I could not possibly leave him with a nanny. I had to be there for him, keeping an eye on his health and getting him to the doctor when needed.
I made the decision to phone my boss and give him the rundown. I assumed there wouldn’t be a problem because I hadn’t used up any of my leave for the year.
I got Kenny settled in bed and picked up the phone.
I greeted him with a “Hello, Mr. Williams” on the first ring. “I need to take a week off to take care of my very sick son.” I haven’t yet utilized any of my leave.
He exploded after a brief pause on the line.
He yelled, “Are you serious, Annie?” “You’re leaving me in the dark for our annual general meeting in two days? Those marketing reports are necessary!
“Sir, I apologize,” I answered. But I’m unable to enter. I emailed the reports to you yesterday morning; they are already completed.
He hung up without saying anything further.
I didn’t think about it too much because Mr. Williams was often impetuous and ill-mannered.
The following week was devoted to taking care of Kenny. He returned to school after a few days when he began to heal.
I arrived back at the office to see a disconcerting sight. Sitting in my chair, Mr. Williams was clapping his hands gently and had a sly smirk on his face.
“Annie, welcome back,” he greeted her. “I’m going to surprise you,”
A uniformed policeman entered the room with handcuffs before I could respond.
“Annie Mills,” the policeman uttered firmly. “You are free to say nothing at all.”
As he read me my rights, my body went slack and my pulse raced.
“What’s happening?” Gasping, I tried to gather my thoughts.
Mr. Williams said, “Annie, it turns out you don’t have a son.” “You will suffer the consequences of your dishonesty. Nicely done, but you’ve been discovered.
My thoughts were racing. I didn’t know what Mr. Williams was discussing. Obviously, I was a father. Since Kenny’s father had left when he found out about the pregnancy, I was raising my child alone.
I was led out of the office in handcuffs and wondered why I had lost my temper so badly.
I touch my wrist in the police cruiser to make sure I was awake.
I tried to make a phone call at the station, but the cop gave me threatening looks.
I was desperate, thrown into a moldy detention cell with black walls. After school, my neighbor had Kenny covered, but except that, he had me all to himself.
Another cop passed my cell after what seemed like hours.
“Please,” I ran to the bars and pleaded. “I have a phone call to make.”
She nodded and showed me where the pay phone was. I gave my best friend, attorney Mia, a call. Although I was aware that I couldn’t pay her, she remained my best option.
I yelled, “Mia, I’ve been arrested,” with urgency. I’m in need of your assistance.
When Mia got to the station, she was able to see me right away.
This is where the situation changed.
Mia immediately took up my case.
After talking with a few officers, she declared, “There’s something fishy going on here,” which caused some voices to rise.
After a while, she managed to have me released, and I returned home to Kenny. Then Mia started looking into it.
It transpired that Mr. Williams had planned the whole thing out. He had bought the arresting officer’s silence. Our corporate contracts provide that an employee’s employment is terminated and any unpaid wages are claimed by the company if they are arrested or accused of engaging in illegal conduct.
That referred to my underpaid salary in my instance.
“Are you certain?” When Mia arrived, she answered all of my questions and even included emails that Mr. Williams had sent to the police.
She nodded, “Yes,” as she helped herself to some food. Everything is in order. Mr. Williams is going to pay a price.
With relief, I grinned.
Kenny and I will always be indebted to Mia for her noble act of saving me from jail, all without taking any money from me.
The corporation acknowledged that Mr. Williams had acted alone, but handed me $40,000 as compensation to avoid a lawsuit and preserve their reputation.
I was terrified even though I was just in the holding cell for a few hours. Without Mia’s assistance, I would still be waiting for justice and an explanation, therefore I’m grateful for her faith in the system.
I now collaborate with Mia, attending to her company’s PR and marketing needs as needed. In addition to being a secure career, I can support my son without having to worry about my employer because of this.
Have you ever experienced anything this ridiculous at work?
