ent was a blatant violation of state labor laws. He was ordered to restore my full pay immediately

compliance letter crumpled in his fi

on my desk. "You're monetizing our relationship, Maria! This

illegally withheld my salary," I rep

nched into a lecture about loyalty, about how I was tearing apart the "fa

give you an ultimatum, Matt. Fire Sabrina. Or g

stand to see me helping someone who actually needs it, someone w

ew' s Instagram story. A picture of him and Sabrina at a fancy downtown cocktail bar,

to hurt me. A year ago, it would hav

whiskey and Sabrina's perfume. He found me in the liv

letter. He didn't even read it. He probably assumed it was an

A text. He glanced at it and

n again, conveniently right outsid

etter without a second thought, tossing it back on the table as

or, eager to play th

feel sadness. I felt a quie