2.34 Witness Part 2/2
Lilian: Chantal, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. This is my sister, Julianne.
Julianne: I just wanted to thank you for coming forward with all of the information you had. It really helped my case. Now that Ambrose is responsible for paying my medical bills, I’ll finally be able to continue my medical treatments. And the award for pain and suffering will make up for the income I lost after losing my job.
Chantal: It was the least I could do. I’m glad you and the other victims can finally move on and that Ambrose will be paying for what she’s done.
Lilian: If you need anything let me know. I hope I’ll see you around.
Chantal: Sure, see you!
[Ambrose and Nico approach Chantal. David starts to walk towards them, but Solomon stops him]
Solomon: She can handle this.
Ambrose: You! You sneaky little rat! You were supposed to be on my side. You’ll pay for this, Chantel!
Chantal: My name is Chantal! And from what I hear, I think you’re the one who’ll be paying. I do want to thank you, though. I did learn a lot from you about how not to run a business.
Chantal: [turns to Nico] And Nico, I want to thank you for teaching me what kind of man I don’t want. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of big plans I need to focus on, and I’m not letting either of you stand in my way.
Chantal: [continues] Oh, and if you contact me again, you’ll be hearing from my lawyer.
David: We’re so proud of you honey!
Solomon: You did the right thing, and it really paid off.
Chantal: Yeah, I’m just glad some good came from this whole situation. This whole thing made me realize that I do have some trauma from my upbringing that I need to address. I’ve always tried to ignore it, but I think it’s time I started therapy.
David: I think that’s a great idea.
Solomon: I hope you feel more comfortable coming to us with your problems.
Chantal: I do! Thanks for being there for me today...and every day.
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2.25 Do the Right Thing
Lilian: Thanks for getting those documents for me. The lawyer says it should be an open shut case. Have you talked to him yet?
Chantal: Yeah, I’m meeting with him next week. I’m a little nervous about it though. I’ve never dealt with the legal system before.
Lilian: Yeah, it’s stressful for sure. I hope you have a good support system to help you through all of this.
Chantal: My family is great, but I haven’t told them about everything yet. I wanted to handle it myself, but I’m just so overwhelmed.
Lilian: Well, maybe you should reach out to them. I’m sure they wouldn’t want you to go through this alone. I’d walk through fire for my family, I’m sure yours would do the same.
Chantal: They would. I’ll talk to my dads and see if they can come with me to the lawyer’s office.
Lilian: I think that’s a great idea!
Nico: Hey, Chantal, can you come with me for a minute?
Chantal: Uh, sure.
[Nico leads Chantal to Ambrose’s office]
Ambrose: Good morning, Chantel. There’s something I'd like to discuss with you.
Chantal: Yes, of course. What do you need?
Ambrose: Well, I’m sure you’re aware of the nasty rumors a certain someone has been spreading about me.
Chantal: Oh, yeah, I’ve heard a little about it. I can’t believe someone would say such awful things.
Ambrose: It really is a shame. We used to be so close, but jealousy is an ugly monster. Anyway, it seems Kayla’s accusations have inspired some money grabbers to take advantage of the rumors and make some false accusations about the quality of my products.
Chantal: Oh, that’s terrible!
Ambrose: Indeed it is, and some of them have even brought lawyers to the matter. A shame for them since I can afford much better counsel, but you can understand I want to be prepared.
Chantal: Of course, do you need me to help in some way?
Ambrose: Oh, Chantel, you’re really such a doll! I actually could use some help. I’m very concerned about how all of this will affect my reputation, as you can imagine. I’m sure I’ll win the case, but the better I come off during the trial, the better chance I have of overcoming these vicious lies. I just need a few people to vouch for me on the stand and tell the jury that I’m not capable of such things.
Chantal: Sure, whatever you need. I’ve learned a lot about you since working here, and I’m sure I know just what to say to sway public opinion in the right direction.
Ambrose: That’s great to hear Chantel! There are likely to be a lot of accusations thrown about, and you know how tricky those lawyers are. Sometimes you want to be honest, but they have a way of making the truth sound much more insidious than it is.
Nico: We need to know that no one’s revealing anything that could be misconstrued, whether it’s truthful or not. Some things are better left unsaid, you know?
Chantal: Yeah, confirming something that makes the company look bad could really affect the outcome of the trial.
Nico: I’m glad you understand. It would be unfortunate if things at this company didn’t work out for you. It’s such a good opportunity.
Ambrose: Yes, and especially after all the business about the review you wrote. It would be quite a task to get hired somewhere else after that. Not many people would be willing to overlook such an egregious mistake.
Chantal: I thought you said that the review would be forgotten about and everyone would move on?
Nico: That was before this became a legal issue. The stakes have certainly been raised now, wouldn’t you agree?
Ambrose: Yes, that sort of information could be advantageous in certain situations where blame needs to be placed on someone. Do you understand what I’m getting at?
Chantal: I think I do.
Ambrose: Then I can count on you to do the right thing here?
Chantal: Absolutely.
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2.13 A Lot to Learn
[Chantal is in the hall at work. Suddenly yelling is heard near Ambrose’s office. A crowd starts to gather and murmur]
Ambrose: That underhanded, conniving little bitch! I'm going to ruin her!
Chantal: [to co-worker] Lilian, what’s going on?
Lilian: Oh, you didn’t hear? Kayla Flemming went off on Ambrose in an interview. It's all over the internet.
Chantal: The fitness influencer? They know each other?
Lilian: Yeah, according to Kayla she and Ambrose started this company together, but Ambrose backstabbed her and kicked her out. She said Ambrose turned it into some “woo woo bullshit” and said she’s unethical…she really dragged her about it.
Chantal: Wow, no wonder Ambrose is upset.
Lilian: [lowers voice] You don’t think it could be true, do you? I mean, Kayla’s saying Ambrose is cutting corners to save money. I would hate to find out that’s what kind of company we’re working for, wouldn't you?
Chantal: Yeah, hopefully it's just a personal grudge.
Lilian: I'd rather do more than just hope.
Ambrose: [yelling] Nico, do something about this. You know better than anyone what a vicious little snake she can be!
Nico: I'm on it.
[Chantal sees Nico heading to his office and follows behind him]
Chantal: I'll talk to you later, Lilian.
Chantal: Hey Nico, I--
Nico: It’s not a good time, Chantal.
Chantal: I know, I’m sorry. It'll just take a minute. I heard about what happened and I was wondering…well, I don’t need to be worried, do I? What Kayla’s saying isn’t true, right?
Nico: Look, let’s just say I wouldn’t put too much stock into anything Kayla says. Jealousy is an ugly trait. She’s just bitter because the company is succeeding and she can’t get any of her projects off the ground. That’s all this is.
Chantal: If you’re sure. She was throwing some pretty big accusations around, so–
Nico: Chantal, you’re obviously well educated, but the thing about academia is that it doesn’t account for more...practical matters. You have a lot of opinions for someone who still has a lot to learn here. Trust me, I know more about this situation than you do.
Chantal: Of course you do, I wasn't trying to say you don't know what you're doing.
Nico: [sighs] Hey, come here. Don't be sad, beautiful. You know I didn't say that to be hurtful. I just see a lot of potential in you and I don’t want you to waste it.
Chantal: It's ok. Thanks for being so willing to teach me about this stuff.
Nico: No problem. Well, I have to figure out how to deflect all of this. Do you mind taking care of a few things for me? It would help a lot.
Chantal: Sure, whatever you need.
Nico: Thanks, you’re the best!
[Lilian watches Nico and Chantal intently from the hallway]
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2.15 Voices Carry
[As Chantal makes her way to Nico's office, she overhears him talking to Ambrose about Kayla Flemming. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she stops to listen]
Ambrose: This whole thing has just been an absolute nightmare. I knew that bitch would become a thorn in my side at some point.
Nico: Well you can’t expect classy behavior from low-class individuals like Kayla.
Ambrose: I don’t see how you dated her for so long.
Nico: Me either. Well, she did pretty much anything I asked. Until she started getting mouthy with me. I lost interest really quick after that.
Ambrose: Well, you dodged a bullet. So, what the fuck do we do?
Nico: I don’t know, I’m kind of at a loss. How did she even find out?
Ambrose: That’s what I’d like to know. The way she was talking, she has to know something.
Nico: Maybe she has someone on the inside.
Ambrose: I wouldn’t put it past her. I’m just worried this will escalate to an official inspection. We’re not prepared for that. We need to make sure no one finds out that the ingredients don’t match what’s on the label. I knew we should’ve stuck with the old seller. He was a bit pricier, but at least his shit didn’t cause reactions.
Nico: Well, I gathered all the documentation I could find for any purchases that could arouse suspicion. Unfortunately I'll have to wait until the paper shredder gets repaired before I can dispose of them, which won't be until next week.
Ambrose: We should be ok until then. You have them secured, right?
Nico: They’re locked in my desk drawer. No one has a reason to go in there, so it should be fine.
Ambrose: Good. Well, if we’re shredding documents, they’ll need to be replaced with something. If an inspector comes, we need to have something to show them.
Nico: Already on it. I have Chantal writing some receipts for me.
Ambrose: The social media girl? What did you tell her?
Nico: Oh, I just said the originals were damaged and I needed them rewritten for tax purposes. You know, she reminds me of how Kayla was when we first met. Believes anything I say and does whatever I ask. It’s been fun.
Ambrose: Ugh, you’re not fucking her, are you?
Nico: [laughs] You know me too well. Don’t worry though, I’ll be done with her soon. I’m already getting bored.
Ambrose: I really wish you’d stop fucking around with these college students. I know we don’t keep them for long, but it’s going to come back and bite you in the ass one day. We don’t need to worry about this one, do we?
Nico: She does ask a lot of questions, but I just have to give her the puppy dog eyes and flatter her a bit. Then she's eating right out of my hand.
Ambrose: Hmm, we could use her as a scapegoat. She’s already on everyone’s radar after that whole review business went down. It would be easy to deflect some of the blame onto her somehow.
Nico: I thought about that, but I do need her. Like I said, she does whatever I ask, and she is good at the job. I’ve had her doing work that’s way above her pay grade for a while now and she’s none the wiser. Saves us from hiring some graduate who expects a high salary.
Ambrose: I guess if you need her we’ll have to think of something else then.
[We see Chantal heading towards the exit looking upset. She makes a text]
Chantal: [texting] Hey, it’s Chantal. I think I’m ready to meet with you now.
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1.42 Honesty
Ambrose: Chanteeeeelllllll! It’s so good to see you, dear. I’m happy to report that both of your product reviews on Nota have helped bump up sales, which means you’ve earned a bonus!
Nico: Readers love your viewpoint. It’s clear they trust your opinion–and your taste level. If you keep it up, there will be more incentives on the horizon.
Chantal: That’s great news! I’m having so much fun writing these. Thanks so much for taking my idea to create a profile on Nota into consideration.
Ambrose: No, thank you for breathing new life into our social media campaign!
Nico: Our marketing research shows an uptick in customers from the 18-24 demographic and we think that’s largely in part to our social media presence in the last few months.
Chantal: Wow, that’s amazing! It’s so cool seeing all of our hard work paying off!
Ambrose: I’ve got my eye on you, Chantel. I see great things in your future. Now, Nico tells me you’re having some concerns about reviewing some of the products?
Chantal: Oh…well, not concerns exactly. I just wasn’t planning on reviewing some of the sexual health products since I’m not currently in a relationship. I wouldn’t want to put my stamp of approval on something I haven’t used.
Ambrose: I do understand that, honey, I honestly do. But I want to assure you that our products have to pass a very rigorous testing process. Everyone has their preferences, sure, but I’m not putting anything on the market that isn’t at the highest standards. You don’t have to worry about putting your name on a review of a low quality product, whether you’ve personally used it or not.
Chantal: I don’t understand. You want me to lie?
Ambrose: Of course not, no! I’m just saying, you could always do a spot test of the products, or maybe share them with a friend who could get use from them. You don’t have to use them exactly as directed to write an honest review.
Chantal: I guess not…
Ambrose: Of course, it’s up to you, dear. I just hate for you to miss out on earning money for reviewing more content. It would be a shame since you’re doing so well.
Chantal: Okay, I’ll think about it. I know a couple of people who might try some products out for me.
Ambrose: That’s great! Well, I have an interview to get ready for, but do keep me posted! Toodles!
Nico: I’m so sorry, Chantal, I wouldn’t have told her about your concerns if I thought she was going to pressure you about it. I thought she would be more understanding.
Chantal: It’s okay, I see her point of view. And I don’t want to stifle my success if I don’t have to.
Nico: Good. As long as you’re not upset. I was really just trying to look out for you.
Chantal: And I appreciate that. Really. I’m not upset at all, it’s really nice of you.
Nico: Well, you deserve it. And I’ll try to make it up to you. Hey, why don’t we go out tonight to celebrate your bonus? There’s a new nightclub downtown that I’ve heard good things about.
Chantal: A nightclub? Sounds fun, but I’m only 18, remember?
Nico: Oh God, that’s right! I keep forgetting. You’re so much more mature than I was at that age. Well, we could go somewhere else. Have any ideas?
Chantal: There’s a place near DSVU that doesn’t ID if you don’t mind hanging with college kids for the night.
Nico: Hmm, it would be fun to relive my college days. Count me in!
Chantal: Great, I’ll text you the details later.
Nico: I’m looking forward to it.
Chantal: Me, too.
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1.38 Protégé Potential
Ambrose: Chantel, darling, I have to say I just love this idea you’ve come up with. Nota seems like the perfect social media platform to help SNOOT reach a younger audience.
Chantal: Oh, thank you Ambrose! I worked really hard on the prototype, so I’m glad you like it!
Ambrose: I love it, and you have some fantastic ideas! You have such a great eye, Chantel. I can see you being quite the little trendsetter.
Chantal: Wow, that’s a great compliment coming from someone as stylish as you!
Ambrose: You know, I’ve always wanted to have my own protégé, someone I can mentor to climb the ranks and reach their fullest potential. If you keep it up, you might be just that person.
Chantal: Wow, that’s really amazing! I’ve always wanted to be a part of an organization related to health and fitness so being here at SNOOT has been a dream come true!
Ambrose: I’m so glad to hear that. Now, being a part of a company like this isn’t for the faint of heart. You’ll have to put in a lot of work and really push yourself if you want to succeed here. I’m not saying you can’t do that, but if I’m going to invest in you, I need to know that there will be a return if you understand what I mean.
Chantal: Of course, I’ve always been a very hard worker, so I’ll make it worth your time.
Ambrose: Good, good! Say, how do you feel about writing some reviews for our products of Nota? Something very subtle that doesn’t feel like it’s got a flashing red arrow with “Advertisement” slapped across it?
Chantal: Sure, I’d love that! Just let me know what you want, and I’m on it!
Ambrose: Great, I’ll put together some products for you to take home. Just make sure Nico approves of your posts before you publish. There will be a nice little bonus in it for you if we see an increase in sales for the products you review.
Chantal: Thanks so much, Ambrose! You can count on me.
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1.27 First Impression
Ambrose: Hello, darling, I'm Ambrose. But I guess you knew that! You're the new Social Media Assistant, correct?
Chantal: Yes, I'm Chantal. It's really great to meet you, I thought I'd be training under someone else.
Ambrose: Heavens no, you'll see that I'm very hands on with my employees. Or family members as I like to call them.
Chantal: That's great! You know, I've been following SNOOT forever. The products are just so amazing.
Ambrose: Oh? Which one is your favorite?
Chantal: Oh, um...probably that vagina ball thing. The one that gets rid of all the toxins. It's really made a difference in my health.
Ambrose: You mean the VaJayJay All Day Refresher? You really should familiarize yourself with the product names, darling. I spend quite a lot of time coming up with names befitting of the products. It's all about quality here at SNOOT.
Chantal: Of course, Ms. Staton. I'll start working on that.
Ambrose: Please, call me Ambrose. We really are a family here. I'm more than just a lifestyle guru and influencer, you know. I really pride myself on being down-to-earth, Chantel.
Chantal: Uh, it's Chan-TAL. I'm looking forward to becoming a part of the family.
Ambrose: Wonderful! I really hate to be a bother on your first day, but I do need you to pick up my dry cleaning. I have an interview on Del Sol Today tomorrow morning and I need something that says "relatable."
Chantal: Sure, I'll head there now.
Ambrose: You're such a blessing. Oh, and please do be careful, these are designer pieces that must be handled delicately. I'm sure you understand, Chantel.
Chantal: It’s Chantal. I understand completely. I'll be as gentle as possible with your garments.
Ambrose: Great. You know where Sunset Cleaners is, right? I'm sure you do, it's the most popular dry cleaners in town. Well worth the extra cost.
Chantal: Of course, I go there all the time.
Ambrose: Sounds like you're all set, then! I will need your assistance with dressing when you return. I'll see you in a bit, Chantel.
Chantal: It's--nevermind. I'll be back soon.
[Chantal leaves]
Chantal: Lin-Z, I need directions to Sunset Cleaners.
Lin-Z: Finding Sunset Cleaners. Head South on...
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2.34 Witness Part 1/2
Lou: I’d like to call my first witness, Chantal Ayers.
Ambrose: [to lawyer] His witness? She's supposed to be testifying in my defense!
Defense Attorney: She's not on my list.
Ambrose: That little traitor!
Lou: Miss Ayers, you've been an employee at SNOOT for several months now, is that correct?
Chantal: Yes, since September.
Lou: During this time, were you aware of any issues with the Come Together couples lube set?
Chantal: Yes, I was asked to write a review and did a spot test on my wrist. I got a small chemical burn on my wrist and then found reviews from others complaining about similar issues.
Lou: And did you inform any members of management about these findings?
Chantal: Yes, I told my supervisor Nico Perry about it.
Lou: What was his response?
Chantal: He said the issue would be looked into and the review would not be published.
Lou: To your knowledge, is that what happened?
Chantal: No, the review was still published, and I found out later that Ambrose was already aware that the lubes were causing reactions.
Lou: How did you find out that information?
Chantal: I overheard Ambrose and Nico having a conversation about it.
Defense Attorney: Objection, hearsay!
Judge: Sustained.
Lou: Did you ever see any documentation of ingredient purchases made by SNOOT employees?
Chantal: Yes, I was looking for some printer paper in Nico’s desk when I found some receipts. I was interested because I’d been asked to rewrite some receipts that had supposedly been damaged, but what I found contradicted that.
Lou: I’d like to submit to the court exhibit A, the documents obtained via a search warrant.
Julianne: I suffered 2nd degree chemical burns and nerve damage on my genital area after using the lubes. It’ll take several surgeries to help me regain function.
Ambrose: Those documents were fabricated! That Chantel girl is lying!
Nico: I never told Ms. Ayers to write any receipts. She must have misunderstood.
Lou: Can you read this email for the court?
Nico: It says “Chantal, I need your help with something. Can you type some receipts up for me with the following information? The originals were damaged and I'll need them for tax purposes.”
Lou: And whose email address was it sent from?
Nico: Mine.
Judge: After hearing today's testimonies, one thing is clear to me. Ambrose Staton willingly and knowingly used ingredients in the Come Together couples lube set that a) did not meet FDA requirements and b) that she knew to be caustic to the skin in order to save money. Ms. Staton’s greed caused irreparable damage to many people, and she does not seem to have any remorse for her actions. Thus, the court rules in favor of the plaintiffs.
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