Chapter 125 Ousted From the Gardner Corporation
Because of the incident related to Nicole, Colton was immediately summoned back to the Gardner Residence by Benjamin.
Later in the evening, four people were sitting at the dining table in the Gardner Residence. Occupying the main seat was a man who looked very stern. Nearly half of the hair on his head was gray, and he was wearing a suit. He had put up a straight look on his face, making the atmosphere at the dining table extremely tense.
After a while, the man questioned, “Colton, did I not request you to kick out the plagiarist out of the Gardner Corporation? Why did you oppose my request?” The man’s voice was thick and deep, with a hint of regal command that could not be refuted.
Pursing his lips, Colton looked up at Benjamin and answered in a faint voice, “This matter has yet to be investigated. Hence, we can’t jump to conclusions.”
After receiving his reply, Benjamin slammed his palm onto the table and stood up immediately, his pair of eagle eyes staring directly at Colton. “What else is there to investigate further? The judges’ verdicts have determined it, and she even gave Wendy the plagiarized outfit to wear. Since when did Wendy deserve to suffer from such grievances?”
With a collected composure, Colton looked toward a very angered Benjamin. His eyes slowly fell on Benjamin’s palm which he had used to slam the table earlier. Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “Doesn’t your palm hurt when you slam so hard?”
Seeing that Colton was still diverting the subject at hand, Benjamin was fueled with anger. “I’m being serious with you. Don’t try to change the subject!”
Seeing that Benjamin did not seem to be fooled by his tactic, Colton could only speak faintly, “Lisa is the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel after all. Since F&M Apparel has yet to make an announcement in regards to the scandal, we can’t be the first to make any moves.”
Colton softened his tone, and he looked at Benjamin, who was still standing. Pulling the corners of his mouth, he continued by saying, “Dad, if she’s really committed plagiarism, I wouldn’t need you to order me; I’ll kick her out of the Gardner Corporation myself. However, if that’s not the case, we will certainly be criticized for our actions in the future if we were to act now on impulse.”
After he listened to Colton’s words, the look on Benjamin’s face eventually lightened up slightly. He eased up on his expression and sat down slowly. “Still, we can’t let Wendy suffer from such grievances. There must be a way to justify this matter.”
Before Colton could voice out his opinion, Wendy suddenly spoke up. “Dad, let’s wait until the end of this month.”
The solemnity on Benjamin’s face instantly softened when he heard Wendy’s voice. As he looked at Wendy, the look on his face was loving, and the tone in his voice softened a lot. “Wendy, are you not upset over this matter anymore?”
While resting her chin on one hand, Wendy pouted and said, “If the outfit was truly plagiarized, I’d certainly be livid. But, just like what Colton had said, if the Gardner Corporation kicks her out, people will certainly criticize us if it is revealed that it wasn’t plagiarism.”
Wendy’s brisk voice carried a deep sense of righteousness. Shaking his head, Benjamin felt emotional in his heart, and he almost burst into tears. “Oh, my dear daughter, you’re all grown up, and you even know how to look out for others now.”
In reality, Wendy simply did not wish to make the situation more difficult for Colton. Either way, Nicole had already promised that if she failed to prove her innocence by the end of this month, she would leave the fashion designing circle herself. Therefore, why should the Gardner Corporation portray itself as the villain first?
“Colton.” Wendy turned her head to look at Colton, a brief determination twinkling in her clear eyes. “If Lisa fails to prove that her design draft is not plagiarized by the end of the month, be sure to oust her from the Gardner Corporation!”
To be frank, Colton never expected Wendy to actually behave so righteously. Hence, he nodded. “Deal.”
There’s still more than a week before the end of the month. There’s enough time for the matter to bloom and scatter.
Colton was also curious as to who instigated this scandal. Was the person targeting Nicole, or the cooperative ties linked between F&M Apparel and the Gardner Corporation?
“Alright, you guys. It’s rare for our family to dine together. Let’s not discuss these negative issues and just enjoy our meal,” Anna hurriedly said as she sensed the slight harmonious atmosphere at the dining table.
