She swallowed and nodded, blinking back the tears.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to say. “I don’t know what came over me.”
Chef Elena spoke up, her voice a mix of concern and admiration.
“What came over you was courage, honey. I’m proud of you for speaking up, but we have to be ready for the fallout.”
Sarah’s heart sank.
“I understand if you have to let me go,” she murmured. “I crossed a line. It was unprofessional.”
“Let’s not make any hasty decisions,” the maître d’ intervened. “You did what you felt was right. If Mr. Sterling follows through on his threats, we’ll deal with it then. For now, take a few minutes to compose yourself.”
One of the busboys stepped in to clear the table, but the maître d’ held up a hand.
“No,” he said, looking at the pile of cash Sterling had left. “We’ll handle this carefully. The bill wasn’t finalized. It’s complicated.”
Sarah, too shaken to deal with the financial logistics, nodded.
“I… I’m going to step outside for a minute.”
She made her way to the back exit, slipping into the alleyway where the restaurant disposed of its trash. Under the soft glow of a single streetlamp, she leaned against the cool brick wall and took a deep breath of the night air.
Her mind was racing with a hundred questions. How would she pay her bills if she lost this job? What about Katie’s dance lessons? Had she ruined her future with one impulsive sentence? But amidst the swirl of fear, she felt an undeniable sense of relief. For the first time, she hadn’t swallowed her pride.
She had stood up for herself and, by extension, for every server, cashier, or clerk who had ever been belittled by someone wielding wealth like a weapon. A soft voice startled her:
“Sarah.”
Turning, she saw her colleague, a waitress named Mary, standing in the doorway. Mary, a kind soul in her late 40s, had been at “The Silver Swan” for years. She offered Sarah a comforting smile.
“Some of the guests were asking about you,” Mary said quietly. “They wanted to thank you for what you did.”
“Thank me?” Sarah asked, surprised. “But I probably ruined the restaurant’s reputation and my own.”
Mary shrugged.
