The day after he was fired, Arthur returned to the store to pick up his final paycheck. As he walked out into the cool air, he sat down on a concrete bench near the parking lot, his folded green vest resting on his lap. He felt the sting of the unfair humiliation, but his mind remained focused on what he had to do next.
“Arthur? Are you okay?” He looked up to see Emily, a twenty-two-year-old college student who worked the bakery counter. She had rushed outside, still wearing her apron, her eyes filled with genuine concern. “What Bob did was horrible. We all know you didn’t do anything wrong. That woman is a monster.”