After Mary, Ryan, and Kristen left, Clifford glanced at Steven, who was still immersed in his excitement, and coughed lightly.
Startled, Steven looked around.
When he saw that Ryan and Kristen were already gone, he immediately stuffed the money away and hurried out of the office without even bothering to say a word to Clifford.
Clifford sat there, feeling a headache coming on.
He picked up the phone and reported the situation to his superiors.
Originally, Mary had only listed the reasons for divorce in the report, but after Clifford's explanation, the higher-ups took the matter very seriously. This kind of behavior set a terrible precedent. If it spread, the consequences would be unimaginable.
An emergency meeting was quickly convened to discuss how to handle the issue and how to use it as a warning. The arrival of a new era did not mean people could forget hardship, responsibility, and basic decency.
