His Threat, Her Silent Strength

g I couldn't name. It was in the way my colleague, Brenda, avoided my eyes at the coffee machine. It was

e stack of case files waiting for me, but th

er phone in her hand. She wore an exp

voice a low whisper.

. It was a photo from my staff profile on the center's website. Above it,

s a post on a local community Facebo

had tried to scam his small, veteran-owned business out of a custom gown. He said I used my position of trust to manipulate peopl

someone like this be trusted with the vulnerable people of our c

f shares. The comments

gust

a social worker

o that office and give he

re

m my face. This wasn't just an online argument any

wn phone. "He's lying. He never even shipped the gown. I

one with no tracking number. I showed he

ssion didn't change. The court of public

" she said, pulling her phone back

ed me into his office. He was a man who cared about two thing

or behind me. Hi

computer screen, where the same Facebook post was displayed. "Donors are calling. Board members are callin

xture of fear and fury. "The man is extorting me. I have proof.

vidence. He waved it awa

e reputation of this center. This... mess... is a liability. It makes us all look bad. The peopl

o sympathy in his eyes, only

he wants. I don't care how you do it. But if that post is still up by tomorrow morning, you

chest. He didn't want the truth. He wanted the problem to disappea

me. I sat at my desk, the world closing in around me. Despair washed over me, thick and suffocatin

e she'd been accepted to college. I thought of all the years of hard work that l

, sharp anger. I would not be this man's victim. I would not let a

n every detail of the interaction. Every message, every lie, every threat. I would build a case against him,