Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

Chapter 58
Pearl remembered Ruby Snyder, the young woman who spoke ill of her in a low voice.
Ruby had been close to Abby when the latter worked here previously.
“What? Your computer didn’t crash, Miss Pearl?”
Everyone looked over and saw that Pearl’s computer was still functioning.
“Our computers are down, but yours is fine.
Well...”
Ruby didn’t outright accuse Pearl, but her insinuations were clear. She hinted that Pearl might be behind the computer issues,
raising suspicions among her colleagues.
Pearl shot Ruby a cold glare in response. “What do you mean?”
Ruby tried her best to maintain her composure. “I’m not accusing you, Miss Pearl. I’m just suggesting it’s possible. If it’s not you,
then prove it. Don’t intimidate your subordinates.”
Pearl looked away and asked the others, “Do I have to prove it?”
A man cautiously spoke up, “Miss Pearl, I don’t think you’d do something like this based on your character, but—
Ruby chimed in, “It’s not impossible! Everyone wants to excel in the company and stand out by putting others down.”
Ruby’s words triggered a realization in Pearl. “Well, Ruby, it seems like you have a good grasp of the motives behind this
scheme.”
Ruby looked pale but vehemently denied any involvement. “No, I don’t. Don’t slander me. My computer... is broken too.” She
pointed at her computer and sneered. “Mine was the first to crash, right in the middle of working on a proposal.” With an arched
eyebrow, Pearl looked at Ruby’s mocking smile and asked, “Can I take a look at your computer then?”
Ruby nodded confidently. “Sure, go ahead. Since it crashed, there’s nothing to hide.”

She had intentionally planted a highly complex virus in her computer, confident that Pearl wouldn’t be able to fix it. Looking
composed, Pearl said, “Okay, don’t regret it.”
She examined Ruby’s computer and identified a notorious virus named Ellisa. Only five people in the world could crack it, and
Pearl happened to be one of them.
Pearl swiftly typed complex code and mathematical symbols, leaving others bewildered by the incomprehensible display on
the screen.
Finally, Pearl cracked the virus, and everyone saw Ruby’s unfinished work–a simple drawing of a frog.
“Oh, the proposal you were talking about was this little frog,” Pearl taunted Ruby.
Ruby, still in denial, retorted, “Maybe the virus turned my proposal into a frog!” She blushed but continued to explain when met
with skeptical gazes. “I did write a proposal. If you don’t believe me, you can check the backup I made...”
Ruby inadvertently let slip that she had a backup.
“You have a backup? You foresaw the future and created a backup because you knew your computer would be attacked by a
virus,” Pearl exposed Ruby’s lie.
Unable to maintain the pretense any longer, Ruby confessed vehemently, “Yes, I did it! What are you going to do? If it weren’t for
you, I would have been promoted to manager when Emily got the position. I’ve been working hard for this company for years. I
can’t stand seeing a newcomer like you reaping the rewards of others‘ hard work!”
Ruby felt that she had worked her “ss off for the company and deserved a promotion.