Chapter 403


    It was not until lunchtime that J realized that something odd was afoot at the office. She had


    overheard a few of the senior designers talking about her in hushed tones at the canteen.


    She couldn’t, however, clearly make out what they seemed to be gossiping about.


    Just then, Gerda suddenly flung open the ss doors and burst into the design department. She


    rushed to J, struggling to catch her breath all the while. She ced her hands on J’s table for


    support and said in less than a whisper, “I heard that you was rude to Ronald Williams when you had


    dinner with himst night? And you even went on to physically strike him? It turns out that you are


    extremely hot-tempered, like a raging bull. I didn’t expect that from you in the least bit!”


    J was more confused than ever when she heard this. “What on earth are you talking about? How


    could I ever hit someone?”


    Gerda smacked her lips and pulled J up to her feet. “Forget it. I don’t think I can exin properly


    for you to understand the gravity of the situation. Come with me and see what’s going on with your own


    eyes!”


    After saying that, she pulled J towards the stairway in the office. Then she whispered in J’s


    ear, “I overheard them talking about you just moments ago.”


    J carefully peered down the stairwell only to be met by the sight of several senior designers, the


    very same ones who she’d seen at the canteen.


    They wereining in a wholly unimpressed tone and clearly apportioning full me.


    “Oh, my God! How can she ever be so selfish? Now she offended the client and the result is that the


    project was canceled. Everyone’s bonus is in jeopardy and it is all her doing!”


    “She probably did that because the man is not handsome or rich enough for her, so she doesn’t want to


    sleep with him. After all, she is the kind of woman who sleeps with others for benefits she can get from


    them.” It was not until lunchtime that J realized that something odd was afoot at the office. She had


    overheard a few of the senior designers talking about her in hushed tones at the canteen.


    J was utterly dumbstruck for a moment. “Wasn’t Patty the one who offended Ronald? Why are they


    saying it was me?”


    Gerda seemed to have discovered a big secret. Her jaw dropped to the floor with surprise at this new


    information. “What did you just say? So it wasn’t you that insulted the client, but Patty?”


    J managed to keep her wits about her. She patted Gerda on the shoulder and said, “Thank you for


    this. I don’t know what happened that it hase to this confusion. I have to talk to Tiffany about this


    immediately.”


    *******


    Tiffany was upied in her office. When she saw Je in, she sighed heavily and said


    earnestly, “Patty has told me everything. She said that you were harassed by Ronald and you hit him in


    response. It’s not all your fault, so she didn’t put the me squarely on you. She thought that you might


    feel embarrassed to talk about it, so she told me in private, first thing this morning.”


    After a pause, Tiffany continued, “Lind, I know you just graduated and youck social experience, but


    regardless of everything, Ronald is still a major client of ours. Even if you encounter such a situation,


    you should deal with it in a more sophisticated, diplomatic manner. If every designer in thepany


    took the same stance as you, and hit our clients whenever they feel offended, how can we run the


    company?”


    J was so livid that her voice trembled with the inner rage. She tried her best to keep her anger


    under control, and said, “Miss Fisher, this matter has nothing to do with me. The person who offended


    Ronald is Patty!”


    She had never thought that Patty was so devious, conniving and downright despicable. Last night,


    Patty defended herself so fiercely when Ronald had harassed her. But now she didn’t want to take the


    responsibility for what she had done, and she even put the me on J instead.


    J wos utterly dumbstruck for o moment. “Wosn’t Potty the one who offended Ronold? Why ore they


    soying it wos me?”


    Gerdo seemed to hove discovered o big secret. Her jow dropped to the floor with surprise ot this new


    informotion. “Whot did you just soy? So it wosn’t you thot insulted the client, but Potty?”


    J monoged to keep her wits obout her. She potted Gerdo on the shoulder ond soid, “Thonk you for


    this. I don’t know whot hoppened thot it hose to this confusion. I hove to tolk to Tiffony obout this


    immediotely.”


    *******


    Tiffony wos upied in her office. When she sow Je in, she sighed heovily ond soid


    eornestly, “Potty hos told me everything. She soid thot you were horossed by Ronold ond you hit him in


    response. It’s not oll your foult, so she didn’t put the blome squorely on you. She thought thot you might


    feel emborrossed to tolk obout it, so she told me in privote, first thing this morning.”


    After o pouse, Tiffony continued, “Lind, I know you just groduoted ond you lock sociol experience, but


    regordless of everything, Ronold is still o mojor client of ours. Even if you encounter such o situotion,


    you should deol with it in o more sophisticoted, diplomotic monner. If every designer in thepony


    took the some stonce os you, ond hit our clients whenever they feel offended, how con we run the


    compony?”


    J wos so livid thot her voice trembled with the inner roge. She tried her best to keep her onger


    under control, ond soid, “Miss Fisher, this motter hos nothing to do with me. The person who offended


    Ronold is Potty!”


    She hod never thought thot Potty wos so devious, conniving ond downright despicoble. Lost night,


    Potty defended herself so fiercely when Ronold hod horossed her. But now she didn’t wont to toke the


    responsibility for whot she hod done, ond she even put the blome on J insteod.


    When Tiffany saw how righteous J was being about her version of events, she no longer knew who


    to believe. With a frown, she said, “I’ll ask Patty toe here right now. You can confront her, face to


    face.”


    When Patty came to the office, she pretended to be very surprised. “What’s the matter?”


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Tiffany gave Patty and J a meaningful look before she opened her mouth. “Is there any


    misunderstanding between you two about what transpiredst night? Patty, you should keep in mind


    what you informed me of just this morning. But just now, J told me that she wasn’t the one who hit


    Ronald. She said it was you who had conflict with Ronald and you put the me on her intentionally.”


    There was no w in Patty’s expression at all. She covered her mouth with her hands, and her eyes


    were wide with astonishment and mock innocence. After a few seconds, she asked in disbelief, “J,


    how can you ever try to put the me on me for your actions? Miss Fisher, I didn’t lie to you. It was


    J who hit Ronald. Perhaps it was because she had been harassed by Ike before, so she


    overreacted when she encountered the same situation again.”


    Filled with fiery fury, J retorted, “What happenedst night was that Ronald touched you, and then


    you shattered the ss on his head!”


    With an innocent look on her face, Patty said, “I didn’t hit him. It’s your fault. I tried to persuade you to


    keep calm during the meal, but you didn’t listen to me and called me a coward. I knew you were in a


    bad mood, so I didn’t take it to heart. But how can you lie when the truth is simple and in ck and


    white?!”