Chapitre 12: The Justice
Drake Chwe sat precariously close to the edge of the building, the wind ruffling his hair and coat as he gazed down. The onlookers below wore expressions of shock and concern.
"Mr. Chwe, please don't do this. Let's talk about it," a rescuer said softly, his voice filled with concern as he approached Drake cautiously.
"Wait, wait, it's not what you think," Drake exclaimed. He abruptly stood up, causing everyone to gasp in fear. The rescuer maintained a safe distance as he approached Drake slowly, trying to reach out and engage in a conversation.
"We know that you have been accused. We already know that you didn't do it. Ending your life is not a good thing," the rescuer said, attempting to reason with Drake.
Drake froze for a moment. He was speechless, realizing how everyone had misunderstood his presence near the edge of the building.
"It's not like they will believe me if I say I am here to offer a tribute," he thought to himself.
"Think of your family, Mr. Chwe. They need you, and they believe in you. You can't abandon them," the rescuer pleaded.
Drake didn't want to scare everyone any further, so he attempted to move back. However, every time he made a move, those around him flinched, their expressions filled with panic.
The situation took a turn for the worse when Aunt Beck and Eleanor arrived and approached him as well.
"Drake! Don't do this!" Eleanor yelled, appearing as if she were ready to jump over the railing to save him. She was being held back by Aunt Beck, who looked desperate to help.
“I won't jump off," Drake yelled, desperately trying to reassure everyone. "I am going back! Look! Look! I am safe!"
Drake hurriedly climbed back over the railing, ignoring the frightened reactions from those around him. He didn't want to distress his sister further, especially among all the people present.
"Drake! Don't leave me alone!" Eleanor cried as she jumped into her brother's arms, hugging him tightly.
"I won't leave you, Ely," Drake reassured her. "I'm sorry for scaring you."
"Are you drunk?" Aunt Beck exclaimed.
"I am. I'm sorry," Drake admitted, not wanting to make any more excuses and preferring to let everyone form their own interpretations of what had happened tonight.
Drake and his family were escorted down the building, and on the ground, they were immediately swarmed by news media, reporters, and onlookers. Cameras, recording devices, and microphones were thrust toward them.
"Mr. Chwe, have you seen the live broadcast about Marcus Lee yet?"
"What made you contemplate ending your life?"
"Did you believe jumping off the building was better than living in humiliation?"
"Mr. Chwe, please say a few words."
Drake was taken aback by the relentless questions. It was fortunate that he wasn't genuinely contemplating suicide, but the insensitivity and bluntness of the questions could have pushed someone who was already vulnerable to harm themselves even further.
The reporters were relentless, and their presence made Drake's blood boil, but he remained silent, focusing on protecting his sister, who was being pushed by the crowd.
They could finally breathe freely once they were safely inside their car.
"Drake~" Eleanor called out, her voice still trembling from the recent ordeal.
"Oh gosh, stop crying," Drake said, wiping her tears with his sleeve. "Did you get hurt?"
"Yes," Eleanor replied.
"Huh? Where?" Drake asked, concerned.
"You break my heart! How dare you try to leave me alone in this world?" Eleanor yelled, her voice quivering with emotion.
"Oh, Ely, I'm sorry. I won't make you worry anymore, so please stop crying," Drake pleaded.
"You better promise!" Eleanor retorted.
Eleanor continued to cry despite Drake's attempts to console her, and it didn't escape his notice that Aunt Beck was giving him a piercing gaze.
"Ely, Aunt Beck, I promise I would never harm myself," Drake vowed sincerely.
Meanwhile, inside the BellRox Corporation's boardroom, chaos reigned. The room was filled with high-ranking executives and key figures from the company, all fixated on the news broadcast playing on the boardroom screen.
On the television screen:
A reporter declared, "In a shocking turn of events, BellRox Corporation has witnessed a dramatic plummet in its stock prices following the embezzlement scandal involving former employee Drake Chwe. Public sentiment has shifted, and the corporation itself is now under the spotlight."
The camera switched to scenes of protesters outside BellRox's headquarters, brandishing signs demanding justice for Drake and an end to corporate abuses.
"Drake Chwe's revelations about his suffering and harassment within the company have sparked widespread public outrage. Human rights activists and the labor department are launching investigations into the alleged mistreatment of BellRox employees," the news reporter continued.
Director Rox, an imposing figure in the corporate world, slammed his fist onto the polished mahogany table. He's livid, and his voice carried thunderous anger.
"This is an absolute catastrophe!" he roared with seething fury. "Marcus Lee has smeared our reputation, and now the entire world sees us as the villains! We must rectify this, starting with putting that conniving snake behind bars."
The room buzzed with the uneasy movements of board members, their faces etched with concern. They were acutely aware of the magnitude of the scandal and the price the company would pay.
"Director, our stocks are plummeting, and the public outcry is overwhelming," one board member nervously added. "We've lost the trust of our shareholders and customers."
"And that video of Drake's mistreatment at the hands of Marcus is spreading like wildfire. We're dealing with a major PR catastrophe," another board member urgently pointed out.
Rox clenched his jaw, understanding the gravity of the situation. He paces the room.
"We will cooperate fully with the authorities to ensure Marcus Lee faces justice. We must initiate an internal investigation and issue public apologies to Drake and anyone else who suffered because of his actions," Director Rox declared with a grim expression.
The room fell into a heavy silence, and Rox took a deep breath.
"We must show that we are dedicated to transparency, fairness, and the painstaking process of rebuilding the trust we've lost. We will make amends, regardless of the cost," he stated resolutely.
Outside the boardroom, the turmoil within the corporation was reflected in the disarray that had taken hold. The road to redemption was proving to be a steep and challenging one.
However, redemption was a notion that manager Marcus Lee could hardly fathom at this point. In his condominium unit, panic and frustration consumed him as he angrily vented his feelings on his sofa, relentlessly striking it with his golf club.
Amidst his shouts and the relentless pounding, the incessant ringing of his phone added to the chaos within his home.
"Why is no one answering my calls?" he bellowed. He grabbed his phone once more and dialed David Cheng's number repeatedly. After what felt like the twentieth call, David finally picked up.
"What took you so long to answer?" Marcus yelled.
"Sorry, Marcus, but I'm leaving the country as well," David said.
"What? What did you say?" Marcus exclaimed.
"Linsey and Harold have already left the country. Goodbye, Marcus," David Cheng said before abruptly ending the call.
"Freaking bastard!" Marcus shouted.
He paced nervously, his face etched with anxiety, as the wailing sirens drew nearer, signaling the impending arrival of the police. His heart raced, knowing that the inevitable was about to unfold. In a frenzy, he grabbed a briefcase and hastily stuffed it with documents, desperately attempting to remove any incriminating evidence.
Suddenly, the front door was forcefully kicked open, and a detective led a team of officers into the room. The police swarmed inside, and Marcus froze, clutching the briefcase tightly.
"Marcus Lee, you are under arrest for embezzlement, fraud, and allegations of bullying. Drop the briefcase," the detective asserted.
Reluctantly, Marcus dropped the briefcase, his face contorted with a mixture of fear and anger.
"This is a setup! I won't take the fall for something I didn't do," Marcus defiantly protested.
The officers swiftly moved to handcuff Marcus. He resisted, but soon he was subdued, his arrogance gradually giving way to the harsh reality of his predicament.
"You have the right to remain silent, Mr. Lee. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law," the officer recited.
As they led Marcus away, an eerie silence settled over the room. The once opulent condominium, which had symbolized Marcus's ill-gotten wealth, now served as a somber witness to his dramatic downfall.
The next morning, Director Rox, Marcus Lee, and Drake Chwe found themselves facing each other once again, but this time in the presence of the authorities and a judge. Roles had shifted, but Marcus Lee still clung to the belief that he was the victim.
"Drake Chwe, you bastard! How dare you do this to me!" he yelled, his voice filled with anger and frustration.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone