Gerald quickly interjected, trying to downplay the tension. "I don't quite understand, Robert. We're all here, and we don't see any major issues like you say."
Robert coldly locked eyes with Gerald, his voice sharp. "Perhaps it's because you and some others here are the ones who created that problem, Gerald."
Robert's words immediately chilled the atmosphere in the room. Gerald turned pale. Derek and Veronica exchanged looks of panic, while Karen struggled to maintain an impassive expression, though the tension was clear on her face.
Robert continued, each word clear as a sentence of condemnation. "I hold undeniable evidence that you all conspired together to overthrow me from the CEO position, embezzle funds, and even secretly leak confidential information to our competitors."
Gerald jumped up, trying to strongly deny the accusation. "Robert, you can't just accuse us like this. This is a serious insult."
Robert calmly responded, "I will not make any accusations without clear evidence, and I believe what you are about to see will make everyone understand the truth."
While the tension in the conference room reached its peak, outside Mary silently waited. She knew that the moment for her to step forward and reveal the truth was very near.
Taking a deep breath, Mary steeled herself for the most powerful and decisive revelation of her life, the moment she believed would completely turn the tide, expose all the truth to the light, and permanently end the tyranny and lies of the betrayers in the company she had once wholeheartedly built.
As the tension in the boardroom became as tight as a string after Robert's cold accusations, Gerald suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with anger and dissatisfaction. He shot a challenging glance at Robert, then jerked his head toward Mary, still dressed in the janitor's uniform and standing quietly outside the boardroom door.
"You're letting these lowly people linger around during something as important as this, Robert?" Gerald's voice dripped with contempt as his venomous gaze locked onto Mary. "Since when did a board meeting include a frail, useless janitor like her?"
A few murmurs began, and the board members' eyes started turning toward Mary, whom they had long ignored. In that moment, the room seemed to freeze in awkwardness and tension, but Mary remained standing, her face remarkably calm, showing no signs of distress despite Gerald's biting words.
Gerald stepped closer, continuing to mock her in a crude, loud voice. "Janet, didn't I make myself clear? Your place is in the restroom or some filthy corner where cleaning needs to be done, not here eavesdropping on executive meetings. Do you understand your lowly position, or has old age made you senile?"
Mary remained silent, her gaze unwavering as she locked eyes with Gerald with absolute calmness. Robert watched his mother from behind the conference table, his anxiety mounting, but he knew this was the moment his mother had been waiting for.