There was no way I could leave him with a babysitter. I needed to be there for him, monitoring his condition and taking him to the doctor if necessary.
So, I decided to call my boss and explain the situation. I hadn’t used any of my leave for the year, so I figured it wouldn’t be an issue.
I left Kenny resting in his bed and made the call.
“Hi, Mr. Williams,” I said when he answered on the first ring. “My son is very sick, and I need to take a week off to care for him. I haven’t used any of my leave yet.”
There was a pause on the line, then he exploded.
“Are you serious, Annie?” he shouted. “We have our annual general meeting in two days, and you’re leaving me in the lurch? I need those marketing reports!”
“I’m sorry, Sir,” I replied. “But I can’t come in. The reports are already done—I emailed them to you yesterday morning.”
Without another word, he hung up.
I didn’t dwell on it too much; Mr. Williams had a tendency to be impulsive and rude.
The next week was focused on caring for Kenny. After a few days, he started to recover and was back at school.
When I returned to the office, I was greeted by an unsettling sight. Mr. Williams was sitting in my chair, clapping his hands slowly with a chilling smile on his face.
“Welcome back, Annie,” he said. “I have a surprise for you.”
Before I could react, a uniformed police officer entered the room, handcuffs in hand.
“Annie Mills,” the officer said sternly. “You have the right to remain silent…”
My heart raced, and my body went limp as he read me my rights.
“What’s going on?” I gasped, struggling to catch my breath.
“Annie, it turns out you don’t have a son,” Mr. Williams declared. “You’re going to be punished for your deception. Well played, but you’ve been caught.”
My mind was spinning. I had no idea what Mr. Williams was talking about. Of course, I had a son. I was a single mother because Kenny’s father had left when he learned of the pregnancy.
As I was led out of the office in handcuffs, I wondered where everything had gone so terribly wrong.
In the police car, I pinched my wrist to make sure I was awake.
At the station, I was denied a phone call, and the officer gave me menacing glares.
Thrown into a dank holding cell with mold-darkened walls, I was desperate. My neighbor was supposed to look after Kenny after school, but beyond that, he only had me.
After what felt like hours, another officer walked past my cell.
“Please,” I begged, running to the bars. “I need to make a phone call.”
She agreed and led me to the pay phone. I called my best friend Mia, an attorney. I knew I couldn’t afford her services, but she was my only hope.
“Mia,” I said urgently, “I’ve been arrested. I need your help.”
Mia arrived at the station and was allowed to see me immediately.
Here’s where things took a turn.
Mia took on my case without hesitation.
“There’s something fishy going on here,” she said after speaking with a few officers—some voices were raised in the process.
Eventually, she secured my release, and I went home to Kenny. Then Mia began her investigation.
It turned out that Mr. Williams had orchestrated the entire ordeal. He had bribed the officer to arrest me. According to our company contracts, if an employee is arrested or suspected of criminal activity, their contract is terminated, and the company claims any outstanding salary.
In my case, that meant my unpaid wages.
“Are you sure?” I asked Mia when she came over, explaining everything, including emails from Mr. Williams to the officer.
“Yes,” she confirmed, helping herself to some dinner. “It’s all sorted. Mr. Williams will be facing consequences.”
I smiled with relief.
Mia had selflessly saved me from prison without charging me a cent, and Kenny and I were forever grateful.
To avoid a lawsuit and to salvage their reputation, the company gave me $40,000 as compensation, admitting that Mr. Williams had acted alone.
Though I spent only a few hours in the holding cell, it was more than enough to terrify me. I’m thankful for Mia’s faith in justice, as I would still be waiting for an explanation and justice without her help.
Now, I work with Mia, handling her firm’s marketing and PR needs whenever required. It’s a stable job where I feel secure, and most importantly, I can provide for my son without worrying about my employer.
Has anything equally outrageous ever happened to you at work?