[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-115845-en":3,"doc-seo-115845-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":92},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":11,"is_downloadable":11,"audit_status":11,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},115845,549768702563,"Sage","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/8000c4aa63b76e948b?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1786536092046926083",1,"Story & Novel","The Outsider - Valerie Keogh","A woman seeks help from the CEO of a marketing and public relations company under the whistleblowing policy, insisting on anonymity while addressing workplace misconduct. Her complaint centers on abuse within a company WhatsApp group, where escalating jokes evolve into racial and misogynistic undertones involving multiple colleagues. The CEO scrutinizes the chat history, noting that no one has objected or left the group, as the narrator explains why the final incident became the tipping point.","[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nTHE OUTSIDER  \nVALERIE KEOGH  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nFor my brother-in-law Sean Hudson with love.  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nCONTENTS  \nChapter 1  \nChapter 2  \nChapter 3  \nChapter 4  \nChapter 5  \nChapter 6  \nChapter 7  \nChapter 8  \nChapter 9  \nChapter 10  \nChapter 11  \nChapter 12  \nChapter 13  \nChapter 14  \nChapter 15  \nChapter 16  \nChapter 17  \nChapter 18  \nChapter 19  \nChapter 20  \nChapter 21  \nChapter 22  \nChapter 23  \nChapter 24  \nChapter 25  \nChapter 26  \nChapter 27  \nChapter 28  \nChapter 29  \nChapter 30  \nChapter 31  \nChapter 32  \nChapter 33  \nChapter 34  \nChapter 35  \nChapter 36  \nChapter 37  \nChapter 38  \nChapter 39  \nChapter 40  \nChapter 41  \nChapter 42  \nChapter 43  \nChapter 44  \nChapter 45  \nChapter 46  \nChapter 47  \nChapter 48  \nChapter 49  \nChapter 50  \nChapter 51  \nAcknowledgements  \nThank you!  \nMore from Valerie Keogh About the Author  \nAlso by Valerie Keogh  \nThe Murder List  \nAbout Boldwood Books  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \n1  \nI’d planned to bring my complaint to Brad Stockton, the CEO of Stockton Bridges Marketing and Public Relations, on Monday, but it was Friday before I’d managed to gather enough courage to finally knock on his secretary’s door to ask if I could have a minute. There was a tiny bit of me that hoped she’d say no, then I could leave thinking that at least I’d tried. But as is often the way these things go, she gave me a welcoming smile and nodded.‘You’re in luck; an early meeting was cancelled.’ Before I had time to change my mind, she’d picked up the internal phone. ‘Joyce Doyle is here to see you.’  \nIt was too late to say I’d changed my mind when I was given the nod togo through to his office. The door opened with a soft shush and then I was there. In the office of the CEO and about to end his week with a bang.  \nIf I hadn’t been so tense, I’d probably have been amused at the puzzlement on his face as he tried to decide first, why I’d be there, and second, who I was, because in the year I’d worked for the company, I’d never managed to stand out.  \nI must have looked as nervous as I felt because he suddenly smiled and waved me to a chair.‘Joyce, isn’t it?’  \nAs if he knew me, as if his secretary hadn’t said my name only seconds before.‘Yes. I’m sorry to bother you—’  \nHe held a hand up to stop me. ‘You’re a valued member of the team. If you have a problem, it’s what I’m here for.’  \nA valued member of the team? I vaguely wondered if he was mixing me up with someone else. It didn’t seem the time to say I’d decided the job wasn’t for me, that coming to him that morning, making the complaint I was about to make, was by way of a swan song. I’d debated whether I should leave first, then complain, but I wasn’t sure it would carry any weight once I’d left, or if it would simply be swept under the carpet. Worse, they might have considered it a type of begrudgery – I hadn’t made a success of the job therefore I was taking it out on the people I’d worked with.  \nNo, I was making the complaint as a member of the team – or to use his words, a valued member. I’d wait a month or so, and hand in my notice then.  \n‘It’s a complaint, I’m afraid, and I’m here under the company’s whistleblowing policy.’  \nI saw the change in him immediately. Away went the pleasant smiling manner and he was suddenly all hard-faced successful businessman. I wondered which was the mask.  \n‘Under the policy,’ I said, ‘I’m guaranteed anonymity, isn’t that correct?’  \nHe sat forward, his hands clenched on the desk in front of him.‘Absolutely. Anything you say here this morning will be heard in the strictest confidence.’  \nIt’s what I’d expected. I’d read the company policy inside and out. Line by line. Word by word. ‘It’s difficult because it involves several of my colleagues.’ Several, not just one – I had to get that point across.  \nHe looked suitably appalled. Eyes opening wide, jaw dropping just a bit.‘Several!’  \nNow that I’d started, it came easily. ‘It’s to","cbCaiqODwTLVP0EZ","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiqODwTLVP0EZ","pdf",2237701,7,265,"English","en",105,"# Chapter 1\n## Company CEO meeting and whistleblowing request\n## WhatsApp group complaints and escalation\n## CEO review of messages","[{\"question\":\"Why does the narrator go to the CEO’s office?\",\"answer\":\"She brings a formal complaint under the company’s whistleblowing policy and wants to report misconduct while remaining anonymous.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the subject of the complaint?\",\"answer\":\"The complaint concerns content in the team’s WhatsApp group, where comments escalate from jokes to derogatory remarks with racial or misogynistic undertones.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the CEO respond when she mentions the issue involves multiple colleagues?\",\"answer\":\"He immediately shifts into a more serious, appalled demeanor and confirms confidentiality, then begins examining the WhatsApp group details.\"}]","The Outsider - Valerie Keogh | PDF",1785477272,408,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":87,"head_meta":89,"extra_data":91,"updated_unix":28},"the-outsider-valerie-keogh","",{"@graph":36,"@context":86},[37,54,69],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":11},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/story-novel/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-outsider-valerie-keogh/115845/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":63,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":64,"interactionStatistic":65},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-08-25","2026-07-31",true,{"@type":66,"interactionType":67,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":68},"ViewAction",{"@type":70,"mainEntity":71},"FAQPage",[72,78,82],{"name":73,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":75},"Why does the narrator go to the CEO’s office?","Question",{"text":76,"@type":77},"She brings a formal complaint under the company’s whistleblowing policy and wants to report misconduct while remaining anonymous.","Answer",{"name":79,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":80},"What is the subject of the complaint?",{"text":81,"@type":77},"The complaint concerns content in the team’s WhatsApp group, where comments escalate from jokes to derogatory remarks with racial or misogynistic undertones.",{"name":83,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":84},"How does the CEO respond when she mentions the issue involves multiple colleagues?",{"text":85,"@type":77},"He immediately shifts into a more serious, appalled demeanor and confirms confidentiality, then begins examining the WhatsApp group details.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":52,"og:type":88,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":59,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":90,"canonical":52},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":93},[94,97,101,105,110,115,119,124,129,132,136],{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":96},90,"story-novel",{"id":47,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":53,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":120,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":123},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":125,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":126,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":128},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":130,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":131},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":133,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":134,"show_sort_weight":133,"slug":135},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":137,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":138,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":139},19,"General","general"]