Chapter 2: The Price of Respect
Renee finally looked away.
“Gloria, you can't compare a jacket to a mural.””
Gloria folded her arms.
“Why not?””
“Because the jacket is personal property!””
“And the mural wasn't?””
Renee hesitated.
Trent stepped between them, still holding his ruined jacket.
“Enough. This is ridiculous. Gloria, you need to pay for this.””
Gloria looked at him.
“Pay for what?””
“My jacket!””
“How much?””
“Two thousand dollars!””
Gloria nodded slowly.
“Interesting.””
She pointed toward the wall.
“How much do you think Nadia's work is worth?””
Trent scoffed.
“Don't start with that.””
“I'm asking a simple question.””
“She was hired to paint a wall.””
Gloria took the clipboard from her arm and placed it on the nearest table.
“Three nights of work. Custom design. Materials.
Preparation. That's what you destroyed.””
Trent shook his head.
“It's a business expense. We can have it redone.””
Nadia finally spoke.
“I don't want to repaint it for free.””
Trent turned sharply.
“Then don't expect to work here again.””
Gloria looked at him.
“Are you threatening her?””
“I'm explaining how business works.””
“No,” Gloria said.
“You're explaining how you treat people when you think they can't fight back.””
Trent gave a short laugh.
“Gloria, with respect, you're getting emotional over a wall.””
Gloria didn't blink.
“And you're getting emotional over a jacket.””
Nadia looked down, trying to hide the small, disbelieving smile forming on her face.
Renee noticed.
“Don't encourage her,” she snapped.
Gloria turned toward Renee.
“Excuse me?””
Renee immediately softened her voice.
“I just mean we have a schedule. The café opens in two hours. We can't have everyone arguing.””
“Then perhaps you should have stopped Trent from destroying the mural.””
“I wasn't responsible for his decision.””
Nadia looked at her.
“You watched him.””
Renee sighed.
“I told you. It's just paint.””
Nadia nodded.
“Right.””
She walked toward the table where her portfolio lay.
Her hands were still shaking, but she carefully opened the folder.
Inside were printed sketches, color studies, and a signed approval sheet.
She placed it in front of Gloria.
“This is the original design.””
Gloria picked it up.
The sketch showed the mural exactly as it had looked before Trent attacked it.
A woman surrounded by wildflowers, with warm sunlight spreading across a blue background.
At the bottom was Trent's signature.
Gloria examined it.
“Trent, is this your signature?””
He barely glanced at it.
“So?””
“You approved the design?””
“Yes, but I can change my mind.””
“Of course you can. But you can't destroy someone's completed work and demand that they repeat it without payment.””
Trent laughed.
“That's not how contracts work.””
Nadia reached into her portfolio again.
“Actually, the contract says the final payment is due upon completion and approval.””
She turned to the last page.
“And it says any additional revisions after approval are billable.””
Gloria read the paragraph twice.
Then she looked up.
“Did you receive the final payment?””
“No.””
“How much is outstanding?””
“Four thousand dollars.””
Trent immediately interrupted.
“Because the work wasn't acceptable!””
Nadia pointed to the signed approval.
“You approved it in writing.””
“Before I saw the final version.””
“You watched me finish it yesterday.””
“I was busy.””
“You sent me three messages saying it looked perfect.””
Trent stepped closer.
“Do you want to keep arguing?””
Nadia didn't move.
“I want to be paid.””
For a moment, Trent seemed unable to find an answer.
Then he turned toward Gloria.
“She's trying to take advantage of you.””
Gloria closed the folder.
“I'm not interested in accusations. I'm interested in facts.””
She picked up her phone.
“I'm calling the office manager. I want the contract, the payment records, and the security footage from this morning.””
Trent's face tightened.
“Security footage?””
“Yes.””
“You don't need to do that.””
“Why?””
“Because I already told you what happened.””
Gloria looked directly at him.
“And I want to see it for myself.””
Renee suddenly stepped forward.
“Gloria, maybe we should discuss this privately.””
Gloria glanced at her.
“Why?””
“Because there are employees and customers coming in. This isn't good for the café.””
“Neither is having a manager destroy a contractor's work.””
Renee's jaw tightened.
“I was just trying to keep things calm.””
Nadia turned toward her.
“By telling me to repaint it for free?””
Renee didn't answer.
Gloria moved closer to Nadia.
“Did Trent threaten you before today?””
Nadia hesitated.
She looked at Trent.
He gave her a warning stare.
“Careful,” he muttered.
Gloria heard him.
“Did you just tell her to be careful?””
Trent threw his hands up.
“I'm done with this!””
He grabbed his phone from the floor and started toward the office.
But Gloria's voice stopped him.
“Leave the jacket here.””
He turned.
“Excuse me?””
“I need to document the damage.””
“You're not keeping my property!””
“Then place it on the table and take a photograph.””
Trent reluctantly laid the jacket down.
Gloria took several pictures.
One of the front.
One of the sleeves.
One of the paint-covered shoulders.
Then she photographed the ruined mural.
“Good,” she said.
“Now we have both sides of the story documented.””
Trent laughed bitterly.
“You really think this makes you look professional?””
Gloria looked at him.
“No. I think the security footage will.””
Nadia watched Gloria save the photographs.
For the first time since morning, she felt as though someone was actually listening.
But something still bothered her.
Trent wasn't acting like a man who had simply made a bad decision.
He was acting like someone who expected to get away with it.
And Renee seemed determined to help him.
Gloria noticed Nadia's expression.
“What's wrong?””
Nadia looked at Renee.
Then at Trent.
“There's something else.””
Trent stopped walking.
Gloria lowered her phone.
“What is it?””
Nadia reached into the back pocket of her apron.
She pulled out her phone and opened a message thread.
“I didn't want to bring this up in front of everyone.””
Trent's face went pale.
“Put that away.””
Nadia looked at him.
“Why?””
He took one step toward her.
“Because those messages are private.””
Gloria extended her hand.
“Let me see.””
Nadia turned the screen toward her.
At the top of the conversation was a message sent by Trent at 11:47 the previous night.
Gloria read it.
Then she read it again.
Her expression changed.
Because the message didn't just prove that Trent had approved the mural.
It revealed why he wanted it destroyed in the first place.
May you like
And when Gloria looked up, she asked one question.
“Trent, who told you to cover up this mural?””
