Chapter 172: Like the Calabash Brothers
"It’s those two poor scoundrels over there." Mr. Sterling leaned in close to his brother-in-law, his voice high and fawning, like a treacherous court eunuch from a TV drama whispering poison to his master.
"They clearly can’t afford the jewelry in your store, yet they’re deliberately causing trouble. They’re colluding with this employee of yours to brazenly steal jewelry and get kickbacks, showing absolutely no respect for you as the manager. It’s a good thing I happened to be here shopping today. Otherwise, who knows how much stuff these scumbags would have hauled out before you even noticed."
After taking credit for his discovery, Mr. Sterling didn’t forget to turn and threaten Arabella Donovan and the others. "Didn’t see this coming, did you? My brother-in-law just so happened to be out shopping with my cousin today. He was just upstairs and rushed right over the moment I called. Let’s see you try to talk your way out of this now!"
’I really didn’t see this coming. I can’t believe someone is this eager to rush to their death. On second thought, isn’t this a standard trope in those power-fantasy stories? You take out the minion, and the boss shows up. They just line up one after another to be defeated.’
Eugene Jennings was speechless. ’He had to admit,’ he thought, ’that’s a pretty vivid analogy.’
Catherine Chamberlain certainly couldn’t let herself be framed for internal theft, especially when it involved Miss Donovan.
"Manager, that’s not what happened. This Miss Donovan just spent ten million..."
Hearing this, Prescott’s eyes lit up. "Ten million? Did she pay?"
He had barely finished asking when the woman with Mr. Sterling let out a gloating laugh. "Those two paupers? Where would they get ten million? They were just about to pay when they started pulling tricks, insisting she has some discount card for fifty percent off. And this salesgirl even backed her up, claiming the card was personally given to her by the chairman of your parent company!"
Prescott’s expression soured. Even though the profit margins at a jewelry store were huge, what profit could possibly be left after a fifty-percent discount?
This move by Arabella Donovan was tantamount to carving out a piece of his flesh!
"A fifty-percent discount card? I’ve worked at this store for so many years, and I’ve never heard of the company issuing any fifty-percent discount card."
Catherine Chamberlain hadn’t expected the manager to say that. She rushed forward to remind him, "But, Manager, two months ago, in the company group chat..."
"What company group chat? Are you the manager, or am I? If I say it doesn’t exist, then it doesn’t exist."
Seeing this, Mr. Sterling and his companion—the ones who started the whole mess—broke into triumphant smiles. Eugene Jennings, however, furrowed his brow and subtly shielded Arabella Donovan behind him. He had a premonition that this wouldn’t end well.
Catherine Chamberlain was stunned. As an ordinary sales clerk, directly confronting her immediate supervisor was an undeniably foolish move.
But then she turned to look at Arabella Donovan’s strikingly young face. Remembering the notice from the company group chat two months ago, she gritted her teeth and insisted, "Manager, this Miss Donovan’s card is real. Two months ago, there was an announcement in the group chat that the chairman personally gave this card to a Miss Donovan. This Miss Donovan..."
SLAP—
Catherine Chamberlain didn’t get to finish her sentence before Prescott, without warning, slapped her hard across the face.
"Catherine Chamberlain, you’ve gotten bold, haven’t you! Daring to question me? Do you really think a little competence gives you the right to boss me around?"
Arabella Donovan rushed forward to steady Catherine Chamberlain, her expression instantly darkening.
Until now, she had been quite calm, thinking that if the discount card didn’t work, she simply wouldn’t buy the jewelry. There was no need to give a garbage manager like him her money out of a fit of pique.
Besides, she had only glanced at most of the items; some she hadn’t even touched. If she didn’t want to pay, could these people actually force a sale on her?
But now that someone had resorted to violence, the nature of the situation was entirely different. Especially since this woman had been hit for defending her!
Just as Arabella steadied Catherine, ready to lash out, a series of images suddenly flashed through her mind. Her eyes widened in astonishment. "You..."
"How could you hit someone?" Eugene Jennings hadn’t noticed Arabella’s strange reaction. Seeing her dart out from behind him to help the woman who’d been struck, he hurried to shield them both.
Chloe Ulrich, who had only come over to say hello to an acquaintance, was also stunned by the sudden, drastic turn of events.
Once she recovered, she chimed in indignantly, "He’s right! No matter what, you shouldn’t hit people!"
"So what if I hit her? You traitorous thing. Give you an inch and you think you can take a mile in my store. You’re fired. As of today, don’t come back."
Catherine Chamberlain stood frozen, clutching her slapped cheek, but she quickly composed herself. "You can fire me. But according to my contract, you’re legally required to pay me three months’ salary as severance. Since the company is terminating my contract without cause, it’s an unlawful dismissal, which requires double the compensation. That means you have to pay me six months’ wages."
Prescott’s expression faltered. "Are you that desperate for money? A lowlife like you dares to try and extort me..."
Catherine Chamberlain ignored his rant, cutting him off to continue, "Furthermore, you assaulted me in public, and the nearby security cameras are evidence. In addition to the severance pay, you will also need to compensate me for the medical expenses and emotional distress caused by that slap. Otherwise, I will press charges for assault."
This time, it wasn’t just Prescott who was taken aback. Arabella Donovan, along with the entire crowd of onlookers, was completely floored by Catherine Chamberlain’s calm and precise takedown.
’Oh, cool! This girl is so badass! When her asshole boss fired her, her first reaction wasn’t to back down and beg for another chance, but to calmly use legal means to protect her own interests. When faced with violence, she fearlessly confronted her attacker and bravely picked up the weapon of the law to defend herself. Oh my god, I think I’m falling in love with her!’
Eugene Jennings was speechless again. ’Okay, the woman is definitely charming and impressive, but that last sentence was completely unnecessary!’
"Sue me? You want to sue me? HAHAHA! She says she’s going to sue me." Prescott laughed as if he’d just heard the joke of the century, turning to Mr. Sterling.
Mr. Sterling gave a fawning smile. "This stupid woman is all hair and no brains. She has no idea how the world works, and she certainly has no clue how much power you wield here in Brynn, brother-in-law. You could crush her just by lifting a finger. For her to say something like that is just hilarious."
Prescott was quite pleased with Mr. Sterling’s flattery. When he turned back to Catherine Chamberlain, however, his eyes were filled with menace. "Assault, is it? You’re going to press charges, are you? Fine, I’ll give you something to press charges about!"
Prescott raised a hand and shoved Eugene Jennings aside. The scrawny weakling, whose thighs were barely thicker than a man’s arm, was tossed away with ease.
By the time he managed to regain his balance, it was too late to turn and intervene.
Catherine Chamberlain was startled by Prescott’s sudden lunge and instinctively flinched back.
Her mind, however, was clearer than ever. She was already planning how she would call the police.
But to her surprise, the expected pain never came.
When she looked up, she saw that the man’s descending hand had been caught... by the person standing beside her?
Catherine Chamberlain: ?
The onlookers: ???