The old lady's voice grew louder and louder. Staff members had known Ms. Lawson's grandmother from the Internet. But they never expected this annoying old lady would come to their office.
Though members of the office loved to gossip about Sophia, they would not get themselves involved this time. Therefore, after the old Mrs. Lawson and the three others entered Sophia's room, her assistant shut the door so the noises would not be heard.
The old lady stepped forward to grab Sophia and slap her face. But Sophia was alert the moment her grandma showed up and shunned away swiftly.
"Grandma, this is a working place!" Sophia reminded.
"That's right! You deserve to be slapped in front of your colleagues. I will teach you a lesson." The old lady came to her again but Sophia escaped once again.
"Stop running! You need to pay for plotting your cousin! Don't be so shameless!" What the old lady said was not so pleasing. But Sophia seemed quite at ease. She stood up and said: "Grandma, don't be so mad. Come and take a seat and I will tell you everything."
"What for? I don't want to listen to the person who did something like this. How can you deceive your grandma? You think now you are a grown-up so you don't need to listen to a poor old lady like me, do you?" The old Mrs. Lawson shook with anger.
Sophia said slowly, "Grandma, I knew you would be angry. But you have to believe I am innocent. I will explain everything to you."
"You are innocent? You want to explain? Cathy just came to your company and before long something went wrong with her first client. Don't tell me this is a coincidence."
The old Mrs. Lawson continued in a loud voice, "Besides, having cooperated with him for so long, Sophia, you have known what type of person Mr. Collins is."
Sophia nodded, "You're right, Grandma. I know him so well and that's why I sent Cathy to negotiate with him. I have encountered so many people like him all these years in business. But I managed to become a leader step by step. You think Cathy is cleverer than me. So, if I can do it, I believe Cathy can also do it. Wouldn't you agree?"
The old Mrs. Lawson had to admit what Sophia said was right so she looked at Cathy whose eyes were red from crying. Though Cathy thought she was treated unfairly, stared at by the old lady, Cathy started to grow uneasy.
Bella walked to the old Mrs. Lawson and said, "Mom, don't trust Sophia. She knows what we are thinking after doing business for so many years. Don't be fooled by her."
Bella's words reminded the old Mrs. Lawson who turned back to Sophia. When the old lady was about to speak, Sophia interrupted, "Bella, don't you agree Cathy is smarter than me?"
This time, Bella didn't know what to say. She would never admit Sophia was smarter than her daughter.
Sophia walked to her grandma, took her grandma's hands, and said sincerely, "People like Mr. Collins are a great challenge to those who are new in the workplace. But they are not the minority in the business cycle. Cathy is a Lawson and one day she will take on our family business. So, I want to prepare her for the future and this negotiation was supposed to be a good opportunity."
Sophia's words calmed the old lady's anger who asked suspiciously, "You are not lying to me, aren't you?"
Sophia complained, "Grandma, we're family. Why would I lie to you?"
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