I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. "My design drafts... you picked them up from my desk last night! You saw the dates!"
"Shut up!"
Joel cut me off, his voice sharp as a whip. "I don't know how you stole them, but I didn't expect you to use the title of 'Mrs. Mason' to bully subordinates and steal their hard work."
The defense died in my throat.
I looked at Joel standing beside Naomi—the white knight protecting his damsel.
Finally, the illusion shattered.
Joel didn't care about the truth. He didn't care about me.
He only cared that Naomi's report was successful.
The event was spiraling. The employees who had worked tirelessly on the launch began to grumble.
Naomi looked at the crowd, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. My reporting ruined the launch. I just... I couldn't let the truth be buried. I apologize to everyone."
Joel stepped in front of her, shielding her from the crowd.
"You exposed a fraud, Naomi. There is nothing to apologize for. The person who should be sorry is Anna Harding."
He pointed a finger at me. "The media is here. Perfect. Apologize to the victim you plagiarized. Now."
My eyes were dead as I looked at him.
I asked softly,