Cancel the Cradle, Cue the Rage

"Look, Ms. Cooper. This is the nature collage the kids made today."Mabel Morris, the administration supervisor, had sent me a few photos. In them, a group of children was gathered around the teacher, arranging leaves and flower petals into little animal shapes.Their faces lit up with smiles. Looking at them, I couldn't help but smile, too.I built this company with one goal—to create a workplace where working moms could work without constantly worrying about their kids.To make that possible, I spared no expense in building an in-house daycare in a prime office building where the rent alone cost a fortune.The facilities used top-tier eco-friendly materials; the teachers were a professional early-education team; and a nutritionist customized the meals. The cost per child was over eight thousand dollars a month, but it was completely free for employees.Almost every mom in the company had sent her child there. It saved them the commute and the expensive daycare fees.For three

That afternoon, I locked myself in my office. Downstairs, several media vans were already parked, cameras at the ready. I let out a bitter laugh.From today onward, I, Natasha Cooper, would just be nothing more than a businesswoman.I picked up the internal line and called Mabel. "Notify all employees that our next meeting will be in the main conference room, 9:00 am sharp tomorrow. We'll announce the company's final decision regarding the recent controversy over daycare benefits."Mabel sounded hesitant. "Ms. Cooper, are we really… compromising?""No," I said, staring out the window at the flashing cameras. "It's time they pay for their greed."The next morning, the main conference room was packed. The air buzzed with excitement and anticipation, more like a celebration than a meeting.Keira sat in the front row, surrounded by a cluster of moms; she was clearly the center of attention. Her makeup was flawless, and she was proudly sharing her "battle strategies" with anyone who w

I didn't send the all-staff email immediately. Instead, I told Claire to convey a message to the enraged employees outside."Ms. Cooper said she's willing to give everyone one more chance," Claire announced. "Tomorrow, at 9:00 am, in the main conference room, she'll listen to everyone's final requests."The shouting and arguing outside the door slowly faded.Keira, the culprit who others had just been besieged, immediately grabbed the opening. She jumped back into the moms' group chat and began fanning the flames."Ladies, did you hear that? Natasha Cooper is scared of us! She wouldn't dare to actually lay anyone off. She's just bluffing! Tomorrow, we must stay united!"We'll demand not only the reopening of the daycare, but also increased allowances! We outnumber them, and she can't afford to fight us!"In the group chat, those who had been cursing her just moments ago now wavered."Really? Will she actually compromise?""What if she still refuses us tomorrow?"Layla was the

I smiled. "Freedom of speech?"I turned to Keira and said, "Freedom of speech does not mean you can spread lies and defame people without consequences. The boundary of freedom is the law."When you type on your keyboard and use false claims to attack the company that gives you a job and pays your salary, you should know that you'll have to pay the price for your actions."I let my gaze fall on Layla's pale face. "And when you enjoy the company's support while stabbing it in the back, you've lost every right to be forgiven."She jolted in her seat, almost sliding off her chair.I turned my eyes back to Keira, my tone tinged with mockery. "As for abusing power? No, I'm simply using the law to defend my rights, just as you tried to use public opinion to defend your so-called rights. We're playing by the same rules.""No, we're not!" a young mom suddenly shouted, breaking down in sobs. She rushed from her seat, trying to run to the front, but was held back firmly by those beside her.

The next day, two notices were posted on the company bulletin board.The first announced Keira's termination. The second was the court's official acceptance of our lawsuit against her, a claim totaling 12.5 million dollars in damage.Despite being the "biggest contributor" to the investigation, Layla didn't fare any better. No one wanted to work with her anymore. People avoided her like the plague.She kept her job, sure, but she lost something far more important—the trust and respect of everyone around her.A week later, Alexander came to my office. He didn't bring up the scandal. Instead, he handed me a new cooperation agreement with double the original investment."Congratulations, Ms. Cooper," he said, eyes shining with a hint of approval. "You've proven you're not just a benevolent figure who hands out kindness, but also a leader who understands human nature and the rules."I signed the agreement, though I didn't feel particularly victorious. The whole ordeal had taught me s