“No, I can’t quit. You know I can’t. There aren’t other jobs that pay this well with my qualifications, and with Liam’s college fund to think about…”
I stood frozen and forgot about my hunger. My chest felt tight, like something was squeezing my heart.
“He said if I wanted to be treated like a professional, I should dress like one, not like I’m ‘digging through clearance bins.’” She paused. “But I am digging through clearance bins, Mom. What else am I supposed to do?”
I felt my fists clench. I didn’t even know this man, but in that moment, I hated him. How dare he make my mom feel this way?
That night at dinner, I watched her more carefully. The slight slump in her shoulders I hadn’t noticed before. The way she kept tucking her hair behind her ear.
“Mom?” I finally asked. “Is everything okay at work?”
She looked startled, then quickly composed herself. “Of course, honey. Why do you ask?”
“I… I heard you on the phone earlier. Talking to Grandma.”
Her face fell slightly before she recovered with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, that was nothing. Just a rough day. Every job has those.”
“But your boss… he said things about your clothes?”
