Chapter 6 - MY PAYCHECK
The first corrected paycheck arrived on a Friday.
I opened it twice.
Then called payroll.
“There’s a mistake.”
The woman asked:
“What?”
“It’s too high.”
She laughed.
“No.”
My regular pay was there.
Plus reimbursement for improper deductions.
Plus overtime adjustment.
Plus interest and statutory additions determined through the audit.
Net correction:
$8,742.16.
I stared.
That was more money than I had ever held at once.
Across the entire workforce, the estate and affiliated properties began making repayments.
Some employees received two thousand.
Some twenty thousand.
Javier received more than thirty because of years of improperly reclaimed overtime.
Vincent funded amounts immediately while civil recovery from Vescari proceeded separately.
He did not make employees wait to see whether Vescari had money.
That mattered.
Then HR offered to move me into a newly created employee-relations liaison position.
I refused.
Vincent called me into his office.
Alone.
I hated that.
“Why did you refuse?”
“Because I’m a housekeeper.”
“That is your current job.”
“It’s the job I know.”
He studied me.
“Rebecca says you used to work in office administration.”
I stared.
“Rebecca reads everything.”
Apparently.
Before Adam died, I had spent five years as an administrative coordinator for a manufacturing company.
After his death, I needed predictable hours closer to home.
The Castalano estate paid better than entry-level office work.
So I cleaned.
Nothing shameful about that.
Vincent said:
“You understand staff problems.”
“Because I am staff.”
“Yes.”
“That doesn’t make me HR.”
“No.”
He leaned back.
“What would?”
“Training.”
He nodded.
“Then get training.”
“With what time?”
“The job includes it.”
“With what childcare?”
He stopped.
Good question.
I continued:
“I’m not becoming some inspirational story because my toddler wandered into your office.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“Was that the offer?”
“It felt like it.”
He considered.
Then nodded.
“Fair.”
That surprised me.
He said:
“The position will be posted externally and internally.”
“You can apply.”
“Or not.”
“Same salary range for whoever gets it.”
“Tuition assistance is available to all eligible employees under the restored education program.”
I stared.
“There’s an education program?”
His expression became murderous.
“Apparently.”
I laughed before I could stop myself.
Vincent stared.
Then started laughing too.
Quietly.
The first time I heard him laugh without Mia forcing it.
I applied.
Interviewed with an outside HR consultant and two people I had never met.
I did not get the job.
A woman named Denise Carter with twelve years of HR experience did.
I was disappointed.
Also relieved.
Then Denise offered me an operations coordinator role reporting to her, with training.
I accepted.
That felt earned.
Not gifted.
May you like
Important difference.
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