Chapter 130

After getting back to her department, Isabella didn't rush to find Madeline. Instead, she headed straight to her boss, Dwayne.

She handed over the video she had prepared, and as Dwayne watched it, his face got all serious.

"So, what's your plan here?" Dwayne asked.

Isabella looked determined. "I want the company to take this seriously. We're a new company, and we've already had one scandal with that last evaluation mess. If we don't handle this right, it could blow up into another scandal. I'm pretty sure the boss wouldn't be thrilled to hear about workplace bullying going on here."

Dwayne nodded and told his secretary to bring in Madeline and her assistant.

Meanwhile, Madeline was in the office area, furiously trying to clean coffee stains off her clothes with disinfectant wipes. "That damn Juliet spilled coffee on me. Is she even using her eyes? She's as blind as that bitch Isabella, wandering around without looking."

Madeline's assistant, Thea Ellis, chimed in, "Ms. Eve, we could use this to put pressure on Isabella. Your outfit is really expensive. We could demand Juliet apologize and pay for it. If Isabella covers the cost, she'll take the hit. If not, Juliet will definitely resent her."

Thea's smile was sly. Her plan was pretty sneaky.

Juliet made the mistake, and Isabella didn't have to pay for it. But if Madeline brought it up to Isabella, it would put her in a tough spot. She wasn't obligated to help, but if she didn't, Juliet might hold a grudge. Classic human nature at its worst.

Madeline thought it was a smart move. But before she could decide when to use it, Dwayne's secretary came to tell them to go to Dwayne's office.

Madeline and Thea walked into Dwayne's office to find Isabella and Juliet already there.

Thea immediately sensed trouble.

Dwayne played the surveillance footage for Madeline and Thea.

Madeline's face turned dark. She glared at Isabella and said coldly, "So, you're here to report me?"

"Shouldn't you be reported? As a leader, you let workplace bullying happen. If the boss finds out, what do you think he'll do? Are we just going to sit around until this blows up in the media?" Isabella shot back, staring at Madeline.

"Don't try to scare me with the boss!" Madeline said in a low voice.

Isabella shot her a challenging look, a smirk playing on her lips. "Well, let's see how that goes."

Thea yelled, "Juliet spilled the coffee first!"

Isabella crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on Thea with an icy intensity. "The footage clearly shows Juliet accidentally bumped into the coffee. She apologized sincerely, but what did you do? You grabbed her, slapped her in front of everyone, and humiliated her. Isn't that workplace bullying?"

Isabella then looked at Madeline, whose face was now very unpleasant.

"I'm willing to cover the cleaning cost for your clothes. If the stains can't be removed, I'll compensate you for the full value on behalf of my assistant, Juliet. But you have to face the consequences of your actions too." Isabella then looked at Dwayne, hoping he'd make a fair call.

Juliet looked at Isabella with gratitude, touched by her support.

Dwayne didn't give a verdict right away. Instead, he turned to Madeline. "I'd like to hear your thoughts on this, Madeline, since it was your assistant, Thea, who hit Juliet."

Madeline clenched her fists and glared at Isabella. "I'm willing to compensate Juliet for emotional distress and apologize on Thea's behalf."

Dwayne then turned to Isabella. "Do you agree with this resolution, Isabella?"

Isabella shook her head immediately. "That's too lenient. Thea assaulted my subordinate Juliet in public, so you should apologize publicly. If this isn't handled properly, it could become a company scandal. My suggestion is to fire her."

Dwayne was taken aback by Isabella's harsh stance.

Madeline's face turned anxious. If Thea were fired, it would likely cause other subordinates to lose trust in her leadership.

"I don't think firing Thea is a good idea. Since Isabella mentioned this could become a scandal, wouldn't firing her only draw more attention to it?" Madeline said, looking at Dwayne.

Dwayne found this reasoning sound. He pondered for a few seconds, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. Finally, he came up with a compromise.

"In that case, we'll demote and reduce Thea's salary. Additionally, she will be required to make a formal apology within the design department. Let's keep this matter contained and minimize its impact," Dwayne said, looking at Isabella for her reaction.

Isabella thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"Ms. Eve, please provide me with the receipt for the clothes, and I will reimburse you," Isabella said politely, smiling at Madeline.

Madeline's face was dark. "No need, Isabella. You win this time, but you won't be so lucky next time."

Thea looked pale, not expecting that a single slap to Juliet would result in her demotion and salary cut.

As Madeline and Isabella were about to leave Dwayne's office, Dwayne suddenly called them back.

"Madeline, Isabella, please have your assistants leave. I need to discuss something with you," Dwayne said.

Thea and Juliet left the office, and Madeline and Isabella looked at Dwayne, unsure of what he wanted to say.

Outside, Thea shot a venomous glare at Juliet. But Juliet no longer felt intimidated by Thea's icy stare; she knew Isabella would have her back.

"You're just as disgusting as your master," Thea hissed, leaning in close.

Juliet met her gaze with a cold smirk. "Isabella is my boss, not my master. If you enjoy being Madeline's lapdog, that's on you. I have no interest in that."

With that, Juliet turned on her heel, her victorious posture driving Thea nearly to madness.

"Just wait, you two bitches. I won't let this go!" Thea spat under her breath, stomping her foot in frustration before storming off.

Inside the office, Madeline and Isabella exchanged glances, unsure of what Dwayne was about to say.

Dwayne stood up and handed them a document. With a serious expression, he said, "Our company has recently developed a new cosmetic product, but some of its ingredients involve a patent held by a chemist named Kevin Hamilton. We need to purchase the usage rights from him. Due to the previous design competition scandal, Kevin has set a design requirement for us. Only if we meet this requirement will he agree to continue working with us. I'm assigning this task to both of you."