"Mr. Sanchez, do you see this? I'm your secretary. I represent your image, your reputation. And these people have the nerve to lecture me right in front of you. Imagine what they say behind your back."

She dabbed at the corner of her eye. "A few harsh words at my expense, I can take. But your dignity? That's what's really at stake here."

Arnold's expression darkened. He swept a cold look over the employees who'd spoken up, then turned to Doreen.

"What do you think should be done?"

Doreen's eyes lit up. "Fire them. Insubordinate, disrespectful to their superiors. The company has no use for people like that."

"Fine. Handle it exactly the way you said."

The employees who had just spoken up went pale, every single one of them.

I stared at my husband, eyes wide, unable to believe what I was hearing.

All they'd done was say something fair. Doreen put on her wounded act, and now he was going to fire them all.

I knew my husband spoiled Doreen, but I never imagined it went this far. Terminating employees on her word alone? At this rate, a few more sentences out of her mouth and he'd hand her the whole company.

"I don't agree," I said coldly.

My husband's expression darkened, but before he could speak, Doreen let out a light laugh. "It's just a few employees, Mrs. Sanchez. Why so worked up? Unless they're all loyalists you planted inside the company?"

I locked my eyes on Doreen, the fury I'd been holding back finally clawing its way to the surface.

"Doreen Stephens, shut your mouth!"

"You said we were playing a party dare? Go ahead. Ask every single person in this room whether we were playing a party dare."

"You said my mother and I planned this together. Where's your proof? Did you hear it with your own ears? Do you have it on video?"

Doreen's expression flickered.

I didn't look at her again. I turned to the paramedics. "My mother genuinely needs emergency treatment. Please—"

"Wait!"

Doreen's voice cut through the room.

"Mrs. Sanchez, I didn't want to take things this far. I wanted to leave you some dignity. But you forced my hand."

She turned to my husband.

"Mr. Sanchez, didn't you hear it yourself? Mrs. Sanchez and her mother conspiring to fake an illness and deceive the paramedics?"

My head snapped toward my husband. My heart hammered, caught between desperate hope and sickening dread as I waited for his answer.

He didn't clear my name. Not immediately. Instead, he frowned at Doreen.