The moment her eyes met the screen, Addie's pupils dilated and her face drained of color. Her legs turned to jelly, shaking uncontrollably. What she saw was her own actions, displayed with the clarity of a high-definition, 1080p video. Every expression, every word, every action was laid bare for all to see.
There it was, footage of her forcing the servants to scrub the floors on their knees, and threatening them with dismissal. The moment where she casually tossed an apple core on the floor, expecting the maids to clean it up. The scene where she demanded they polish her shoes. All these scenes played out on the screen, causing Addie's legs to buckle beneath her, collapsing to the floor in shock.
From the moment he'd switched on the TV, Presley had turned his head, attempting to avoid the painful sight. However, the sounds alone were enough to enrage him. His forehead throbbed with pulsing veins, and his breath was coming in ragged gasps.
"What's the matter? Don't tell me you've been bought off by that woman too, helping her stage this whole act?" Presley demanded, his icy gaze fixed on Addie.
"I..." Addie stammered, her mind in chaos, not knowing what to say.
"Addie... all these years, is this who you've really been? Did you think I was a fool, playing me for all this time?!"d2
"No, sir, I didn't..."
"How do you explain the video then?!" Presley roared, his cane pounding on the floor to punctuate his words.
Addie, trembling with fear, clenched her eyes shut. Her body shook violently with each thunderous boom of Presley's voice and the pounding of his cane on the floor. "Sir, I just wanted them to obey me, to do their work properly. They were used to Marina's management, so it was hard for me to discipline them..."
"And your idea of discipline is what? Having them bow down to you, treating them like your slaves, expecting them to polish your shoes daily?!"
Presley's voice boomed through the room, reducing Addie to tears. "No, sir..."
"Addie!! These people are employees of the Harper family. They’re here to help us. We wouldn't dare treat them as slaves, but you... they are someone's cherished children! How dare you treat them the way you did?!
“Chloe was right, you're worse than the harshest head housemaid of the old manor houses! And you have the audacity to play the victim in front of the press? What do you have to complain about? You should see how people are talking about you outside! You're utterly shameless!!"
Presley was furious, his voice almost cracking with his anger. He glared at Addie, his face a mask of anger and disappointment. "You've made a fool of me again! First Wendy, and now you! Do you have any idea how much damage you've done to our company in just half an hour?!"
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