Chapter 14 - THE MAID WHO DID THE RIGHT THING
Maren blamed herself.
Of course.
“If Dana hadn’t come to my apartment…”
Not her fault.
“If I told you she was my sister…”
Maybe relevant.
Not cause.
“Why didn’t you?”
She looked embarrassed.
“Because when I was hired, Dana still worked compliance. She told me never to use her name to get anything.”
Reasonable.
“After she left?”
“She hated Hawthorne.”
“Still no reason to hide relation.”
“She thought if anyone knew, they would assume I was feeding her information.”
That possibility was real.
Maren had access to family spaces.
Dana had compliance concerns.
Disclosure should have happened.
We changed employment conflict forms afterward.
No punishment for Maren because she had not knowingly participated in misconduct.
She had also done the most important thing in the hallway.
Heard Emma.
Stopped.
Called me.
No hesitation because Celeste was my wife.
That mattered.
I gave her a bonus.
She refused initially.
“It feels like being paid for rescuing a child.”
I corrected:
“It’s recognition for following safety procedure under pressure.”
May you like
She accepted half.
Stubborn family.
