Her Only Hope

Lily rushed down the street, her heart pounding in her chest. She was late for work, and she knew her boss would not be happy. As she approached the restaurant, she could see the manager standing at the door, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"You're late," he said sternly, as she approached him.

"I'm sorry," she said, out of breath. "There was an accident at home. My mother convulsed and I had to....."

The manager looked at her skeptically. "You know I don't tolerate tardiness," he said.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood today," the manager continued. "I'm going to let it slide this time. But don't let it happen again."

Lily breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, sir. I promise it won't happen again."

"Good," the manager said, motioning for her to go inside. "Now get to work."

She hurried into the restaurant, her heart still racing. She was grateful that she hadn't been fired, but she knew she couldn't afford to be late again. She needed this job.

She grabbed her apron and tied it around her waist, then headed out to the dining room to start her shift. As she made her way to her first table, she heard a familiar voice.

"Lily! Hey, over here!" She turned and saw her friend, Amanda, sitting at a table near the window. Amanda was a regular customer at the restaurant, and she always requested her as her server.

"Hey, Amanda!" Lily said, a smile spreading across her face. "It's good to see you!"

"You too!" Amanda said, motioning for Lily to come closer. I wanted to let you know," Amanda said excitedly, "that we're having some important people at the coffee shop tomorrow. A few members of the local newspaper are coming in for an interview and photo shoot and the CEO, Chris Morgan is also going to be present for a meeting.We want to make sure everything is perfect, so we're pulling out all the stops."

She was intrigued. "That's exciting! What's the occasion?"

"The newspaper is doing a feature on the coffee shop," Amanda explained. "They're highlighting local businesses that are making a difference in the community". She informed and left.

She began wiping down the tables in the restaurant, lost in thought about her mother and how she would pay for the next round of chemotherapy. Suddenly, she heard a loud crash and looked down to see a shattered glass at her feet. She must have accidentally knocked it off the table while she was distracted.

"Lily, are you okay?" a voice called out. It was her manager, Mr. Williams.

"I'm fine," she said, picking up the pieces of glass. "Just a little clumsy today, I guess."

"you can't keep doing this," Mr. Williams said sternly. "You're clearly not focused, and it's affecting your work. How many glasses have you broken this week? Three? Four? This isn't like you."

Lily bit her lip. She knew he was right. She had been distracted and careless, and it was costing the restaurant money. She didn't want to let her boss down, but she was finding it difficult to focus on her work.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice shaking. "I'll try harder."

Mr. Williams' expression was stern as he pulled Lily aside. "I'm not going to tolerate this kind of behavior," he said, his voice stern. "If you can't focus and do your job properly, I'll have no choice but to let you go. Do you understand?"

She felt a lump forming in her throat. She couldn't lose this job - she needed the money to pay for her mother's treatment. But she was struggling to keep up with everything.

"Yes, I understand," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mr. Williams nodded, but his expression was still stern.

"I need you to be on your best behavior tomorrow," Mr. Williams said, his tone urgent. "The CEO of Morgan company, Chris Morgan, is coming in for a visit. If you make a single mistake, I'll have to let you go. Do you understand?"

Lily felt her heart pounding in her chest. Chris Morgan? The CEO? She had heard rumors about him being a tough, no-nonsense businessman. She knew she couldn't afford to mess up in front of him.

"I won't let you down," she said, her voice steady despite her nerves.

"I hope you don't," Mr. Williams said, giving her a long look. "I know you're going through a lot right now, but I need you to be professional and focused. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," she said, nodding. She felt a sense of determination welling up inside her. She was going to do her best, no matter what. She would not let her personal problems interfere with her work.

He seemed satisfied, and he gave her a curt nod before heading back to his office. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the next day.

As she walked home after her shift, her thoughts turned to her mother. She knew she had to do something to help her, but she didn't have the money for the drugs her mother needed. She felt desperate and afraid. Then, she had an idea. She would ask Mr. Williams for half of her salary in advance, so she could buy the drugs her mother needed. It was a risky move, but she had to try.

The next day, she approached Mr. Williams's office with a determined look on her face. She knocked on the door and waited for a response.

Lily took a deep breath and then entered the office.....