Chapter 3

On Monday at 10:00 am, I was going over the next quarter's PR budget at my desk when the receptionist called my extension.

"Eleanor, you'd better come downstairs. Your family's causing a scene in the lobby."

I closed my laptop and headed for the elevator with my key card in hand. The doors slid open, and the noise hit me before I even left the elevator.

The lobby had polished marble floors. The company logo behind the reception desk was blindingly bright, and the icy air blowing from the vents left my chest feeling tight.

Mom was sitting on the floor with her hair in a wild mess. Her voice was shrill from all the crying.

Between sobs, she sneaked glances at the crowd gathering around us. She wouldn't stop talking about how ungrateful I was for cutting her off from my money. She even mentioned that I make tens of thousands of dollars a month but won't pay for her meals.

Harry stood nearby, livestreaming the whole scene with his phone on a gimbal. The camera panned back and forth between her and me as she rattled off accusation after accusation.

"Does someone like her deserve to work for a company like this?" Harry yelled. "Share this around, everyone! Let's make sure her boss sees what she's really like!"

Selena stood beside him. She was still wearing the coat she'd ruined.

The tailored waist was completely stretched out of shape, and the tear across the back had split open even farther. Dirt and dark stains covered the hem, and the white lining stuck out through the hole like a crumpled rag.

She pointed at me and raised her voice. "She looks down on us because we're poor! All we did was ask to borrow a coat, and she canceled every card in the house!"

I walked over to them.

"This is my workplace. You need to leave," I said calmly.

Mom reacted as though she'd been waiting for those exact words. She sprang to her feet, lunged at me, and hugged my leg. She put her whole weight into it.

"I'm not leaving! If you don't restore my credit card limit today, I'll die right here!" she screamed. "You've humiliated me! The sales assistant laughed at me when I couldn't even buy a bracelet yesterday!"

She wailed at the top of her lungs, but there were barely any tears in her eyes. Instead, she kept looking toward the crowd to make sure everyone was watching.

People around us had started whispering. A few of my coworkers looked ready to step in, but the people beside them held them back.

I tried to pull away, but Mom tightened her grip.

Harry shoved the camera even closer to my face. Comments poured across the livestream faster than I could read them. It was a wall of mockery and jeering.

Just then, the crowd parted.

Our HR manager, Sarah Walsh, walked over carrying a blue company folder. She glanced at Mom, then at Harry with his phone, and frowned.

"What's going on, Ms. Whitmore?" she asked sternly. "This is completely unacceptable. We have clients arriving any minute now. The lobby isn't the place for this."

She set the folder on the reception desk. Her voice was quiet, but there was no room for argument. "Just apologize to your mother and give her the money. Whatever's going on, deal with it at home. Don't bring it to work."

"This is a private matter," I said, meeting her gaze. "They trespassed onto company property and are causing a disturbance. You should be calling security."

Her expression hardened. "Security? And what happens if your mother falls and gets hurt? Besides, our clients will be coming through here shortly. Don't make this any worse and drag everyone else's performance review down with you."

The moment Sarah finished her sentence, Mom's eyes lit up.

"Just restoring my credit limit isn't enough!" she exclaimed.

She let go of my legs, stood up, and jabbed a finger at my face. "It's almost the end of the year. Hand over your bonus too. Your brother needs a down payment for a new car. Do that, and we'll call it even."

Harry turned the camera back toward me, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"You heard her. That's what Mom wants. Say no if you dare. I won't end this livestream."

I looked at the three of them, then at the irritation written all over Sarah's face.

People passing through the lobby had slowed to a stop. Everyone wanted to see how this would end.

At the far end of the corridor, employees were wheeling documents into the conference rooms. Their footsteps seemed quieter, as though everyone was afraid of setting something off.

The clients hadn't arrived yet, but the tension in the air was thick.

Sarah sighed. She opened the folder in her hands and pulled out a sheet of paper bearing the company logo.

"Ms. Whitmore, if you can't handle your personal affairs, the company has no choice but to suspend you until further notice."

She held the letter out to me, pressing one finger against the corner. It was as though she couldn't even spare me that last shred of dignity.