“There are always swindlers hanging around here,” one of her co-workers remarked skeptically, loud enough for others to hear. Another employee chimed in with a mocking smile, “That old man is a top-notch liar.” These offensive comments hung in the air, and Christine heard every word clearly. She felt a surge of restrained anger rising within her, directed at her colleagues’ blatant insensitivity.
However, Christine had no intention of joining in with their cruel insults. She chose to act differently. She turned back to the elderly man, who looked even more distressed, and gently placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She looked him in the eye and said with quiet determination, “You don’t need to worry about what they are saying. I believe you.”
“Their words mean nothing,” she added firmly. Christine was committed to protecting the gentleman’s dignity. She absolutely refused to stand by and let him be insulted and humiliated during what was clearly a difficult and vulnerable moment for him. As the elderly man finally left, renewing his promise to return and pay her back, Christine turned and faced the lingering hostility of her co-workers, holding her head high.
Later that day, as the afternoon rush died down and the gas station finally grew quieter, the manager called Christine into his office. He wore a serious expression and seemed deeply concerned about something. It turned out that one of the employees who had witnessed the earlier scene with Louis had gone to the manager. This employee had reported that they saw Christine taking money directly from the cash register to pay for the elderly man’s gasoline.
The manager got straight to the point. “Christine, I heard about what happened earlier today,” he said, his voice grave. “Did you really take money from the register?” Christine, with a look of sadness filling her eyes, denied the accusation immediately and unequivocally. She explained her genuine concern for the elderly man and the predicament he was in.
She emphasized that she had believed the man’s word and had been willing to risk her personal money, not the company’s, to help him in his moment of need. The manager listened to her explanation carefully, seemingly taking it all in. But despite any understanding he might have had, his response was grim. “I’m sorry, Christine,” he said, “but it’s too late now.”
“If we make an exception for this,” he continued, “other people might get the idea they can just delay their payments, and that could create all sorts of problems for us. I understand your good intentions, Christine, but we have to follow the rules.” The sheer lack of empathy and true understanding from the manager became painfully evident in that moment, as he proceeded to fire her.
Even though her compassionate action hadn’t harmed the gas station’s operations in any tangible way, it was clear the manager was far more concerned with rigid company policy than with the unfortunate situation of a dedicated employee. Christine left his office with tears in her eyes, the reality that she had just lost her job sinking in. But alongside the hurt, she also felt a strong conviction that she had done what was right. She did not regret her decision to help Louis. She firmly believed that even if her actions weren’t accepted by the company, it was, without a doubt, the right thing to do…
