation that she’d tried to weaponize her fanbase to threaten
someone would cause a massive
backlash. She’d be finished.
In a desperate panic, she lunged forward to grab Marguerite’s phone.
Anna stepped in front of Marguerite, her voice cold as ice. “Keep your hands to yourself p>
Marguerite, clutching her phone, peeked out from behind Anna. “I’ll give you one chance to come clean. Tell us right now: what was your real reason for getting close to Theobald p>
Seeing a sliver of hope, Hannah
blurted out the truth. “Joshua and I
had a fight and he wasn’t coming around to make up. I thought if stirred up some rumors with Theobald, it would make him jealous p>
Marguerite looked at Theobald. “Did you hear that p>
Publicly humiliated, Theobald was a roiling mix of anger and embarrassment. He finally lifted his head, his last illusion shattered. “Yes.” The most update n0vels are published on.net