Chapter 419
“I…” Nathaniel started, but a thought stopped him. “Why should I admit to anything? I’ve done nothing wrong, so I’m not afraid! Olivia, don’t spout nonsense just because you have Lily’s support now.” He hung up.
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God I came to my senses,” he thought, rubbing his chest. “It would have been over for me if she’d been recording.”
He felt relieved and proud he hadn’t given Olivia any evidence. Olivia, however, was frustrated. She’d been so close to getting a confession. A recording posted online would have been the perfect evidence. But he’d stopped talking at the crucial moment, refusing to answer directly.
“I can’t get solid proof if he won’t admit anything,” she muttered. “He’s careful.”
“I told you he wouldn’t be fooled easily,” Lily said, disapproving of Olivia’s aggressive approach. If Nathaniel were easily tricked, he wouldn’t have deceived Lily for so long. Lily knew he was cunning.
“I’m so furious! He did it but lacks the guts to admit it! What a coward!” Olivia fumed, throwing her phone on the desk. “There are plenty of people like that. If everyone admitted their faults, we wouldn’t need police, would we?”
Since Lily hadn’t expected Olivia’s strategy to work, the outcome didn’t bother her. Calmly, she asked, “Have you sorted the information I gave you?”
“Yes. It’s good we still have the notes.”
Olivia nodded, her spirits lifting. “I’ll post it online now.”
“Great. Cover the important sections, but make sure the time and location are clear.”
Lily reviewed the material before giving Olivia the go-ahead. She’d been well-prepared when she left MN Inc. Nathaniel thought she’d lost access to the research data after he’d taken it, but he didn’t know she always kept backups—on her laptop and in notebooks. She often worked at home, jotting down ideas.
How was a copy of her handwritten notes enough? Plus, Olivia, as her assistant, kept her own records of data and experimental results. These two sets of records provided the best evidence.
As expected, Olivia’s post caused a stir online. Indecisive netizens swung to Lily’s side; the evidence was solid and undeniable. It spoke volumes.
Uploading only Lily’s notes might have led to accusations of plagiarism from Melanie. But Olivia’s notes were also included. Who could Lily have copied from? Anyone familiar with the perfume industry would recognize the authenticity of the notes; they couldn't be replicated overnight. The records, learnings, reflections, and corrections showed the work involved in repeatedly experimenting to achieve the desired results. Even with some of Olivia's records redacted, it showed the assistant’s dedication.
Nathaniel was instantly vilified. Netizens used hashtags like #plagiarism, #corporate_cheating, #NathanielIsABastard, and #NathanielOwesLilyAnApology, driving the story's popularity.
“No! It isn’t like that!”