Meanwhile in Zuzu City, on the same night as the flower dance both the CEO, Norman Foss, and his younger blonde assistant reached the safety of the CEO office of the tall Joja Corporations HQ. People were running all over the place trying to figure out how to quell the massive influx of press that was outside the building. The older man looked furious as the news was turned on. The T.V. started to speak about the rumors between the Empire working with Joja, despite being a Republic-born company. It spoke more about the rumors and went into detail about business dealings and how this could affect the business going forward. Suddenly, the CEO's face appeared on the screen. The contrast between the CEO's calm expression on the T.V was much different than his expression in the office, staring at himself with cold indifference.

"These rumors are preposterous." He said with an angry glare toward the press's cameras. "This is nothing, but baseless slander. I will not allow this to go unpunished. Joja will be doing a full-scale look back on its employees to find the person responsible and then punish them by the contents of the law." He spoke before it went back to the news anchor and a few others, talking about the issue and how true this whole situation was. Norman just let out a groan as he sat down in his large chair.

"Turn that rubbish off…please…" he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers before sitting down. "I'm already tired of all of this and it's only just happened." he took out a box that had some rather expensive gin from it and poured it into a glass before downing it. The assistant turned the interview off, and an awkward silence immediately filled the office between them. Norman looked distraught and let out a sigh as he started to twirl the liquid in the crystalline glass. "This is absurd." The man said as he was watching, pouring another glass for himself to sip this time. "Whoever claims to have 'leaked' this information needs to be stopped immediately. It's more than just slanderous, it's a detriment to us. The rumors of the abuse and violence are bad enough as is, and now this? I swear, I'm going to be looking for a new HR person if this keeps up." He huffed out a sigh as he took another sip. "I want the look back done immediately. All Joja members, both current and let go, within the last 6 months of employment." The blonde assistant nodded and pressed a button on a nearby remote. A screen was lowered along with a projector. There was a small humming sound as the projector roared to life.

"I've already taken the liberty of compiling a list of all the employees we've fired and hired within the last few months sir." The man started. "We can assume that this person who is spreading these rumors is not a fan of the Joja brand. So, anyone with a good reputation with the company or sought employment elsewhere is being put on the back burner. Not dismissed completely." The next slide popped up showing less of the profiles. "Then anyone that was let go due to poor job performance; they are put in a different category that we can leave them to the side. Again, we are not dismissing them, we're just-"

"Get to the point Atticus." The CEO growled. Clearly, he was not having the explanation given to him. The younger man nodded and made some motions on his computer. Most of the profiles were moved, leaving only a choice few that were now displayed on the screen. The assistant, given name being Atticus, cleared his throat as he clicked on the first one.

"Very good sir. We have a good list of potential suspects. I'm displaying the more likely ones from the look back results on the screen here. If you would be so kind." He gestured to what was being projected as the first profile was being displayed. A picture of a smiling black-haired man with wink in the picture. "Our first is Robbie Ryder, or Robbie Danger as he called himself. Fired for his pranks and outlandish ideas that were a distraction to his colleagues. While this man was a nuisance, I don't think he would go as far as to falsify rumors. He was very…loud. One of the bigger complaints against him was his making of a fort using empty cubicles. He called it 'Fort Danger'. While most thought it was a funny idea, it was more of a distraction." The man's profile information was pulled up. "He was released from our company 4 months ago, just inside the time range from our main building in Zuzu. Worked in financial." Norman let out a low hum as he looked over the profile.

"I don't think this could have been done by him. He seems…uncivilized. I don't think he'd have a way to contact the news station and make the statement. With that name, I don't think he'd be taken seriously." Atticus nodded.

"Of course, we will still make the search, but I see. Let me update my notes." He said and again, he made some motions on his laptop as words appeared in the notes. The profile minimized and the next one came up. A not too happy man with white hair appeared on the screen. "Next is Luke Desmute, a man who was in security who was fired for the trash fire incident." The assistant pulled up the profile showing an angry looking brunette man with some neck tattoos. "He was fired after he was caught lightning the dumpsters outside the office on fire and screaming 'for the revolution' and other expletives' like…" he paused as he was gathering his thoughts. "Joja can suck my…well you understand." He minimized the profile as he cleared his throat. "Though I don't think he'd do something like this or have the intel to know about these kinds of rumors, we are scheduling an interview with the man to make sure." Norman nodded as he was looking at the other profiles. He didn't know these people as he spent a good part of his day dealing with executives and those in his inner circle. "Alright, next is this one, Alexander Edwards." A blonde with a condescending smirk and glasses was pulled up. "Oh…he was fired only a week ago…for conspiracy and extortion of funds. He was a manager overseeing supply routes…" He continued to read as he thought he had something but sighed as he finished up. "Damn…"

"What? It seems like a good match, and if he had that much money, it fits the bill. We can put this behind us and finally-" The CEO was cut off.

"No…we can't. He used his Joja membership points on an airplane ticket to a resort near Ginger Island. And since the tip was given by hand, he has an airtight alibi. But…we will still conduct the interview." The profile was pushed aside and then another was brought up. A darker skinned woman with glasses and long dark hair was pulled up. "This is Madeline Devine, she works in RnD for a third-party company, which we purchased recently. Though she's still employed, her termination is being investigated because of her…interests. She's an advocate for small companies, against animal testing, against large corporations and is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in." the CEO chuckled.

"Sounds like my kind of woman." He mentioned, but Atticus shook his head.

"I would not advise it sir. She frequents protests, strikes, demonstrations, you name it. As long as it aligns with her beliefs, she will stand at nothing to make sure her opinion is heard…but with that being said, I doubt she could bring this kind of allegation to the press because she's so…passionate about what she believes." Normal nodded and started to look at the remaining profiles. Atticus brought up another blonde male with an eyepatch. "Moving right along, next we have-"

"Wait…" one of the profiles caught his eye. He pointed at the large screen. "Atticus, pull up this one." He said, and the assistant nodded. A sad looking woman with white hair and red eyes was pulled in front of him. "Why does she seem so familiar?" he asked, and Atticus started in. He recognized the woman as he got a closer look.

"Ah yes, this is Ms. Evelyn Turner. She was let go one month ago from the disputes and complaints department. She was the one who filed a claim on the manager we spoke with recently, Morris. She was let go because of violence in the workplace. Well, on leave is the technical term used here, but I don't think she will have a chance to be hired back." The CEO pondered on this for a moment.

"Was there ever a resolution to that claim?" Norman asked, and the assistant started to immediately start a search. He pulled up the investigation documents and the complaint form, giving it a quick read.

"No sir. We are still waiting to hear from both parties. From what I am seeing, Ms. Turner has submitted her paperwork and side of the story, so I believe we are waiting on Morris." The CEO tapped his fingers together. He scowled a little bit as he was reading.

"I want this looked into. Continue the investigation as if we have received all the necessary paperwork…" Atticus nodded and started to type away an email.

"Of course sir. I'll send that email over to the HR department now. And I'll mark it high priority." There was a bit of silence before Atticus spoke up. "Alright, this is sent…but…may I ask why? I'm sure it's just another complaint coming from poor job performance." Norman shook his head.

"No…I remember a request coming in about giving her a Joja Award of Excellence for outstanding job performance. I don't know why the name stuck out, but I do recall that she was adamant of not accepting the award at first. As for why…I'm not sure. I think perhaps this Ms. Turner can be of some use to us. Call it a hunch if you'd like." He pondered a little bit as he took a sup of his drink. "But I digress, send a message to Morris that the investigation has started…Morris is the one in Stardew Valley right?" Atticus nodded as he was typing up yet another email he needed to send.

"Yes sir. I believe that we spoke with him a few weeks ago concerning his job and the additional task we asked him to do. Acquiring the building." The CEO perked up a little bit.

"Do we have that building yet?" Atticus checked the properties on his laptop and looked a little down. He paused his speech as he finished up the email to Morris before speaking again.

"No sir. The building is still in negotiation." The CEO grimaced a little. He looked a little ticked that they still hadn't received the deed to the building. But things would come in time, he believed.

"I see…we will give it more time before adding onto the pressure, but this will be enough. Maybe seeing that we have started the investigation against him will provide as motivation. Once you've sent the profiles to HR, I want an in-depth look on who this Eve is. That, I am going to leave to you, Atticus." Norman stood up and looked out the window, a little yawn came from him. This whole thing had made the mad very tired and thinking about it more was giving him more of a headache. "I'm going home for the night. I'm going to take tomorrow to rest as well, this has been quite a daunting evening. Can you call for my car?" Atticus nodded.

"Of course sir. I'll send the employee profiles for interviews to be conducted. Rest assured that this will be completed in a timely manner." Norman nodded at him.

"Very well. Once you have completed that, go home. And don't come in tomorrow either, take the day off as well." He looked back and smiled. "Perhaps I can meet you at the country club for a round of golf and a steak dinner?" the assistant paused for a moment, but then nodded at his boss, a smile on his face.

"Yes sir!" he said, and both completed their tasks before leaving for the night. Atticus turned off the light to the office and stood in the hallway, closing the laptop and putting it in his bag. "Finally…I'll be seen for what I am…a leader…a problem solver…" he smiled and left toward the elevators to leave the building.

~One Month Ago, in Zuzu City~

"Oh my god!" Joyce covered her mouth as she listened to Eve talk. Eve nodded, wrapped in a blanket and holding a cup of hot cocoa in her hands. Joyce reached over and hugged her. "I can't believe you...you nearly did that. Oh, darling...you must have been holding back a lot." Eve just nodded and rested her head on Joyce's shoulder.

"It was a powerful moment but...I think there is a good side…" Joyce looked at her like she was nuts.

"A GOOD SIDE TO NEARLY KILLING YOURSELF?! Sweetie, I love you, but you're crazy!" Eve shook her head and actually cracked a smile. She looked at her friend with hope.

"My grandfather's gift. When he died he gave me a letter and told me to not open it...until I've felt trapped and crippled by modern society. I guess I sort of forgot about it as the years passed, but...I think now would be good…"

"No fucking kidding!" Joyce said with a smile. "Where is this letter?" Eve let out a sigh.

"It's at work in my desk drawer." Joyce looked confused.

"How'd it get there?" Eve shrugged. She honestly didn't remember how it got there. However, the important thing was it was there.

"But that's why I didn't want to be alone...I'm sorry to trouble you." Joyce shook her head.

"Absolutely not! No! No sorrys!" She said. "Now I want you to make yourself at home! T.V is yours, and Jodi is making dinner. It's some type of pasta thing, I don't know, but it's SOOOOO good!" Joyce hugged Eve and then got up to help in the kitchen. Their little dog, a Yorkie named Toto, jumped onto the couch bed and wagged her tail at Eve. She smiled and started to pet the dog. Finding Joyce again was a stroke of pure luck, and God knows she needed the rest. She leaned against the pillows and started to truly unwind. She couldn't wait for Monday...a first since she never really looked forward to working.

The rest of the weekend flew by. The following Sunday was rejuvenating and fun. Eve had forgotten how good a person Joycelyn was, and made a promise to repay her at some point. They played board games, played with Toto, watched movies...it was like being back in grade school again. When Monday rolled around, Joyce gave Eve a big hug as she was getting a ride to work from Joyce's husband.

"Please keep me updated girl. I want to make sure you're okay and doing fine. And don't like those guys at Joja bully you ok? Be careful." Eve nodded and smiled at her friend.

"Thank you for everything...I'm sorry we lost contact…"

"Eve sweetie, what's important is that we've made contact now. And I'm told I'm a clingy bitch." They both had a laugh as Eve left for work. The gauntlet was about to start and Eve needed to be ready. The last thing she wanted was to go back to work...but she had to figure out a good time to duck out. She started to make her plan as she walked into the building. She paused as a new and rather different feeling overwhelmed her. It was disgust, a strong crushing feeling of dread. She didn't want to be here anymore, and now every part of her was screaming at her head to leave now. She slowly made her way to her desk and sat down. As she was logging in, right on cue, her manager was making his daily rounds. Morris stopped behind her and he put a hand on her chair. Eve felt her body stiffened.

"Good Morning Eve!" He said with a flourish, "And how was your weekend?" And then this question. She dreaded it.

"Um…" Eve stifled to find a word to properly describe the rather...awful epiphany she had. "I guess..fine? A lot...going on, so if you'll excuse me sir..." She managed to dump words from her mouth as Morris leaned over.

"Fascinating! Anyway, I wanted to tell you, in particular, that today is my very last day here. I got a job managing a store of my own in a little run-down town. Don't remember what the town is called, but I wanted to know if you wanted to celebrate with me? I move out tomorrow and want a last hurrah if you get me." He explained, with his words he gestured with various parts of the story. Eve felt disgusted. She worked so hard for this company and he was getting a promotion? While she felt something was wrong, she had to let it go. She put on a smile and shook her head.

"Congratulations on your promotion, but I'm going to pass. I hope you do well." She said to him, rather dismissively before returning to her work. She was about to open up the spreadsheets she needed when she felt his hand gently caress her shoulder. Eve held back shivering as best as she could, and stopped. "Y-yes?" She managed to muster.

"You know," Morris began and leaned down to her ear, "I like you Eve, and I know about the situation you're in. Making ends meet sure is difficult here...with your health." Eve freaked out about this. How did he know all this information?! She didn't face him as he kept talking, but her eyes were wide as she forced her hands to keep typing. "I'll have a house in the next town over from the store, and it'll be difficult to be in a new place all by myself if you understand. So, why don't you live with me and be my girl? You won't have to work as hard, my insurance is better...it'll be great. What do you think?"

*smack*

As if on instinct, Eve stood up, turned, and slapped Morris across the face as hard as she could. The echo of that spread over the office like wildfire and everyone was standing up and looking over.

"Keep your grubby paws off me! When I say no, it means NO! How many times do I have to say no before it gets drilled in your fucking skull, you self-centered asshole!?" she yelled at him, anger flaring in her eyes. As the adrenaline finally started to subside, Eve looked horrified. Part of her was delightfully giddy that she finally smacked Morris, on the other hand, was angry and dumbfounded. Morris was a means of considerable stress...and maybe that wasn't the best way to vent it. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"I-I'm so…" Morris paused as he straightened his glasses on his face. But his eyes were huge, wild, and very angry. He gritted his teeth, and he pointed at her.

"You're gonna regret this! Mark my words..." He snarled before storming off, not giving her a chance to finish. Then there was a long silence, and all eyes were on her now. Slowly, Eve ducked back into her cube and tried her best to focus back on her work. She had to stay determined. After today, she would be done with Joja. As the day rolled on, several people came over to ask about what happened or congratulated her for standing up to him, even if it wasn't professional. By the end of the day, most everyone there was on her side. However, when the big boss came over to her desk, Eve knew she was screwed.

"Eve. Can you come to my office please? Now?" He asked, not bothering to wait for a reply as he walked off. She looked at him and let out a sigh.

"Yes sir…" with that, she got up and went with him. They stepped into a large office with a wooden door in front of them. As she walked through it, he gestured for her to have a seat, and she did. He sat across from her and started pouring two glasses of tea into cups. He slid one over to her, which she hesitantly took.

"Th-thank you…" she said. Her body started to shake as she tried to sip the drink. The boss nodded and sipped his tea before putting the cup down and looking through his files.

"So. Word on the street is you slapped your manager. Is that true?" He asked. Eve just nodded, not wanting to hide or be deceiving about it. The man paused and nodded to himself as he started to flip through the files. "You understand that on these grounds, your employment will be terminated. Is there anything you'd like to say for yourself?" Eve felt her throat clench, as she wasn't sure about this anymore. She needed this job...and she might have thrown it away. What if this gift wasn't what she thought it was? What if it was all a lie? Her anxiety rose as she managed words to him.

"Sir, I understand Morris is a fellow member of staff, but he's been harassing me and making me feel rather uncomfortable while at work. He's made passes at me for months...no years...and today asked me to quit and live with him. I just...I don't like it! I'm so sorry but...I couldn't take it." she covered her face as tears flowed from her eyes. There was another pause before the Boss spoke again.

"Those are some pretty bold remarks Ms. Turner. Are you sure about this? The consequences will be dire if we discover these are false charges." Eve looked more determined there. She wasn't going down without a fight.

"I implore you to check the camera footage. I know it's there, and I know some of the others may have seen or heard something." She said, feeling her heartbeat go a mile a minute now. The boss nodded.

"I understand...alright. I'm sorry Ms. Turner, but until these charges are clear, I'm going to have to suspend your employment. Please clean out your desk and leave the premises immediately and drop your badge off at the kiosk. Thank you." Eve nodded and slowly walked out of the office. Her cube was small and sparsely decorated, so packing didn't take long. However, the last thing she grabbed was what she sought in the first place. Her grandfather's letter. It was still there and in good condition. As she walked out, she got some 'way to go' and 'you did what was right' while leaving, but she didn't say anything back. She only wanted to go home now. When she walked out, she had to admit, she was scared. She lost everything now, her job, insurance, she'd lose her apartment, everything. She hoped that letter, the present from her treasured Grandfather to her, would be worth it all. She had to put all her eggs in this basket now. She called Joyce as she was standing out in the cold with all her things.

"Hi Joyce...can you come pick me up? I uh...I seemed to have gotten fired." Joyce gasped.

"YOU DID WHAT!?" she heard from the other side as she heard a door slam. "I'm on my way!"

~Present Day~

"AARRGGHHH!" a man yelled as he threw a glass at the opposing wall. The orange juice that was in it was now dripping onto the tile floor, where the glass shard and a puddle of the juice sat. Morris was checking his email when he got the notice that the claim filed against him had gone from a 'pending' status to an 'active investigation' status. He had been deliberately not sending in his reports just so that could be put off more and more. But no, now things were about to go from bad to worse. "Why? This is different than the last times…" he muttered to himself as he was skimming the email. "I've made other complaints and they just get brushed under the rug. If this goes through...I could be in danger…" he bit his lip and checked to see if Lewis had gotten back to him at all. He spied an email from the Mayor, and clicked on it.

"Howdy there Morris, I'm sorry our previous conversation got interrupted by a person and that we have not been able to coordinate a time to discuss business. I have talked about your offer to confidants I trust, and while your offer is a very generous one, for the time being, I am still on the fence about selling. However, if anyone else from the town purchases a JojaMart membership from your location, then I will feel more comfortable selling the building. I hope these terms are acceptable for now. If you wish to continue talks, I am more than happy to accomi-oh go screw yourself old man." he read aloud before getting angry toward the ending. He wanted this NOW! The CEO of the company entrusted this task to him, and he wanted to show he was good enough as a businessman and a planner to get it done. "It'll have to do for now, until I can think of another plan...and get this stupid claim off my back." he muttered as he started to tick away a reply.

"Good Morning Mayor Lewis, Thank you for getting back to me in a timely manner. I am okay with these terms while we discuss further offers for the building. We at Joja value you and your villagers patronage at the store, and I am sure when we do buy that old building off of you, we can strike out a deal for continued discounts in the store. If you feel the need to sell beforehand, please feel free to contact me by email or my cell phone. I am eager to hear back. Sincerely, Morris." he quickly sent that before going into the kitchen to get a towel and the dust pan. "I'm going to figure all this shit out. Then they'll see me for the true genius I am." he muttered and finally went over to clean the mess he had made. While he was cleaning, he kept thinking back to that day Eve slapped him. That look in her eyes, it was full of hate and desperation. He had thought back to it several times.

"I still don't understand why she looked like that...stupid woman." he mumbled. "Would have been better off here with me. But whatever, I bet she's drowning in medical bills. It was just a coincidence I found her file and medical history anyway. Sometimes Todd is such a scatterbrain, leaving his drawers open." Todd referring to his previous boss. He scoffed and finished cleaning up and throwing away the glass. "Alright, now for this next email." He sat down and started to craft his report on the incident. He was smirking as he ticked away at the keyboard, his fingers moving like the wind.

"Before I go into details of the day in question, I would like to say that Ms. Turner was under a considerable amount of stress leading up to the incident in question, and I was taking time out of my day to check in and make sure she was okay. I would always keep an eye on her to make sure she wasn't pushing herself too hard. I thought we both had an understanding of this as this is how it has been for many months prior. Although Ms. Turner would often work very long days, some bordering to above 12 hours every day, when coming in voluntarily on the weekends to earn some extra overtime hours. This could have contributed to her actions. I felt my words were very calming, asking if she was okay or would like a reward for her hard work, thus the idea for dinner. But Eve would kindly refuse and be on her way. I felt like the tension was building, but if she was refusing my help, then there was not much I could do. On the day in question, I informed Ms. Turner of my leave and wished her a good day when she attacked me unprovoked." he smirl turned into a toothy grin as he kept writing. "A wild look in her eyes, she asked me to back off saying my so called 'advances' were unwanted and unneeded, when I was only trying to help. I believe Ms. Turner's mental state and stress caused her to snap and take her anger out on the first thing she could, which was me. I hope this helps in your investigation." he laughed a little before filling out the rest of the form and sending it back to HR. "There...that should do it. I'm not exactly lying either...just stretching the truth a little bit...for my benefit." he closed his laptop and smiled, going to his window. The sun was rising on the first day of summer and it was just about time to get to work.

"I'll show them." he mumbled. "I'll show them all what I can do." he said with a grin.