When the Least Favourite Doesn't Care

The Truth

A few minutes later Grace re-entered carrying a tray with a stack of toast, biscuits and a pot of tea. We ate in silence – nothing I have eaten either before or since has ever tasted so good. When everything was finished I was revived and human once more. I knew the moment was coming; she would want an explanation. I searched my mind for what I could say, how I should explain my actions however, the question did not come. I looked at her to see she was leaning back on the sofa, her head tilted upwards and her eyes closed.

'Hard day?' I asked after swallowing my pride.

'Yeah, it was. A couple of the girls have been giving Amy a hard time; she has just discovered she's pregnant by a married man. Of course, this has led to the others making comments, excluding her and giving her tasks that a pregnant woman should not be doing. I found out this morning. I shut the whole factory down and said no-one would get paid if they didn't put their differences aside. Work time is for working professionally as a team and not for letting personal feelings or opinions get in the way.

'Amy?'

'She's quite new, only eighteen. I told the others they should save the ill will for the married man, who knew what he was doing. Amy didn't know he had a wife, how can she be blamed for what has happened?' I knew Grace had strong feelings on this subject and was grateful for her for discussing a topic that wasn't me.

'How did they take it?'

'A few of the older ones, Betty, Jan, Tracey, left. They said they wouldn't work with Amy and either she left or they did. I let them go.'

'Knowing those three, I doubt they took that well.'

'No, they were loud and abusive as they left. The shouted things about my lack of loyalty. I told them my loyalty was to staff who worked without bringing their personal feelings to the job. Amy never refused to do what they told her to, she got the work done even when she knew she shouldn't. I found her crying her eyes out because she was worried she would lose the baby if she carried on and, that if she refused to do the work, she would lose her job. I did tell her off for not bringing it to my attention sooner. I'm the boss, not those self-serving... Anyway, I have given her set tasks and regular breaks. She is not to deviate from that unless I tell her so myself.'

'Sounds like you have everything under control.'

'I did, until closing time at least. Betty, Jan and Tracey gathered their family and as many others as they could and stood outside, chanting awful names at myself and Amy when we left the building. It got a bit rowdy. There were threats to tell my customers how I hire sluts to work for me.'

'Really, that coming from those three?'

'Exactly what I said. A number of the crowd weren't happy to stay and chant when I mentioned I knew stories about almost every one of them; gambling, infidelity, abuse.'

'And the rest.'

'Betty went grey when I reminded the horde of how I had forgiven someone for stealing from the factory and Tracey was quick to leave when I recalled one of my staff having an affair with the headteacher at St. John's School along with the resulting pregnancy which was passed off as her husband's, despite the lack of intimacy between them in over a year.'

'What about Jan?'

'The biggest hypocrite of the lot? She's had more married men than I've had cooked dinners and doesn't have Amy's excuse of not knowing they were married: she purposefully selects her lovers on whether or not they are wearing a ring. And she's been married for thirty years.'

'How did you calm everything down?'

'I said I was willing to let bygones be gone, as long as everyone went quietly on their way. Jan, Betty and Tracey were told they could return to work tomorrow, if they were able to stand the thought of working with a slut. I might have also said that if they were all happy to let sleeping dogs lie, I would not be compelled to go to my very good friend, who works at the newspaper, and inform him of all the little deeds my staff have been guilty of over the years.'