The Day My Boss Let My Mother Die

1: 1

I gave that company ten faithful years, right up until yesterday, when my mother's car accident put her in the ICU and she needed money for surgery, fast.

I asked for five days off to go home and be with her, and after standing in line half the day, I finally handed my request form to HR.

“Hi. My mother's sick, and I need five days off to take care of her. Please release my wages onto this insurance card.”

But Gail in HR just glanced at me and shoved the form right back, crunching a chip as she spoke.

“We're at the peak of the project right now. All your wages are tied up in the cash flow. You can't withdraw anything for another six months.”

“And taking leave during peak season counts as walking off the job. You leave now, and you can forget about a single cent of compensation!”

......

When Gail Whitney pushed that form back at me, my chest seized. My mouth opened, but nothing came out.

My mother was still lying in the ICU waiting on money for surgery, and she was telling me my wages couldn't be released? And that I couldn't leave either?

“Gail, my mother's in the ICU after a car accident. It's critical. She's waiting on this money to pay for her surgery.”

I forced down the anger churning inside me and softened my voice.

“Joyce Harding, are you not getting what I'm saying?” She spat out a mouthful of chip and rolled her eyes.

“Mr. Fox held a meeting last month and said the next stretch was peak season. Every dollar on the books is in play. Where exactly do you want me to pull it from?”

“You were sitting right there, weren't you? He said it himself, every employee on standby, and you agreed too, didn't you?”

Hearing that, I clenched my fists, my whole body shaking.

Of course I remembered. Last month Mr. Fox said we were pushing for the IPO this year, that all wages would be held back for now and everyone had to be on call around the clock.

But back then my mother was still healthy, still calling to ask whether I was coming home for the holiday, telling me not to bother if I was busy.

It had been three years since I'd last seen her face, so I'd meant to go back once this stretch was over. I never thought...

I pushed back the tears at the corners of my eyes and slowly stepped forward.

“Gail, I'm not asking for all of it.”

I nudged the form toward her again, my throat tight, almost begging.

“Just release fifty thousand first, so I can put down the deposit for my mother's surgery...”

“You really can't take a hint, can you!” Gail's whole face soured with irritation.

“It can't come out now! It all gets processed in six months, once the project's done!”

She snatched up the form, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it aside.

“By then, if your mom pulls through, great. And if she doesn't, well, that's just me saving you the medical bills, isn't it?!”

“And there's no way I'm approving this leave either! You're the lead on this project! If you walk, who's left to do the grunt work?”

Her words hit like a blast of static in my skull, and every drop of blood in me rushed straight to my head.

“Gail Whitney! That's my mother! Watch your filthy mouth!”

I slammed my hand down on the desk and glared at her, my eyes burning red.

“She's lying in that ICU right now waiting for surgery! I have to get the money to save her life! You release my wages this instant!”

Gail flinched so hard she knocked the chip crumbs off the desk.

Then she bristled like a startled hen, jabbing a finger at me.

“Don't you raise your voice at me! This is Mr. Fox's rule! If you've got the nerve, go yell at him!”

“Besides, your mom's the one who couldn't watch where she was going and hit a car. Maybe she's trying to kick the bucket early to save you the cash?!”

Her voice turned vicious.

“Bet if she saw you making a scene here at the office, begging for leave, begging for money for her surgery, she'd drop dead of sheer aggravation right there in the ICU.”

Her voice kept climbing until the whole office had heard.

Heads turned my way, one after another, and the whispering started.

“Right? If she's got the nerve, she should go to Mr. Fox! Why come make things hard for Gail?!”

“You don't get it. Joyce is using her mom's accident as an excuse to make trouble. She's trying to squeeze more money out of the company!”

Hearing all of it, I felt the breath jam in my throat, my whole body trembling with rage.

I was about to let loose when my phone suddenly rang. It was the hospital.

“Miss Harding, your mother's heart rate and breathing have already dropped to dangerous levels. All the pre-op preparations were done long ago.”

“If you don't pay the deposit so we can operate, if you keep dragging this out, we really won't be able to save her!”