When I saw the state of my office, I told Atticus, "I'll call you back later."

"Sure," Atticus said, and he hung up the phone.

I looked at Carol, who seemed furious, and asked, "What's going on?"

Adelaide immediately jumped in. "Ms. Chloe, it's all my fault. When you and Ms. Carol weren't in the office, I was so busy that I forgot to tidy up your office."

Her explanation sounded reasonable, but the current situation told a different story. Was my office really in such a mess just because I wasn't around?

She was eloquent, but I wasn't buying it. It was evident that someone had messed with my office while I was away.

Carol looked at me, intending to explain, "Ms. Chloe—"

"Ms. Chloe, don't blame Ms. Carol. It's my fault. Ms. Carol wasn't here, and I should have taken more responsibility. It's all my negligence."

Adelaide humbly apologized and glanced at Carol, speaking cautiously, "Ms. Carol, I'm not trying to complain. I understand that you might have had something to attend to