Part 1

Rick’s shout sliced through the dining room like a knife. “Vera, I told you—don’t serve her if she can’t pay!” His face was flushed with rage, jabbing a finger toward the corner table where the little girl in the yellow jacket hunched her shoulders.

The whole cafeteria fell silent. Construction workers froze mid-bite, old ladies stopped chewing, and even Martín, the fry cook, poked his head out from the kitchen window.

The girl never lifted her eyes from her untouched egg sandwich.

“She’s just a kid, Rick,” I managed, my voice steadier than I felt. “I’m not letting her go to school hungry.”

“Not your problem,” he snapped, leaning in so close I could smell the cigarette on his breath. “Either you stop helping her, or I dock every peso from your paycheck. Am I making myself clear, or do you need me to draw you a picture?” His eyes swept the room, fishing for approval from the customers.

The girl gathered her coins on the table—barely half the cost. Before I could stop her, she’d grabbed her torn backpack and bolted for the street. The yellow jacket vanished between parked cars.

“My office. Now,” Rick ordered. Danny, the other waitress, was already filming everything on her phone. Inside, the stench of cheap cologne and cigarettes made my head spin. A warning letter lay on the desk.

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