How long are we supposed to wait?"
Otis tried to respond gently, though her heart was full of unease. "I'm sorry.
I'll be done right away."
But Ryan did not let her off so easily. He turned to Logan, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"See, this is the ridiculous charity my old man left behind. This company is beyond saving when it tolerates people like her."
Logan sneered, joining in. "Maybe she thinks this is some kind of free retirement home."
The whole group burst into loud laughter. Otis lowered her face, her heart tightening.
But Ryan was not finished yet. His eyes gleamed with cruel amusement as he saw her vulnerability.
"Hey, Otis, I think you need to take a good look at yourself. You're old, slow, and still think you have any value here.
I'm just waiting for the day you have enough self-respect to disappear from this company."
At that moment, everyone in the room laughed thoughtlessly. A few employees from outside curiously walked in to see what was going on, forming a crowd of spectators.
Otis stood frozen, her eyes stinging, but she was determined not to let a single tear fall in front of these people. They were not worthy of those tears.
After a brief silence, she quietly responded to Ryan, her voice controlled. "Yes, Mr.
Sterling. I'll make sure not to disturb you and everyone again."
Otis walked out of the restroom, crossing through the crowd of employees standing with pitying and curious looks. She could clearly feel each gaze like a knife wound to her heart, but she kept her back straight and never looked back.
In that moment, the invisible wounds she had carried for 30 years seemed almost unbearable. But alongside the pain, a fierce determination began to grow within her, not only to protect herself, but to defend all the small, invisible people who endured daily injustices just like her.
Otis knew it was time to do something, not just to reclaim justice for herself, but to save the soul of the company that she and Thomas had once built together. And that day was coming closer than ever before.