InkBound
patreon
CH87 | DI
🕑 Added 2025-04-22 07:21:09 +0000 UTC“It’s easy to say, but what if I get fired for exposing internal information? My livelihood is at stake, I can’t just rush into this…”
Emily defended me in a trembling voice, but Christine was resolute.
“That’s still being complicit. You’re just trying to live well by deceiving everyone, aren’t you?”
It’s not that she’s wrong…
It was almost comical hearing such words from an employee of the scam group Theranos.
Of course, I was the only one who found the situation amusing.
Emily’s expression was extremely somber.
Christine, oblivious to this, continued her speech.
“Doing nothing is also a choice. You may think you’re neutral, but as more people adopt that attitude, the perception that ‘not acting is normal’ spreads, and the tacit approval of such practices becomes entrenched. Why do you think the financial crisis happened?”
“……”
“In some ways, bystanders are worse. If those who first noticed the issue had just revealed the truth, the problem could have been prevented before it grew… Their silence allowed the damage to become uncontrollable!”
“……”
Christine, this woman…
She has a knack for unwittingly stabbing her colleagues. Emily’s head was gradually drooping lower.
But I couldn’t let this go on.
If I pushed her guilt too much, Emily might storm out.
It was time for me to intervene.
“Christine is right. In fact, I too have wanted to reveal what I’ve witnessed…”
I looked down, feigning a melancholic expression.
“Honestly, I’m scared. I fear being fired the moment I expose anything. I’ve seen several seniors get thrown out overnight for addressing such issues.”
I was playing the role of someone in Emily’s position.
Meaning, I was cosplaying as a whistleblower contemplating exposure.
While Emily made a complicated face, Christine seriously advised me.
“You shouldn’t worry too much about your job. Sean, you’re still young? You can surely find a better place. Working at an honorable place would be better for your mental health.”
‘Work at an honorable place…’
Hearing this from an employee of Theranos, of all places, felt strangely ironic.
As bad as Goldman may be, could it really compare to Theranos?
However, now wasn’t the time to dwell on these thoughts. I had to empathize with Emily’s biggest concerns.
“If it were just about being fired from this job, I could handle it. But it doesn’t end there.”
The reason many conscientious employees resigned without exposing Theranos’s fraud.
“Once branded a whistleblower, no bank, no, no industry would accept me.”
That’s why the stigma.
“Becoming a whistleblower means being labeled a ‘traitor’ for life. Even those who praise the exposure hesitate to incorporate such a person into their own organization. Unless I had enough savings, I don’t have the courage to ruin my life.”
“Hmm, that makes sense.”
…This was unexpected.
Hearing this, Christine shifted her stance and quickly showed empathy with my words.
Then she began to seriously ponder a solution.
“How about making an anonymous report?”
“Anonymous reports won’t make much of an impact. They’re likely to be treated as mere gossip.”
“Hmm, but we can’t just do nothing, right?”
“Of course, I won’t just sit on my hands. We’ll have to look for other ways.”
“Other ways?”
“Who knows? If one person can’t make it happen, maybe a group coming together will change things…”
“A group? You don’t mean a protest, do you?”
Christine looked puzzled while Emily’s expression was notably different.
It was as if she had realized something.
‘She must have caught on by now.’
I had mentioned ‘class action’ when we were alone earlier.
From our conversation, she might conclude that ‘we are trying to break through this difficult situation with a class action lawsuit.’
“Let’s drop this gloomy talk and switch to something else. That Sharma person seems to have a peculiar personality.”
I quickly changed the subject.
The favorite gossip of office workers at a drinking party: talking behind the boss’s back.
“He seems a bit eccentric.”
I threw out a keyword, and Christine immediately immersed herself in the new topic.
“Oh, don’t even start! He’s really the only stain on our company!”
‘The only stain? You’re all part of a business built on fake core technology.’
I was very curious to see what kind of face Christine would make when all the facts were revealed.
“Why does the boss keep someone like that close?”
“He seems quite close to her. Maybe they’re even seeing each other…”
“What?! No way!”
Christine jumped up in shock at my words.
“Why?”
“The age difference is over 20 years! Besides, what kind of crazy woman would date such a man?”
I laughed inwardly at her intense reaction. In fact, Holmes and Sharma were secret lovers.
But in the business world, where personal and professional lives must be strictly separated, a romance between the CEO and the vice president could cause significant issues if discovered.
The board of directors would naturally hide this fact…
It seemed like even the employees were kept in the dark about it.
‘No rumors about it, huh.’
Christine seemed to be hearing this for the first time.
Even those working in the same building don’t notice, meaning it’s perfectly hidden.
“Ugh, that person is such a problem! Did you know he brings bedding to the office and works overnight?”
“He seems very passionate.”
“Passionate? Really?”
Christine couldn’t stop pouring out her complaints about Sharma.
“He does nothing but occupies his seat! He disdains employees who leave on time. He doesn’t care about work performance, only evaluates employees based on how long they stay at the company. You know the type?”
While Christine sharply criticized Sharma, Emily remained silent, deep in thought.
How much time had passed?
Vvvvvvmm! Vvvvvvmm!
Christine’s phone suddenly rang loudly.
“Ah, sorry. I’ll take this call and come back.”
When Christine left, the surroundings quieted down. While waiting for a new beer to be ordered, Emily cautiously started speaking.
“You mentioned earlier there might be a solution… perhaps, a class action lawsuit?”
“What?”
“Sean, you said today that if there are many cases of unfair dismissal, we could gather them for a class action lawsuit…”
“Ah! Please forget I ever said that! It’s something that should not have been mentioned aloud.”
I rubbed my face quietly muttering ‘alcohol is truly the enemy’.
Then Emily gathered more courage to continue speaking.
“Actually, a friend of mine is in a similar situation.”
Ah, the age-old tradition of ‘talking about a friend’.
“The company is engaging in dishonest activities, and if anyone points it out, the superiors harass them. I heard dozens of people have quit because they couldn’t endure the harassment.”
“That’s unfortunate. However, if they resigned voluntarily, it would be difficult to bring legal action.”
“There are many who endure the harassment until they’re fired. A couple of people are forced out each month…”
This could be quite a useful piece of information.
“Does this situation seem similar to what Sean mentioned? Would a class action lawsuit be possible here too?”
“It won’t be easy. It might be best to seek legal advice directly.”
“That’s the thing, going directly to a lawyer feels too daunting…”
Those contemplating whistleblowing often have many legal questions. But it isn’t easy to just go to a lawyer.
Usually, they seek consultation only after deciding to file a lawsuit.
In typical cases, let alone a company like Theranos with a history of suing its employees.
What if it becomes known that they went to a lawyer?
For various reasons, hesitating to find out more would be understandable.
But in the midst of that, someone who had experienced something similar got advice from a lawyer?
Naturally, they would be curious.
“My situation is a bit different. It involves disclosing sensitive internal information…”
“My friend seems to be in a similar situation because of things the company is hiding…”
“Is that so? Then you really need a lawyer. There needs to be reasonable evidence that the company engaged in illegal activities.”
“What’s the standard for reasonable evidence?”
“That’s something a lawyer would know best. Moreover, you also need to prove retaliatory actions by the company. You must be able to show that conflicts caused by these actions led to demotion, threats, harassment, or discrimination…”
As I leaked bits of information, Emily showed considerable interest.
The content she could infer from her questions was significant, but too much information made me cautious.
‘Should I stop here today?’
It’s time to stop.
Revealing too much information isn’t good, especially when alcohol is involved.
Humans often regret actions taken in drunkenness.
The type of regret Emily might feel tomorrow depends on my choices now.
If I let her probe further?
She might regret ‘asking too many questions’ tomorrow.
But if I hold back?
She might regret ‘not asking more questions’.
The latter is advantageous for me.
For now, I should plant the seeds of doubt and continue the conversation after a few days of letting it ferment.
Deciding this, I stopped midway and made a ‘oops’ expression.
“It would be more accurate to seek legal advice. And…”
I paused for effect.
“Please, never mention that I talked about this to anyone.”
“Of course.”
“I mean it. I’ve never told anyone else before… If this leaks, you’re the only possible source.”
I earnestly asked her to keep the secret, then downed my beer with a worried expression.
Then, after wiping my face, I looked at Emily again.
“Really, please don’t leak this. Not even to your friend. And definitely don’t mention Goldman.”
“I promise.”
“I’m serious. If this gets out… everything could fall apart. It wasn’t supposed to be discussed, but it felt too personal not to…”
I repeatedly requested confidentiality.
Of course, this was also a deliberate action.
‘It’s easier to rest when you’ve given someone a weapon.’
Whistleblowers don’t easily trust others.
So, I provided Emily with a vulnerability of the person Ha Si-heon.
If I disclose Emily’s secret, she would be able to expose mine as well. Such a mutually destructive arrangement makes it a bit easier to share secrets.
“What were you two talking about?”
Christine returned at the perfect moment. With a third party present, Emily couldn’t bring up any more legal questions.
‘Is there only one thing left to do?’
I needed to create a pretext to keep in touch with Emily. We had already exchanged business cards, but it felt too awkward to call her out of the blue.
As I was contemplating a clever plan, an interesting conversation caught my attention.
“When is Stephanie coming?”
“In about an hour.”
“That would be nice. I wish I had a designated driver…”
“Did you bring a car?”
“Ah, her roommate works nearby. They’ll pick her up after work.”
That could work.
I pretended to be drunk, slurring my words until her roommate arrived.
“And I’ll escort you to your car.”
“That’s not necessary…”
“It’s late at night.”
I insisted on escorting the ladies to the parking lot, citing safety.
However, as we reached Emily’s car,
Thump!
I stumbled and fell forward, accidentally hitting her car with my briefcase. A white scratch was clearly visible on the red body of the car.
Seeing this, I panicked and immediately started apologizing.
“I’m truly sorry! I can’t believe I made such a mistake… I will definitely compensate you! Please get it repaired and let me know the cost!”
“No, it’s okay. It’s just…”
She said that, but Emily’s expression hardened. The scratch I made was quite deep. This wasn’t something that could be forgiven with words alone.
“No, please! Let me know! I will fully cover the repair costs.”
After apologizing excessively, I texted Emily as soon as we parted ways.
<I am truly sorry. I am not just saying this. Please make sure to get the repairs done and let me know the cost.>
I plan to text her every day asking if she has repaired it yet.
Then, in a few days, I’ll call her first. If I ask about the repair costs and casually inquire about ‘that friend of hers’ at the end of our conversation?
By then, after days of regretting not asking more questions, perhaps Emily will open up more.
‘Is everything urgent taken care of?’
I achieved quite a bit in just one day. Originally, I planned to visit the café again tomorrow to gather more information and build connections with other employees, but now that seemed unnecessary.
I had already heard more than enough about the internal affairs of Theranos from Christine.
I had scheduled the business trip for two days, but now I had a day free.
That meant, there was somewhere I could go.
