Chapter 392
The next morning at work, Effie was startled when Shirley hurried over to her-her left cheek was swollen and red.
Effie rushed to her, alarmed. “What happened? Are you okay?”
The others in the office watched, clearly expecting a scene. Everyone knew things had soured between Shirley and Effie, so seeing Effie so concerned looked a lot like she was throwing herself at someone who wanted nothing to do with her.
But to everyone’s surprise, Shirley collapsed into Effie’s arms and burst into tears. “Effie, I did it. I finally got all the evidence we needed.”
Effie wrapped her arms around Shirley, speaking gently. “You did great. But who hit you? Was it Peter? Or Irving Butler?”
Shirley sniffled. “It was Peter. He said if I’d agree to be with him, I could climb the ranks in no time. I turned him down, and he slapped me.”
Effie’s eyes widened with concern. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you anywhere else?”
If Peter had really done this, she thought, he deserved whatever was coming to him.
Shirley managed a shaky smile. “Don’t worry, I kicked him where it hurts and called the cops. He’s probably still at the station right now.”
Effie gave her a thumbs up, wincing inwardly at the mental image.
“Well done. Let’s make sure the police have everything they need.”
Shirley nodded. “I’ve already talked to them and handed over all the evidence.”
“Brilliant work!”
Shirley squeezed Effie’s hand. “After what happened to you last time, I realized something: in this world, you have to strike first, or you’ll always be at someone else’s mercy.”
Effie nodded in agreement. “You’re absolutely right.”
No sooner had Shirley finished speaking than a group of police officers arrived. They quietly escorted several people out of the office, including Irving Butler.
With Peter already in custody, these new charges would only make things worse for him.
The rest of the staff looked bewildered, completely lost as to what was going on. Their gazes turned to Shirley, searching for answers.
Shirley took a deep breath and began to explain, her words painting a vivid picture that had everyone riveted-it was more dramatic than any TV show.
As it turned out, Irving Butler, Peter, and a few other designers had been up to no good for quite some time They’d been taking freelance jobs on the side and stealing designs from junior staff, selling them off to small jewelry shops for extra cash.
One designer, frustrated, spoke up. “I knew it! Qur pieces weren’t even in production yet, but somehow knockoffs would hit the market first. Irving even blamed me for it! So this is what was really happening.”
But another employee frowned. “But The Etheridge Group isn’t some small company. We get paid more here than almost anywhere else. Why risk it all? Weren’t they afraid of getting caught?”
Shirley shook her head. “That’s just it. They resorted to extreme measures.”
If she hadn’t gone undercover, Shirley admitted, she’d never have discovered just how deep the rabbit hole went. Irving Butler had lured them, pretending to be their friend, then drawn them into
“investments”—which turned out to
be online gambling.
At first, they all won, and the stakes kept getting higher. Eventually, they borrowed money, even roping in their families. Then the losses started piling up, until everything they’d won-and more—was gone.
That’s when Irving swooped in, playing the hero. He told them it was just bad luck, they could win it all back with one last bet. He lent them money and made them sign predatory contracts.
Desperate, addicted, and seeing only a way out, they followed him blindly-and he led them straight into ruin.