Chapter 10 - The Complaint They Read
Three weeks before Preston’s birthday, Mia had filed a written complaint.
I had helped her.
We sat in the break room after closing while she described his hands, his comments, the way he blocked her path.
She wanted to delete it.
I told her we should both sign.
So we did.
Dennis assured us the complaint would go to the membership committee.
It went to Preston.
Aaron’s phone proved it.
Dennis had sent a photograph of the form.
Both our signatures were visible.
Preston’s first response was about Mia.
His second was about me.
Hayes thinks she’s the boss now?
Dennis answered:
She’s the one pushing it.
Then came my picture.
Then the birthday plans.
I sat at Rachel’s conference table and stared at the screen.
They hadn’t chosen me because I happened to carry the cake.
Dennis had sent me to that table.
He had watched the whole night unfold.
And when I asked for help, he told me to do my job.
Rachel closed the laptop.
“Take a minute.”
“I don’t want a minute.”
My voice frightened me.
“I want every employee he’s ever done this to to see that message.”
“They will,” she said. “But first we give it to Brooks.”
Dominic stood beside the window, jaw tight.
“Say something,” I told him.
He turned.
“I’m trying to choose words that help you.”
That nearly made me cry.
“Then say you believe me.”
He crossed the room.
“I believed you before there was a video.”
I pressed my forehead against his chest.
For the first time since Friday, I let myself shake.
Later, Mia came over.
She saw the messages.
Then she backed away from the table.
“This happened because you helped me.”
“No.”
“If I hadn’t complained—”
“If he hadn’t attacked me.”
She covered her mouth.
I took her hands.
“Don’t finish his work for him.”
That night, Dennis was placed on leave.
The club called it an internal review.
Preston’s father called Dominic.
This time, Dominic put him on speaker with Rachel present.
“You’re tearing apart businesses over a haircut,” Graham said.
I reached for the phone.
“No,” I said. “Your son did that when he decided I wasn’t allowed to say no.”
May you like
Graham went silent.
Then he said, “You should ask your husband what he signed to keep this building open.”
