GoodReadAs soon as she said her name, Dorothy could sense the sharp intake of breath from the gossipers.
Clearly, they hadn't expected their high-ranking director to still be at work at this hour and, even more surprisingly, to have overheard their gossip. They had been caught red-handed.
Atense silence filled the air for nearly ten seconds before the door of the bathroom stall slowly creaked open.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThey all locked eyes.
Dorothy recognized these two women. They were project accountants assigned to the company.
"Go on, tell me. Who am | supposedly the mistress of? I'm dying to know." "Ms. Sanchez, we just heard it from someone else.” Dorothy scoffed and crossed her arms as she stared at them. "Who did you hear it from? Call them out. | want to hold them accountable for spreading rumors." Both women immediately clammed up.
But Dorothy didn't really intend to make things difficult for them. She just wanted to shake them up a bit and put a stop to this rumor mill. After all, it was hard enough being a woman in the corporate world. She didn't want these negative rumors following her around. They were bound to escalate if they were not nipped in the bud.
"You were so certain when you were whispering earlier. What happened? You're women too. Do you understand what your words imply? You're throwing mud at me for no reason. Don't tell me you don't have any shred of evidence." "Ms. Sanchez, we're sorry. We were just making idle chat after work. We won't do it again!" "Yes, yes, we promise we won't do it again! You're so beautiful and competent. Please be the bigger person and forgive us for our loose lips. Everyone says you're the kindest!" The two women were afraid of Dorothy.
Her reputation for strictness was well-known throughout the company. She was even harsh on herself and was like a drill sergeant to her own subordinates.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was that the company's top brass all praised her. Although her position wasn't high-ranking, her words carried weight.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIf she wanted to fire these two, it would be as easy as pie.
"So, if | don't forgive you, that means I'm not kind?" Dorothy shot back.
The two women fell silent again.
Seeing that they'd had enough, Dorothy began, "You've probably gossiped about me more than once in private. Tell me, who else has been talking about me? Maybe if I'm in a good mood, I'll let it slide and not hold you two responsible.” The two women exchanged uneasy glances.
If they spoke up, they risked escalating the situation, which would make their lives at work difficult.
If they stayed quiet, they might not be able to get away with it today.
"Don't worry. | just want to know who's talking about me. | won't hold anyone accountable. | just want to know." Hearing this, one of the women hesitated before finally confessing with a resigned look. "It was Alisa from the planning department who first started the rumors.” "What did she say?" Seeing that the other woman had spilled the beans, the second one had no choice but to follow suit. "She just said... she speculated that... you're... you're a mistress for the top brass.” Dorothy's beautiful eyebrows furrowed. "Anything else?" "Alisa said she had seen your daughter. She thinks that your daughter is very beautiful and... very much like Everett, the CEO of the Lopez Corporation. She suggested that maybe you are his..." The sudden mention of Everett made Dorothy's heart skip a beat.
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