**Chapter 41: Video Evidence** The sun rose lazily the following day, but Janet’s heart felt like a heavy stone in her chest as she stepped into the office. Unease coiled tightly around her, a constant reminder of the storm that was about to break. She was acutely aware that Ike wouldn’t let her off lightly for the events of last night. As she settled at her desk, dread coursed through her veins. No sooner had she taken a seat than Ike erupted from his office, fury radiating from him like heat from a fire. He approached her with such ferocity that she instinctively recoiled as he slammed a stack of documents onto her table. "You are fired! Pack your things and get out of here now!" he barked, his voice cutting through the hum of the office like a knife. Janet’s eyes examined the documents strewn before her—the design drafts she had painstakingly prepared. The harsh reality of the moment pressed down on her. “May I know why you’re firing me, Mr. Lyman?” Her voice was steady, belying the turmoil inside her. Ike’s face, still sporting the Band-Aid from his earlier injury, twisted with rage. His eyes burned like hot coals, each glance cutting deeper as he flashed back to the humiliation he had suffered the previous night. "You’re incompetent! Unfit for your position!" he spat venomously, his words laced with venom. "Pack. Your things. You’re just a graduate!" His words echoed with the malicious glee of someone who reveled in wielding power. "I will make sure you never succeed in this industry. As long as I’m around, you’re finished." Janet's hands tightened around her design documents, her spirit undeterred. “You already approved my designs. What’s changed? Why the sudden incompetence accusation?” She locked eyes with him, her glare unwavering, an unyielding fighter standing against a storm. Their exchange had drawn the attention of other employees, who watched with bated breath, the air thick with tension. “That’s right, Mr. Lyman. We’ve already begun implementing Lind’s design plan since you gave it the green light,” piped up one of her colleagues, their solidarity a fortress around Janet. She was well-liked, respected even, and this collective support added fuel to her resolve. Conversations hushed, and sympathetic glances fell on her from all directions. “Is there a misunderstanding here? Mr. Lyman, we have all witnessed Lind’s exceptional talent. She’s committed and hardworking!” another colleague added, their voice trembling slightly but firm. With a dark scowl etched into his features, Ike’s composure started to falter under the scrutiny of the office. “There is no misunderstanding!” he thundered, his voice rising above the whispers. “The design plan is changing! She is fired! I’ll select a new design from the submissions. No more questions! I’m the director, and if I say she’s incompetent, then she is!” Silence fell across the room, and a wave of sympathy washed over Janet. Everyone could sense the personal vendetta that fueled Ike’s rage, sensing that this had little to do with her work. She took a deep breath, resigned to the truth. Her heart sank as the weight of her impending dismissal settled in—she was about to become just another casualty in Ike's relentless campaign. But just as despair threatened to claw its way up her throat, a commanding voice interrupted the stifling tension that hung in the air, “Wait!” Janet looked up, meeting the imposing gaze of Garrett. He was a force unto himself, striding purposefully towards Ike, and the atmosphere shifted. “Lyman, someone has lodged a formal complaint against you for allegedly molesting a female employee and attempting to rape her.” Gasps filled the room as chaos erupted. Murmurs and whispers bounced off the walls like ricochets, all eyes darting from Garrett to Ike, a mix of disbelief and outrage etched on their faces. “What? Mr. Harding, you must be mistaken! I would never do such a thing," Ike retorted, panic spilling into his voice. “This is a conspiracy to ruin my reputation!” Just then, Christopher entered the design department, his expression thunderous. “You would never do such a thing?” he spat, stepping closer. “Yesterday, I saw you forcefully dragging Miss Lind to a dinner party, threatening her job.” Ike stiffened, his bravado cracking under the weight of the accusation. “You’re just making baseless allegations!” he growled, but there was a tremor in his voice that betrayed his confidence. “I only thought Miss Lind had potential,” Ike clumsily attempted to defend himself, the words spilling out of him like a tangled mess. “I wanted to introduce her to some contacts in the industry. I absolutely did not mean to harm her!” Janet felt a wave of nausea roll over her. How could he lie with such blatant disregard for the truth? The bile in her throat threatened to choke her as he spun his narrative. “Let’s review the evidence, shall we? We’ll see if your claims hold any water,” Garrett said, a knowing grin spreading across his face. He gestured to his assistant, who swiftly opened a laptop and started a video. What appeared on the screen sent icy dread coursing through the room. The camera captured a dimly lit hotel corridor, the door to an elevator swinging open. Janet was seen hesitating to step inside when Ike’s imposing figure lunged forward, dragging her back against her will. Her hair was a mess, and panic radiated from her face as she struggled against his grasp. “Is this how you ‘help’ an employee?” Garrett sneered, his voice boiling with contempt, the red hue of his face betraying his anger at the betrayal. The eyes of everyone in the office widened and focused on the screen, disbelief morphing into horror as the truth became undeniable.