“Jeremy, our factory director, Stanley Ziegler’s son, said he’d drop her home. What’s wrong? Do you think he’ll be inappropriate?”

I intentionally raised my voice, so the supply warehouse manager and the directors of the neighboring factories, who were sitting at the next table, heard me. They looked over.

“What’s going on over there? What’s wrong with Mr. Ziegler’s son?”

I immediately stood up, and I answered in frustration, “Mr. Wilson, Kevin said Jeremy’s being inappropriate and planning to make a move on my fiance!

“I believe that Jeremy is a nice person. He won’t do something like that!”

Those who were friends with Stanley also added, “Yeah, we watched that kid grow up. Kevin, you’re spreading rumors and defaming Jeremy! Do you still want to work in the factory?”

Kevin’s knees instantly buckled, and he fell on the chair. He instinctively denied it. “I didn’t spread rumors! They…”

I immediately interrupted him and said, “Mr. Ziegler usually treats me very well. When his son is being defamed, I have to stand up and clear his name!

“I’ll expose your lies!”

After that, all the factory directors at that table stood up.

“We should also go and take a look. This is not a small matter. Kevin, if you’re spreading such sick rumors to cause trouble, we’ll not spare you!”

I lowered my head to hide my smile. I grabbed Kevin, who was trembling with fear, before we followed the crowd toward the warehouse.

When we approached the warehouse, we heard a soft, gasping voice coming from inside.

A woman’s voice trembled softly, and each sound was a sound of passion. A few of the older workers’ ears immediately turned red, and they instinctively moved to the side.

I immediately stopped walking. I pretended to be stunned by the voice coming from the warehouse. I immediately stopped the crowd who wanted to rush to the front.

My voice trembled as I said, “Everyone, hold on! I… Let me go and take a look first. Maybe it’s a misunderstanding. Karli is not that kind of woman, and Jeremy wouldn’t do something like this!”

As I said that, my eyes reddened, and I clenched my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned white. I looked the very picture of a loyal man who was not willing to accept the truth.

“Misunderstanding?”

A woman in a gray outfit suddenly walked to the front. She was Miss Lawrence from the factory office. She frowned.

“That voice sounds like Jeremy’s to me! If they’re really going at it in the warehouse, then that’s serious misconduct! We have to investigate it!”

She did not give anyone a chance to interrupt. She turned back and shouted at a young officer behind her, “Go and tell Mr. Ziegler to come here!”

Then, she whispered to that person again.

I stood close to her, so I could hear clearly that she told the person to call the police too.

I sneered inwardly. Her husband had long eyed Stanley’s position. She would not let go of such a great opportunity to kick Stanley down when he was already in trouble.

I pretended as if I did not hear what she had just said. I just dragged Kevin along with a sad and hopeless expression.

“You’re my best buddy. Come with me.”

Before he could refuse, I dragged him toward the door of the warehouse.

The door was tightly closed, but Karli’s voice sounded clear. “Faster…” Jeremy’s heavy gasp could also be heard.

I clenched my fists tightly and stood frozen as if my feet were rooted to the floor.

Kevin tried to push me aside, and he asked, “Is that really Karli?”

When he saw that I did not answer, he continued, “You’re so loyal to her, and you’re going to marry her soon. You even bought her wedding gifts with all your wealth. If I were you, I wouldn’t have held myself back.”

When Kevin saw me standing still, he gritted his teeth, as if he had made a decision.

He turned back and picked up a brick and stuffed it into my hand.

He lowered his voice and urgently said, “Shane, this isn’t okay! I’m right here with you. Just rush inside and beat them up!”

He had a sly glint in his eyes. He clearly wanted to make me rush inside like I did in the past. It did not matter that Karli had humiliated me. If I hit Jeremy, the factory would definitely remove my university spot and even fire me.

That way, he would get all the benefits again.

Previously, when they framed me in front of the police, Kevin stepped forward and testified for them. He claimed that I had mentioned to him that I wanted to steal things from the warehouse.

When I thought about that, I felt my contempt deepen.

I pushed him away so forcefully that he staggered and bumped into the wall.

I let myself slip and stumble before scrambling back. My knees and elbows dragged against the ground and were streaked with blood. My pants were caked in mud.

When I ran into the crowd, I wiped my face. My tears streamed down and left muddy streaks on my face. My voice trembled. “No… There’s nothing to see! Just a few stray cats were in heat. I chased them away. Let’s go back!”

“Stray cats?”

Mr. Wilson from the supply warehouse frowned, and his face darkened.

“There are grains and cotton in the warehouse! What if the stray cats bite through the bags? We must go inside and check!”

He walked toward the warehouse, but I immediately rushed forward and stopped him. My hands were shaking. “You really don’t have to go in! I checked it. Nothing’s broken. Please believe me!”

As soon as I said that, a man’s moan suddenly sounded from the warehouse, and the ecstasy in his voice could not be hidden. All the men knew what that sound meant.

The crowd instantly broke into chaos. A few young workers immediately pushed me away to rush inside, but I pulled at the arms of the person who was right at the front as tears streamed down my face. “Don’t go inside! Please, I’m begging you!”

When they saw that I refused to say anything more, someone looked at Kevin, grasped his collar, and asked, “What’s happening inside? If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll beat you up!”

Kevin’s face turned pale, and he glanced at the warehouse door with a flustered gaze.

He knew if he admitted that Jeremy was inside, he would regret it. He would not even be able to keep his job, let alone the spot at the university that he was supposed to get.

He gulped and said fearfully, “It’s… It’s really just stray cats. Shane and I chased them away. It’s true!”

Miss Lawrence immediately walked forward and stared at Kevin with a sharp gaze.

“If it’s just stray cats, why were you spreading rumors that Jeremy and Karli were in the warehouse? Either you go and surrender yourself at the police station, or I’ll take you there myself!”

Kevin fell to his knees with a heavy thud, and tears streamed down his face. He could not utter a single word.

At this time, a loud voice boomed from behind the crowd. “Who’s spreading rumors about my son?”

Stanley walked forward. He saw Kevin, who was kneeling on the floor, and went forward to kick him in the chest.

“You little brat! You dare to frame my son?”

He kicked Kevin until the latter almost collapsed on the floor. The crotch of his pants turned damp. He knew that he was either getting fired or getting arrested. There was no other way.

But no matter which he chose, he was doomed.

I immediately walked forward and held Stanley back. I said sadly, “Mr. Ziegler, please don’t let this upset you. I believe that Jeremy is an honest person, and Karli won’t betray me.

“Her family faces financial difficulty, so I give them my monthly salary. She wouldn’t betray me that way.

“Also, we’ve been engaged for so many years, but she won’t even let me hold her hand. She’s very strict about her boundaries. She’d never act this way.”

My tears streamed down my face. Everyone could guess that something was going on in the warehouse from my sorrowful look.

As if on cue, several howls suddenly echoed throughout the warehouse.

A group of police officers walked over and rushed toward the warehouse.

I went forward and tried to stop them. “Officers, there’s nothing inside! Please, don’t go inside!”

But a police officer pushed me aside and said seriously, “Someone reported that a person stole something from the warehouse. We at least have to investigate it!”

This time, I could not stop them. With a loud bang, the police officer kicked open the warehouse door.

When the flashlight beam swept around and illuminated everything inside, everyone screamed and backed away.

There were more than two people in the warehouse!