The crash of shattering glass silenced the entire dining room. Mr. Sterling stood over Lisa, sneering as champagne soaked into the carpet. He had been looking for a reason to fire her all week, simply because she refused to work unpaid overtime.
“Look at this mess!” Sterling shouted, playing to the audience of wealthy diners. “You are incompetent. You are fired. Leave now, or I’ll have security throw you out.”
Lisa bent down, not to clean up the glass, but to pick up her tablet. She stood up, brushed off her apron, and turned the screen toward him.
“You can’t fire me, Sterling,” Lisa said, a smile finally breaking across her face.
“And why is that? Do you think you’re special?” he laughed.
“No,” she replied, swiping to the bottom of the digital document. “I can’t be fired… because I’m the owner.”
Sterling squinted at the screen. It was a Transfer of Ownership agreement for the entire restaurant chain, finalized that morning. Lisa had won the Powerball jackpot three weeks prior and had been secretly negotiating to buy the place she had worked at for five years.
“I bought the building, the brand, and the staff contracts,” Lisa continued, stepping over the broken glass. “Well, most of the staff contracts. Yours, unfortunately, is terminated effective immediately. Get your cheap suit and get out of my 5-star establishment.”
