Chapter 4

I ended up going back with Nate to the Cortez manor. Before I left, however, I called Penny Addams, a colleague in the HR Department.

She told me she couldn't give me any direct details, but she promised me that she would help me check Erica's interview evaluation form.

As long as I had that evaluation form, I could prove that Erica was eliminated on her own merit and that I had absolutely nothing to do with it.

It was already late evening by the time we arrived.

The courtyard was brightly lit and bustling as though some sort of celebration was going on. My relatives were gathered around the outdoor table, chatting and snacking on chips.

When they saw me walk in with Nate, their voices eventually died down, and everything went silent. Their gazes cut into me like sharp knives.

"Look, the bitch is back," Aunt Melissa said with a sneer, causing the others around her to chuckle in delight.

Denise was seated right in the middle, still dabbing at her swollen eyes with a handkerchief.

"So you still have the nerve to come back, Siobhan!" my elder brother, Simon Cortez, spat. He stomped out his cigarette and gave me a dark look. "You know damn well what you did to us!"

I took a deep breath and walked to the center of the courtyard.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm here today to set the record straight.

"I've said many times before that Erica's case had absolutely nothing to do with me. I never rejected her, and I certainly never replaced her with anyone else."

Denise shot to her feet at once, screaming as she pointed a finger in my face. "Nothing to do with you? If it really had nothing to do with you, why would anyone bring up your name in the first place?

"How can you be so shameless, Siobhan? How can you still lie to us? Do you know that Erica won't even leave her room now? It's all because of you!

"How could you do such a thing? What's the purpose? You just don't want to see us doing well and living a good life! That's what!"

She got increasingly worked up as she spoke, and she even tried to rush up to me to scratch my face. Nate saw her and stopped her just in time.

"Denise! Calm down!" he yelled.

"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down?" Denise screamed, breaking into a wail. "Look at her! Look at her attitude! Does she look like she's repenting? She doesn't care about her family at all! I don't care anymore! If she doesn't fix this today, I'll fight her to death!"

The other relatives began singing along to her tune.

"Just admit that it was your fault, Siobhan, and give Erica another job. How hard could that be?"

"We're all family here. Why make things so ugly between us?"

"Exactly. You're a senior executive, Siobhan. You could fix this meaningless issue with the snap of your fingers!"

Listening to their self-righteous words, I found the situation utterly ridiculous.

A meaningless issue? Smearing my name, getting me suspended, and perhaps even fired, was a meaningless issue to them?

Did they seriously think that my livelihood didn't matter as long as they got what they wanted?

"You want me to get Erica a job? Fine. But only if you can prove I was the one who did this to her," I said, looking at Denise coldly.

"Tell your friend Louis to come and tell his side of the story. If he can produce any proof of my interference in the hiring and recruitment process, I will get Erica a job, make a public apology, and even compensate you for all your losses! However, if he can't…"

I paused, sweeping my gaze over everyone present. "If he can't, then you must publicly apologize to me in front of the entire family and make a clarification on that matter online!"

Denise's eyes flickered for a moment. Obviously, she hadn't expected me to be so stubborn.

"Fine! I'll get him! I'm not afraid of you!" she forced through her teeth. "B-But he's working overtime at the company tonight. I-I'll have him come over tomorrow!"

I glanced at my phone and saw that Penny had sent me a document. It was Erica's interview evaluation form, along with the interviewer's comments.

The corners of my mouth lifted.

"Don't bother waiting until tomorrow. I'll show you the truth right now."