But Mr. Bennett surprised me.
“Vanessa isn’t the only person who owes Rachel an apology.”
He looked at me.
“I fired you.”
He took a breath.
“That decision was mine.”
I said nothing.
“I should have investigated properly. Instead, I worried about the hotel’s reputation and chose the fastest solution.”
He shook his head.
“You had worked here honestly for nearly a year.”
His voice softened.
“I knew your character.”
“And still I chose the easy decision instead of the fair one.”
Then he said,
“I’m sorry, Rachel.”
Nobody spoke.
“If you’re willing to return, you’ll be reinstated immediately.”
He continued.
“The theft allegation will be removed completely from your employment record.”
“And you will receive full pay for every shift you missed because of my decision.”
He looked at me.
“Will you come back?”
For a moment, I wanted to say no.
Part of me wanted to walk away
