In my startup life, I was juggling multiple roles and working my fingers to the bone.

Before long, my mom introduced me to her bestie's daughters to join my company.

"Victoria," she said, "Isabel is my best friend. You can trust her daughters. I vouch for Morgan and Phoebe's character; they're as good as gold!"

As soon as I made them permanent, they pulled out pregnancy test results.

"Ms. Garcia, we've both had unexpected pregnancies and need to take leave to rest at home," they said.

"What if I don't agree?"

"Well, we'd have no choice but to take legal action."

Scared, I canceled my company and ran away overnight.

1

"Ms. Garcia, we've both had unexpected pregnancies and need to take leave to rest at home."

Morgan and Phoebe stood there fearlessly, each holding a pregnancy test report.

My goodness, I had just made them permanent yesterday, and they both said they were pregnant now.

Pregnant together? And unexpectedly?

Did they think I was a fool?

"What if I don't agree?" I asked, taken aback.

"Well, we'd have no choice but to take legal action," Morgan replied with a smirk.

"Don't blame us if the company suffers losses then."

No wonder they were fearless. It was a premeditated action.

I sent them packing, fuming and grinding my teeth. Those two were playing me for a fool, coming to my company to get paid and collect benefits while they took it easy during pregnancy!

I had only just set up my small company half a year ago, with a team including myself totaling just five people.

To attract customers, I kept our profits to a minimum. To cut company costs, I was working like a dog, juggling a hundred hats.

Seeing how exhausted I was, my mom felt bad and brought in Isabel's daughters to help out.

"Victoria, Isabel is my best friend. You can trust her daughters. I vouch for Morgan and Phoebe's character; they're as good as gold!

"Isabel and I go way back. I've seen those twins grow up. With them on board, you'll have more than a hand to lighten your load."

Thinking my company was indeed short-staffed and with my mom's glowing recommendation, I hired them on the spot.

I bypassed the usual health checks and interviews and just brought them on board.

Little did I know, I wasn't getting two employees; I was getting two masters.

The day after I refused their leave, Morgan and Phoebe called in sick. By the afternoon, they produced two medical notes stating their pregnancies were at risk and they needed to take time off.

"Ms. Garcia, you've seen the notes. If you don't grant us leave and something happens to us, can you afford the consequences?"

With that, Phoebe clutched her stomach and started her act.

"Oh no, my stomach hurts, and I'm feeling dizzy. If I collapse at the office, that's a workplace injury, right?"

Morgan, seeing this, laid down flat. "Help, I'm so dizzy. I think I need to be hospitalized."

I was so angry I could hardly speak, my hands shaking with rage, wishing I could send them to the hospital for real.

With acting skills like that, they should have been the best actresses.

I took several deep breaths, forcing myself to calm down. I had to handle this carefully. If they made a scene, it would only harm the company.

"Alright! Leave, you say? I'll grant you ten days off to start. We'll see how things go after that. You can't be on maternity leave forever, can you?"

I swallowed my anger, planning to get rid of them for now and figure out a plan later.

Morgan sprang up from the floor with the agility of a monkey.

"Thank you, Ms. Garcia!" she said, blowing me a kiss with a look full of defiance in her eyes.

After dispatching those two troublemakers, I reached out to a lawyer. Unfortunately, the law wasn't on my side.

I hadn't insisted on a health check for them, and as long as they maintained they were unaware of their pregnancies at the time of hiring, there was nothing I could do.

I was stuck with allowing them paid leave and had to approve their maternity leave, which would last until well after their nursing periods ended, before I could think of letting them go.

No way!

I couldn't just swallow my pride and keep paying them for over a year after being manipulated like this.

I was fuming, feeling the pressure mount, fearing I might give myself a heart attack over this.

When I got home and recounted the ordeal to my mom, she exploded with anger.

"Unbelievable! I considered Isabel as my closest friend, and she's playing me for a fool!

"My daughter, just wait, I need to confront her and get to the bottom of this!"

My mom stormed out with her purse, and I couldn't stop her. Panicking, I followed behind, worried sick that she might get too worked up.

Upon seeing Isabel, my mom started pointing her nose and cursing her out.

"Isabel, we've been friends for over thirty years! How could you betray me like this?

I vouched for your daughters' character to Victoria. Because I trusted you, my daughter skipped the interviews and medical checks, but what do we get?

"Your girls barely lasted a month at the company before claiming pregnancy and wanting to take leave. Have you no shame? What do you take us for?"

Isabel snorted coldly, her usual warmth towards my mom gone, replaced with a sneering retort.

"Oh, I dare not be best friends with you. Who are you, after all? Ms. Garcia's mother! Such a high-ranking official.

"We mere commoners can't hope to associate with your likes. My daughters got into your company on their own merit. You skipped the interviews and medicals; is that my fault?

"Did I force you to agree? Or were you just showing off your daughter's capabilities? If that's the case, why not help me take care of my girls?

"Is there a law that says you can't get pregnant at work? If you're not happy, sue us!

"Even if I did plan this, so what? I'm openly taking advantage of you, and I'll make sure you take the hit without a fuss!"

Isabel, hands on her hips, was screaming at my mom, her eyebrows nearly reaching the sky in her fury.

"Fine, just fine! I was naive, mistaking a backstabber like you for a confidante! From this day forth, I want no such friend!"

My mom's chest was heaving, and then she just fainted.

"Mom! Mom, don't scare me!"

I frantically called for an ambulance.

Seeing my mom faint, Isabel said, "If you die of anger, it's not my problem." Then, she stormed out, slamming the door.

Thankfully, my mom was alright, just overcome with anger. Otherwise, I would have risked my life to settle the score! After a few hours of observation at the hospital, she was discharged.

"I'm so sorry, Victoria. Your startup journey is hard enough, and here I've gone and brought you two disasters!"

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

I knew she was crying not only out of guilt and concern for me but also from the pain of being betrayed by Isabel, her anger trapped, turning into tears.

Seeing my mom's tears, I felt my heart aching even more.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll find a way to deal with them. Please don't be upset."

But even as I said that, I wasn't sure what to do.

I returned to the company with a furrowed brow, and my four employees gathered around when they saw me.

They had all been with me from the start of my venture. Over the past six months, we had become as close as family. Though my company was small, I made sure the benefits I offered were generous. Even if it meant I earned less, I never treated these four partners poorly.

"Victoria, are you alright?"

I shook my head in response.

Our sales manager, Howard, was seething. "Don't you worry, those two snakes will get what's coming to them!"

But our product manager, Serena, had a hint of concern in her voice.

"Our company's just getting started, and Victoria's still paying off the loans we took to get this venture off the ground. With these two parasites sucking us dry, are they trying to drive us into bankruptcy?"

Upon hearing this, a light bulb went off in my head!

Why didn't I think of this before?

With the company existing, I couldn't legally fire them, but what if the company would not exist anymore?

If the company was gone, no one would give them leave.

I hugged Serena and planted a big kiss on her cheek. "Serena, you're a godsend!"

That very day, I registered a new company under my mom's name and instructed everyone to quickly reach out to our clients and tie up loose ends with our current work.

"Attention," I announced, "due to poor management, I'm unable to keep this company afloat any longer, so I'm declaring it out of business.

"But, on a brighter note, my kind-hearted mother has started a new company and has offered me the position of general manager.

"All of you are exceptional talents, and I'd like to invite you to join us. Your roles and responsibilities will remain the same, and I'm bumping up your salaries by two hundred dollars a month. What do you say? Are you in?"

They exchanged glances, then burst into laughter.

"Victoria, you always have a trick up your sleeve!"