When Annie’s young son got really sick, she decided to take a week off from work to take care of him. But when she got back to the office, she was hit with a shocker: a police officer and a pair of handcuffs were waiting for her.
You’d think that after ten years of hard work and loyalty, a company would value you, right? Not for me.
Here’s what happened.
I had been with the company for ten years, starting as a marketing intern right after college and slowly moving up the ranks, though my salary only went up a little each year.
One day, my five-year-old son, Kenny, fell extremely ill. His fever soared, and he couldn’t stop throwing up. Naturally, I was very worried.
I couldn’t leave him with a babysitter—I needed to be there for him, watching over him and taking him to the doctor if needed.
So, I called my boss to explain the situation. I hadn’t used any of my vacation days this year, so I didn’t think it would be a problem.
I left Kenny in bed and made the call.
“Hi, Mr. Williams,” I said when he picked up. “My son is very sick, and I need to take a week off to care for him. I haven’t used any of my leave yet.”
There was a pause, then he exploded.
“Are you kidding me, Annie?” he roared. “We have the annual general meeting in two days, and you’re abandoning me? I need those marketing reports!”
“I’m sorry, Sir,” I said. “But I can’t come in. The reports are already done—I sent them to you yesterday.”
He didn’t say another word before hanging up.
I didn’t think too much about it; Mr. Williams was known for being impulsive and rude.
The next week was all about taking care of Kenny. After a few days, he started to get better and went back to school.
When I returned to the office, I was in for a shock. Mr. Williams was sitting in my chair, clapping slowly with a creepy smile.
“Welcome back, Annie,” he said. “I have a surprise for you.”
Before I could react, a police officer walked in with handcuffs.
“Annie Mills,” the officer said sternly. “You have the right to remain silent…”
My heart raced, and I felt numb as he read me my rights.
“What’s happening?” I gasped, trying to breathe.
“Annie, it turns out you don’t have a son,” Mr. Williams declared. “You’re being punished for your lies. Nice try, but you’ve been caught.”
I was stunned. I couldn’t believe what Mr. Williams was saying. Of course, I had a son. I was a single mother because Kenny’s father had left when he found out about the pregnancy.
As I was led out of the office in handcuffs, I couldn’t understand where everything had gone so wrong.
In the police car, I pinched my wrist to make sure this wasn’t a nightmare.
At the station, I wasn’t allowed to make a phone call, and the officers glared at me menacingly.
Thrown into a grimy holding cell with moldy walls, I was desperate. My neighbor was supposed to look after Kenny after school, but besides that, he only had me.
After what felt like forever, another officer walked past my cell.
“Please,” I pleaded, running to the bars. “I need to make a phone call.”
She agreed and took me to the pay phone. I called my best friend Mia, who’s a lawyer. I knew I couldn’t afford her, but she was my only hope.
“Mia,” I said urgently, “I’ve been arrested. I need your help.”
Mia arrived at the station and was allowed to see me right away.
Here’s where things started to turn around.
Mia took my case without hesitation.
“There’s something fishy going on here,” she said after talking to a few officers—some of them even argued.
Eventually, she managed to get me released, and I went home to Kenny. Then Mia started her investigation.
It turned out that Mr. Williams had set the whole thing up. He had bribed the officer to arrest me. According to our company’s rules, if an employee is arrested or suspected of a crime, their contract is terminated, and the company claims any unpaid salary.
In my case, that meant my unpaid wages.
“Are you sure?” I asked Mia when she came over, explaining everything, including emails from Mr. Williams to the officer.
“Yes,” she confirmed, helping herself to some dinner. “It’s all sorted. Mr. Williams will face the consequences.”
I felt a wave of relief wash over me.
Mia had saved me from prison without charging me a dime, and Kenny and I were incredibly grateful.
To avoid a lawsuit and to fix their reputation, the company gave me $40,000 as compensation, admitting that Mr. Williams had acted alone.
Even though I spent only a few hours in the holding cell, it was enough to scare me. I’m so thankful for Mia’s belief in justice, as I’d still be waiting for answers and justice without her help.
Now, I work with Mia, handling her firm’s marketing and PR needs whenever required. It’s a stable job where I feel secure, and most importantly, I can provide for my son without worrying about my employer.
Has anything as outrageous ever happened to you at work?
