“Please don’t fire him,” I say.
“Too late …” TJ’s eyes are void of emotion. Empty of caring. The worst kind of look.
I shiver. “No, it’s not.”
“Excuse me, what is the meaning of this?” one of the older men asks. “This is a private meeting.”
“I know, but please listen to me. TJ didn’t do any of this,” I say, pointing at the newspaper in another man’s hand.
“Oh, and how would you know that?”
“I have proof.” I fish in my pocket and take out the envelope, placing it on the table. “Here.”
The man puts the newspaper down and opens it, taking out the USB drive.
“On there is all the proof you need.”
“This is highly irregular,” the man at the end of the table says.
“I’m sorry,” TJ says, getting up from his chair. “I knew she’d come here to try to persuade you guys. I apologize for the hassle.” He places his hands on my shoulders and whispers, “What are you doing? It’s too late.”
“No, I don’t believe that,” I reply, and I focus my attention on the men. “If you believe in honesty and you feel proud of this company, then at least give me the chance to prove his innocence. Hasn’t he worked hard enough to earn it?”
The men seem annoyed by my presence, but they don’t respond. I guess that’s better than being barked at. Or getting security called on my ass.
“What’s on the USB?” one of the men asks.
“A voice recording of the girl who talked to the newspaper and spread these lies,” I answer.
TJ gazes at me with a hopeful look on his face. “Really?”
“Yes,” I say. “I got her to talk.”
The men narrow their eyes, and one of them grabs a laptop to plug in the USB. The file soon plays on the speakers.
I cut out the parts where I asked her questions and the lies that I told. I only kept in the admission of her foul play and deception. When the track ends, everyone is quiet for a while.
“What do you think?” I say.
“Miss …”
“Fischer,” I say when he can’t find my name.
The man takes in a deep breath. “Miss Fischer, you do realize that this won’t change anything about the reputation loss this company suffered?”
“She admitted she lied!” I say. “You heard her, didn’t you?”
TJ places his hand on my arm again and whispers, “Lesley, it’s okay. You tried. You did your best.”
“No,” I say. “You have to keep him on.” I point at the USB. “You are not the only ones who received this.”
Now, I’ve got their attention. So I quickly walk to the television hanging in the corner and turn it on. “How does this thing work?”
“Miss Fischer, what are you doing?” the man in the corner asks, but I pay no attention to him.
“Lesley …” TJ mumbles as he sits back down in his chair. “It’s too late.”
“It’s not,” I say, switching channels until I find a news network. “Look.”
The anchor lady is talking about Morrows and the moment their logo flashes by, all the men are on high alert, shifting in their seats as they watch the woman on the television talk.
She mentions a secret source (me) sending a file with evidence that the story about Morrows’s CEO was fabricated, and that she was trying to sabotage both the company and his career by spreading lies. That she was fired for inappropriate behavior and that Morrows did not steal her panties or threaten her. She even apologizes to Morrows for spreading this news story.
And everyone in this room has suddenly gone silent.
I turn around and watch them, each one of them, with the harshest look I have.
“They rescinded their story. And it’s not just them; all the news networks are running with it. The public will know TJ didn’t do anything, and it will take your company out of the spotlight and keep it from being blamed.”
“Oh, my god …” TJ mutters, shaking his head like he can’t believe it.
“And you’ve sent this to every news station?” one of the men asks.
“Yes.”
“Without permission,” another one says.
“Well …” I bite my lip, wondering if this might still mean trouble. “I did, but it was for a good reason. Look, TJ’s my boss. I don’t want him to lose his job. He’s the best boss I could wish for. And this company too. He has a passion for it. Please don’t fire him. I beg you, please give him back his position. He won’t disappoint.”
They’re all glaring at me, rubbing their chins and foreheads like they’re not even sure.
“Well, I must say, you have one dedicated intern.” The man in the corner begins to laugh, and soon it seems as if everyone’s lost their anger.
“I never thought I’d say this, but I’m impressed,” the fat one to the left says.
“Thanks, I guess,” I reply, to which they all start to laugh again.