Chapter 14 Fourteen


    When Ann was asked to see the vice president first thing in the morning, she never could have


    imagined it would be concerning Isabelle’s interview and subsequent rejection. After having the panel


    reject her the previous day, she had slept like a baby, happy that she had finally executed her revenge.


    Keeping Isabelle out of thepany almost made up for that time in college when she lost the


    schrship to her. And, not only had she managed to cost her a job at the prestigious Larson Group,


    but also tarnished her reputation at the same time. She had been certain that once the word spread in


    the industry, Isabelle would have a hard time finding a job elsewhere.


    So, she hadn’t foreseen what was currently happening–sitting opposite a righteous-looking Isabelle,


    under the strict scrutiny of the Larson Group’s vice president.


    Why was Jason paying so much attention to Isabelle’s case, anyway? The man rejected hundreds of


    applicants daily and forgot about it. If he was acting as he usually did, he wouldn’t be questioning the


    panel’s decision to reject Isabelle. Ann and her colleagues were entrusted with the duty of rejecting


    applicants or approving them, and nobody had ever questioned their process before. So, why was Mr


    Del Mundo suddenly interfering?


    “Ann?” the vice president urged when she remained silent for too long. “Is there a reason why you gave


    Ms Cruz the wrong examination paper?”


    “It was a mistake,” she said, hoping to not make an issue of that. If the vice president knew that she


    had deliberately given a more advanced paper to Isabelle in an attempt to make her fail, she could


    even lose her job. “I did not realise it until she was through.”


    Jason’s firm gaze on her didn’t relent. “Really? Because ording to the records, you personally took


    the examination from the office. You specifically asked for a senior designer examination, even though


    yesterday, we weren’t interviewing any senior designers.”


    She bit down on her bottom lip. He had checked that too? Did he know Isabelle personally or


    something? Bowing her head slightly, attempting to appear contrite, she said, “I must have not been


    paying attention. I apologise.”


    “My assistant seems to remember you clearly making a request for a single senior paper while you


    were collecting the other papers meant for the other junior applicants. Do you still want to im that it


    was a mistake?”


    Ann’s gaze shifted to the assistant who was standing a little behind the vice president, tablet in hand.


    She knew it would be useless to argue against her. She had been working for Mr Del Mundo for many


    years and was known to be very efficient. The vice president would never take Ann’s words over


    hers…


    Ann felt her insides squirm. She was smart enough to recognise that she had been backed into a


    corner. The vice president had already imed that he would contact the college about the usations


    that Isabelle stole a design. If he did, he would find out the truth. And, once he found out that she was


    lying, the rest of her lies would crumble…


    She wiped her suddenly sweaty palms on her pants. It was better toe clean right now, she


    decided. If she did, and apologised, she might still have a chance of keeping her job. But if she held


    onto her lies and the vice president’s office wasted their time and resources on the investigation only to


    discover her deception, she would have no chance of saving her job.


    “Sir, I…” she swallowed, cast a sidelong nce at Isabelle, then refocused on the vice president. “I’m


    sorry, it was intentional, and I lied about everything else too.”


    Jason straightened in his seat, his dark eyes digging into her. “Why did you do that?”


    “I did not want her to join thepany,” she admitted. “I hate her, and I didn’t want to work in the same


    ce as her. That’s why I made up the rumours.”


    “Let me get this clear, you are admitting that every usation you made about Ms Cruz’s character


    was fabricated.”


    She dropped her head in shame. “Yes.”


    “Do you know how serious this is? Do you have any idea how manypany guidelines you have


    vited?”


    She lifted her head and sped her hands in front of her, giving him a pleading nce. “I know, and I’m


    terribly sorry, sir. I… It was bad judgement on my part. I promise to not let my personal grudges affect


    my decision-making from now on. I truly regret my actions, sir.”


    “Do you?” he demanded. “Just a few minutes ago, you were sitting here, lying to my face even after


    giving you a chance toe clean. You must know that we do not condone this sort of unprofessional


    behaviour at the Larson Group.”


    “I know, I know sir. And I promise that I will never repeat it again.”


    “You do not need to worry about that. You are fired.”


    Ann’s eyes widened at Mr Del Mundo’s resolute words. Fired? He was firing her? Just like that? She


    shook her head. “No, please sir, don’t do this. This is my first vition, can’t you suspend me instead?


    You can even suspend my sry for a month, but please, don’t fire me.”


    “You went too far, Ms Ann. You fabricated rumours that can impact Ms Cruz’s entire career, and you


    abused your power as part of HR. We cannot keep you in thepany anymore.”


    “No, please no. I need this job, I worked so hard to get into the Larson Group.” Suddenly, she turned to


    Isabelle, who was sitting still in her seat, observing the spectacle. “Isabelle, I am so sorry. I apologise


    for making up lies about you and causing you unfair rejection. I swear I’ll never do it again. Please


    forgive me and don’t let them fire me.”


    Isabelle was, to say the least, shocked at the turn of events. She had never thought she’d see the day


    Ann pleaded with her for anything, least of all forgiveness. Then again, she also hadn’t thought she


    would admit her lies.


    “Please leave,” Jason addressed Ann. “My decision is final, and not even Ms Cruz’s kindness can save


    you.”


    Ann’s pleading eyes switched from her and back to the vice president. To everyone’s shock, she fell to


    her knees and clutched onto Mr Del Mundo’s leg. “Please sir, don’t do this.”


    Jason sighed as he looked down at her, then turned to address his assistant. “Call in the security


    guards to take her away.”


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    While Ann continued to beg the vice president, Isabelle stood by and watched. The woman’s lies had


    not only almost cost her a job she not only deserved but also needed, but also nearly ruined her


    reputation. Given how word spread quickly within the industry thanks to social media, there was a


    chance that she would have been rejected by others–if at all she was invited for interviews–based on


    the lies Ann had made up.


    Knowing that, and remembering all the hate the woman had directed at her during their college days,


    she didn’t feel even the least bit inclined to plead for her. Not only that, but knowing Ann’s personality,


    she also felt that she wasn’t being sincere with her apologies. If she was allowed to stay at her job, she


    would soon be cooking up new ways to have Isabelle fired. So no, she wasn’t going to contest the vice


    president’s decision in any way.


    A minuteter, a security guard appeared and pulled Ann from the vice president. She struggled at first,


    but the guard sessfully dragged her out of the room.


    When she was gone, Jason turned back to Isabelle. “I’m so sorry about all this, Ms Cruz. I want you to


    know that ourpany does not condone such practices by our employees and we aremitted to


    ensuring fair evaluation of all our applicants.”


    “Yes, I…uh, thank you,” she said, still dazed from everything that had transpired. If she didn’t know


    better, she would think she was dreaming. Or watching a TV drama. This day was going nothing like


    she had expected. “I’m so happy to hear that, Mr Del Mundo.”


    “We are truly sorry about all this,” one of the other interviewers told her as he stood from his seat. “We


    had no idea that she had fabricated everything she told us while we were evaluating your paper. We


    will be more diligent in the future.”


    One by one, the other interviewers stood up and apologised to her. Then they left, leaving Isabelle


    alone with Mr Del Mundo and his assistant.


    Isabelle felt gratitude brimming in her heart as she faced the man. “Thank you very much, sir. If it were


    not for you, I would not have been able to clear my name.”


    He shook his head and smiled warmly. “Don’t mention it, it’s my job to ensure something like this


    doesn’t happen. I sincerely apologise for any trouble this might have caused you. Since you passed the


    interview and meet all our qualifications, we would like to invite you to undergo the remaining rounds of


    interviewing. While you exceeded our expectations in the first round, you have toplete the other


    interviews before we can hire you officially.”


    “Of course, I understand,” she agreed, feeling like she had struck gold. “I would be happy to attend the


    other interviews.”


    “Linda will brief you ordingly,” he told her, indicating his assistant. “I must excuse myself now.”


    After the vice president left and Linda filled her in on the remaining interviews, Isabelle couldn’t help but


    wonder. Considering how Mr Del Mundo had handled her case, one would think she had a personal


    connection to him. But she had never met him before. Maybe he was just a really fair man who took his


    job seriously, she decided atst. Whatever the case, she was d to have him on her side.