Chapter 67
1147 Words
Upon hearing Dilanne's call and Adolph's dismissal order, her colleagues launched a barrage of venomous accusations against Sophia.
"Sophia, I can't believe you're such a person."
"Yeah. Don't you know forging contracts is illegal? Are you trying to bring down the entire Rising Group with you?"
"You're dragging the whole company down with you just because you're finished. You're truly despicable."
Everyone in the hall glared at Sophia with anger, and some even rolled up their sleeves, ready to hit her.
Forging a business contract was a serious offense. It was not just a matter of personal dishonesty; it was a major commercial taboo. If this got out, it would tarnish the entire Rising Group's reputation and even result in legal consequences!
Then, these people changed their tune, showering Dilanne with flattering praises.
"Dilanne, we're so sorry. We misunderstood you earlier."
"Dilanne, we apologize for our rudeness. It seems you're the only one who can save us from this crisis."
Dilanne smiled smugly, "You were all just blinded by certain deceitful people. I won't hold it against you."
Seeing that Dilanne wasn't holding a grudge, the employees praised her for her magnanimity and open-mindedness.
At that moment, everyone looked at Sophia with disgust. If she got arrested later, they wouldn't feel a shred of sympathy for her.
Sophia said anxiously on the verge of tears, "Mr. Cyrus... I..." Tears welled up in her eyes, realizing her only hope now was Jabbar, who had stood by her side.
Jabbar wore a look of disappointment, "Director Harris, how could you do such a thing? It's utterly foolish." Jabbar believed Dilanne's words, given Alf's confirmation.
Hearing Jabbar's words, Sophia felt as if struck by lightning. Her delicate face turned deathly pale. Realizing something was wrong, Ethan said to Sophia, "Don't worry, I'll go make a call and be right back."
Watching Ethan leave, Dilanne sneered, "Sophia, is your loser husband planning to flee in fear? I tell you, you two brought back that contract together, so you must have forged it together. Neither of you will escape."
Adolph also took the opportunity to scold Sophia, "That's right. Sophia, although you're poor and without background, you were at least a hard-working person. But I never expected you'd stoop so low to win. It's disappointing."
Sophia clenched her fists tightly, biting her lip.
Meanwhile, Alf, informed by Dilanne, arrived at Rising Group. Seeing him, Dilanne beamed and clung to him immediately, "Darling, you're here."
The Business Department employees all wore respectful expressions, and even Jabbar stood up to greet him with courtesy.
"Mr. Kirk."
"Hello, Mr. Kirk."
Alf scanned the room, and his eyes landed on the contract on the table. As he picked it up, his expression grew increasingly serious.
Adolph was confident in his son-in-law but he couldn't address him by his name in public, so he approached with a smile, "Mr. Kirk, this contract..."
Alf snorted coldly, "Mr. Barker, I must say the forgery skills on this contract are truly impressive! But such a significant document without my signature—could it be real?"
Dilanne smug and said, "I told you it was fake. You didn't believe me."
Alf's gaze locked onto Sophia, "So, you're the one who forged our Cruz Group's contract, Sophia? You've got some nerve."
Alf shook the contract and continued, "That's right, this contract does contain our Cruz Group's content. The watermark and seal are genuine, but you dared to bribe our internal staff and use the watermark and seal unauthorizedly. Do you know what the consequences of this are?"
Alf sneered, "Sophia, with just one phone call, I could have you thrown in jail."
'What?! This contract is real, the watermark is real, and even the official seal is real!' Many people gasped, looking at Sophia with shock.
They had initially thought Sophia had just created a high-quality fake contract. But to their surprise, she was holding a genuine contract, which now caused a huge problem! Colleagues began to criticize Sophia again.
"Sophia, you're in big troubler. Bribing insiders is commercial fraud. Do you know the consequences?"
"Sophia, you are too bold! Your actions could implicate the entire Rising Group in this mess."
Adolph looked at Jabbar with some glee. Sophia was someone Jabbar had backed. If she got the company into trouble because of the fake contract, Jabbar would also bear some responsibility.
At this point, no matter how much Jabbar appreciated Sophia, he couldn't possibly defend her now.
Adolph took a deep breath and said to Alf, "Mr. Kirk, as the Deputy General Manager of Rising Group, I take responsibility for this incident. This is my management failure, and on behalf of Rising Group, I apologize to you."
Adolph announced loudly, "I hereby declare that Sophia is fired from her position as Business Director, effective immediately. Whatever punishment you decide on for her has nothing to do with Rising Group."
Fired?
As soon as these words were spoken, Sophia's eyes turned red. 'After all the hard work and finally seeing a glimmer of hope, Adolph's words have plunged me back into despair! If this gets out, my reputation and future will be ruined.'
Alf was also furious. Sophia had dared to use a genuine contract for forgery, and he didn't know who in the Cruz Group had collaborated with her. If this contract leaked and reached the higher-ups, Alf had no idea what punishment he might face.
Alf's face was dark, "Ms. Harris, my lawyer will be here shortly. You can explain everything to him."
Ethan stepped back to Sophia's side and said, "Wait a moment."
At this point, with tear-filled eyes, Sophia turned to Ethan. "Ethan, he says this contract is forged by you. Is that true?"
Seeing hope in Sophia's eyes, Ethan gave a warm smile, "Silly girl, do you trust me?"
Sophia hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly.
Seeing this, the crowd sneered and ridiculed.
"Haha... They're still acting at a time like this. Sophia, your husband must not be a teacher but an actor!"
"I thought Sophia's husband was just useless. I didn't expect him to be involved in such criminal activities. It's an insult to teachers!"
Dilanne, unwilling to miss this opportunity to kick them while they were down, pointed at Ethan and sneered at Alf, "Darling, I suspect this guy bribed your staff. He's the mastermind behind this."
Alf looked at Ethan coldly, "Brat, with that sneaky look, you don't seem like a decent person. Like Sophia, you'll be hearing from our lawyers soon."
Dilanne and the others laughed, imagining Sophia and Ethan's downfall.
But Ethan couldn't help but laugh, his calm demeanor making Alf even angrier.
Just as Alf was about to speak, he heard Samson's voice, "Lawyers? Alf, you sure have guts! Did you ask for my opinion before sending out lawyer letters?"
Samson entered the Rising Group's doors with a stern expression.
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