Chapter 3

Without a word, Justine handed me an envelope. "Audrey, since you keep claiming you haven't received your paycheck, fine, here's cash for you this time. Count it, and make sure you don't bring this up again." I clutched the stack of bills and tried to explain. "I swear, Ms. Shaw, I'm not trying to cause trouble…" She waved me off. "We're all part of the same company. There's no need to make a big deal over a little money. Let's just drop it." With that, she turned and walked away. The rest of the team slowly dispersed, though Cecilia couldn't resist one last dig. "Now, no one can accuse the company of not paying anymore, huh?" I didn't bother responding. I headed straight to the bank to deposit the money. This time, just to be safe, I switched to a more upscale bank and opened a new payroll account, reset the password, and deposited the money. With the numbers in my balance finally reflecting what I was owed, I was able to sleep soundly for the first time in days. … The next morning, I went out and tried to scan a shared bike, but an error popped up showing I had insufficient funds. I froze, quickly pulling up my bank app to check my balance. Balance: $0. My mind went completely blank. The money I had just received was gone again overnight! What on earth was happening? I was at my breaking point. I had no choice but to go to the police station and file a report. The officers explained that, since this was a financial matter, it would require time to investigate through various channels, and they asked me to be patient. I returned home feeling defeated. As soon as I sat down, Justine sent a message in the group chat. "Sorry, everyone. There was an issue with the payment statement, so we need you all to return the salaries we just sent out. As compensation, we'll double everyone's paycheck next time. "Once returned, please let me know in the group." This wasn't the first time something like this had gone down, and Justine was known for always following through on her promises. So, everyone quickly updated her in the group, leaving only me. I stared at the screen, dumbfounded. I was living paycheck to paycheck, and I didn't have any savings. The money I had just gotten had somehow disappeared again. How was I supposed to return it? Seeing that I didn't respond, Justine tagged me in the chat. "Audrey, this is urgent. What's going on with you?" I had no choice but to tell the truth. And immediately, the group chat exploded.