Under these circumstances, Yolanda admitted everything herself, and she was now the prime suspect in the framing of Agnes. After all, she was the only one who knew Agnes' computer password. Despite Agnes' protests that someone had tampered with her computer to publish the damning article, all fingers pointed at Yolanda.
Her eyes were rimmed with red, a mix of anger and desperation. "You've conspired against me," she accused, her voice thick with emotion. "Agnes, Jared, you orchestrated this whole scheme, didn't you? You want to see me ruined, to steal my spot, is that it?"
Outside the office, the atmosphere was just as chaotic. The folks in the News Department were sharp as tacks, and most had sniffed out the truth.
Mr. Whitfield's visit that day wasn't to reprimand Agnes; rather, it seemed he was there to help clear her name. He had cleverly laid a verbal trap, and Yolanda had walked right into it, inadvertently admitting she knew Agnes' password. She had previously used this as evidence that no one could have framed Agnes. Now, it was as if she were slapping her own face with her contradictions.
It was common knowledge that the only one in the News Department at odds with Agnes was the director herself. Agnes hadn't been at the station long, but Director Yolanda had given her plenty of trouble. So the idea of the director setting Agnes up wasn't far-fetched.
At that moment, Yolanda was trembling.
"Yolanda," Jared said coldly, "if my wife wanted your job, she wouldn't need to resort to such elaborate schemes. You, on the other hand, are known for your pettiness and underhanded tactics. You've been a thorn in her side more than once."
The term "my wife" dropped like a bombshell, leaving everyone agape. What was going on?
Jared had already picked up Agnes' laptop. "I'm taking this to the forensics department. If Yolanda touched this computer yesterday and used it to write the article, her fingerprints will be all over it. That would prove the smear against Sharon was her doing. If her prints aren't there, it'll clear her name. As for the plagiarism, I might even let that slide. But if it does come back to Yolanda, I expect the Station head to act without bias and give my wife the justice she deserves."
Jared's use of "my wife" made his stance crystal clear.
Yolanda was practically falling over in her chair. After all these years, it was Agnes who was her downfall. The Station head's face was livid. It was apparent that Yolanda's reaction was tantamount to a confession. The report article was indeed penned by Yolanda.
Jared's words were icy, and with everyone as witness, the Station head couldn't show favoritism even if he wanted to. He had no choice but to respond firmly, "We will investigate this whole thing thoroughly. If Agnes has been framed, we will restore her reputation. Whoever has committed such a despicable act has no place in our station."
Jared nodded and said, "Thank you for your understanding. I'll take Agnes home now, and we'll await your conclusive response before returning."
With that, Jared took Agnes by the hand, grabbed her laptop, and they left the office.
Once they were outside the television station, Agnes was awash in a storm of emotions. It wasn't until they were in the car that she finally spoke. "How did you know?"
Jared simply replied, "How could I stand by and watch them bully you?"
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