Is this destiny?

~ Los Angeles, White corp. HQ ~

Friday

2:17 PM

Frederick Arthur and Beatriz Mendes are in the CEO\'s office.

Both of them work at White corp. for many years, and they\'ve seen CEO White during annual meetings and sometimes in the building, but he was always a distant figure, almost like a mystical creature. But now, they are standing in front of his desk, and he is only few steps away, and he does not look happy. 

Besides Jeff, JoAnna, Sarah, Steve and the director of HR for White corp. are in the office as well.

The door of the office opened, and Katelyn Scott entered. "CEO White, I apologize for being late."

"Thank you for joining us, director Scott.", Jeff said dryly. "Now that we are all here, we can begin."

"Mr. Arthur, Miss Mendez", Jeff addressed them officially. "There are serious charges made against you and I wanted to monitor this case personally."

"Charges?", Dr. Arthur asked fearfully.

"Yes. Your behavior caused a hostile work environment and I wanted to hear what you have to say about it.", Jeff clarified.

Dr. Arthur and Beatriz exchanged glances and then looked at Jeff. They are not sure how much Jeff knows.

Jeff gestured toward the director of HR who looked at her laptop and started talking: "On multiple occasions you spoke badly about your fellow coworkers, made derogatory age-related comments, sexual advancements… the list goes on and it ends on today. Miss Ronin came to inspect our equipment and staff, not to find a date. The two of you should handle your relationship issues outside the workplace. Also, your relationship needs to be reported to your superior so that you don\'t give peer performance feedback to each other. We tracked that last five years you are rating each other\'s performance as excellent. You should know that we are wondering if that is an objective evaluation or is it made because of your romantic relationship. Do you have anything to say about this?"

"Who reported all these?", Dr. Arthur asked.

"Your peers.", the director of HR responded.

"Was it her?", Beatriz gestured toward JoAnna.

Director of HR was about to say something, but JoAnna was faster.

"Yes.", she said smugly. "Are you going to deny that since I arrived you are hostile toward me? At first, I didn\'t understand why, but now we have you on record that you thought how my current position was meant for Dr. Arthur and that I snatched it from him by using underhanded methods. You believe that you are siding with him because of your feelings toward him, but actually, you are creating a conflict where there should be none."

"Are you denying that took his job from him?", Beatriz sneered.

JoAnna was surprised how easy is to push Beatriz\'s buttons, and decided to proceed: "How can a job be his if it didn\'t exist before I came along? But even if what you are saying is correct, you should take it with your management, and not talk randomly to create discord amongst employees while tarnishing my reputation."

Beatriz rolled her eyes. "Your reputation? What reputation? Since you came to office, you are eyeing Dr. Arthur and pretending to be a good coworker, but everyone knows that you got ahold of your position only because you have someone backing you!"

Dr. Arthur shook his head and took a step away from Beatriz. He would slap her if there is no audience. How can she talk so randomly? He knew that she is impulsive and that her tongue is faster than her brain, but this is a professional suicide. Did she forget that director Scott and CEO White are in the office, as well as the director of HR? He only hopes that she does not drag him down with her.

JoAnna narrowed her eyes at Beatriz. "I got my position because someone is backing me? Are you saying that my degree, experience and achievements are fabricated?" She turned to the director of HR, and asked: "Can we add this slander to the list?"

Beatriz lost it. "Slander? Everyone knows that you used your body to reach where you are. Who knows with how many men you slept to get the title for Chief Researcher!"

"Enough!", Jeff growled, and it made Beatriz stop talking.

As much as he told JoAnna that he will not interfere, that woman said to HIS WIFE that she is sleeping around for benefits!

"Miss Mendez…", Jeff said in a threatening tone. "Unless you have a firm evidence that Dr. Hill did anything you accused her of, I suggest you pack your belongings. You are fired."

"What kind of evidence you have that I did anything I was accused of?", Beatriz snapped at Jeff.

Sarah turned her laptop toward Beatriz which had number of video icons shown. "Pick one, they are categorized by the type of misconduct."

Sarah played video from this afternoon where Beatriz lashed on Dr. Arthur for cheating on her with Emma and Beatriz screamed how all this is JoAnna\'s fault because she is someone\'s mistress who brought her \'companion\' to seduce Dr. Arthur.

"You are recording our lab?", Beatriz asked under her breath, unable to hide her shock.

"We suspect that someone is leaking results of our research, so we installed additional security several months ago.", director Scott explained. "I didn\'t expect to catch you badmouthing your coworkers. And your slanders are not limited to Dr. Hill. Do you know how detrimental that is to the work environment?"

Security escorted Dr. Arthur and Beatriz out of CEO\'s office.

Beatriz was fired, while Dr. Arthur got an option to continue working from a branch lab located in Alabama with a reduced salary.

Director Scott and director of HR left the office after they confirmed that they will keep an eye on this case so that it does not escalate into a legal battle that can attract negative media coverage for White corp.

"Are you sure that it\'s wise not to disclose your identity as Mrs. White?", Sarah asked JoAnna.

JoAnna confirmed. "Yes. Beatriz has an idea that the system is against her and wants to take her lover away from her. In this way I am just a regular employee. It hurts her more."

Sarah shrugged. "If you say so… This office drama was dragging for too long. Are you sure that this is over?"

JoAnna paused and looked at Sarah. "Your point?"

"Nothing.", Sarah decided to change the topic: "Aren\'t you now short by two researchers?"

JoAnna didn\'t suspect anything and started thinking at loud how to fill up newly open positions. "There are few good DNA researchers at LA Medical Center, about to graduate. I will see if I can interest them in joining this lab…"

Sarah nodded while JoAnna talked and made random \'mhm\' noises in agreement, but her mind was on Beatriz and Dr. Arthur. She observed that Dr. Arthur is someone who is using his head and her assessment is that he will not do anything rashly. However, Beatriz is angry and slightly delusional, and in a way, it reminded her of Evalina. Sarah narrowed her eyes while thinking how she will not allow this to escalate into Beatriz attacking JoAnna. It is easy for anyone to obtain a gun in the United States and it takes less than a split second to pull the trigger. And Sarah will be damned if she allows anyone to hurt her loved ones again.  

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