“William, check the kitchen’s surveillance footage.”
William, the hotel’s security supervisor, was very skilled with the surveillance system. Not long after, he found the suspicious figure in the video footage. Although the person was wearing a mask and a hat, I was still able to recognize him by some subtle details.
It was Rick.
1/2
Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Early in the morning, I received a call from the hotel manager. “Ms. Jackson, a large number of customers have food poisoning. They say the breakfast delivered this morning was the issue. Now, other customers are panicking and demanding to check out. What should we do?”
My heart sank, realizing the gravity of the situation. “Wait for me, I’ll be there right away.”
I hung up the phone, quickly gathered my thoughts, and drove to the hotel.
Upon arrival, I immediately called a meeting with the relevant department heads and found out the cause of the problem. Multiple customers had reported that the breakfast delivered by the hotel had an unusual smell and unknown contents, suggesting a possible food hygiene issue.
The news spread quickly, and Mr. Lowe, who had previously worked with us, arrived upon hearing the rumors. He understood the importance of the hotel’s reputation and stepped forward to vouch for the hotel, insisting that our hygiene standards were in no way compromised. His intervention helped calm many of the customers who were demanding to check out.
I explained, “Our hotel conducts strict daily food sampling. The food has just been sent to a professional testing agency, and no problems have been found.”
So where was the issue?
In the kitchen, I asked the staff about the procedures and any changes in personnel that day. One of the assistant chefs mentioned, “I saw an unfamiliar face today. He said he was new and was helping to prepare breakfast.”
My heart skipped a beat as I realized that this “new person” might be the key to the problem.
“We’ve been short on staff, so I really thought he was a new recruit.”
“William, check the kitchen’s surveillance footage.”
William, the hotel’s security supervisor, was very skilled with the surveillance system. Not long after, he found the suspicious figure in the video footage. Although the person was wearing a mask and a hat, I was still able to recognize him by some subtle details.
It was Rick.
1/2
Chapter 16
I immediately called together all the relevant personnel, shared the discovery from the surveillance footage, and proposed a solution. “Tell the customers that the food testing came back clean, but the issue lies in our internal management. Someone has maliciously framed the situation. For those who suffered food poisoning, we will cover the medical costs. For those who choose not to check out, we will offer a 50% discount coupon as compensation. For those who decide to check out, we will offer a full refund.”
I decided to deal with Rick privately.
“This kind of trick isn’t fun anymore,” I said, looking at Rick, who was disheveled and unkempt.
“If I can’t live a comfortable life, then you won’t be able to either,” he growled in a deep voice.
“All of this evidence is here. If we go to court, you might not win.”
I laid the evidence of his intimidation and framing on the table.
He glanced at it indifferently, as if he didn’t care about it. “So what?”
“Don’t you care about your mother anymore? She still doesn’t know you’ve been fired, does she?”
“What do you want?” This question seemed to hit a nerve with Rick, and his eyes turned sharp, his voice rising.
“If I tell your mom about what you’ve been doing, do you think she’ll be so upset that she’ll end up in the hospital? Then you won’t have any money to pay for her treatment.”
I deliberately emphasized, “Your mom has a heart disease, she can’t handle stress.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Considering the years we were married, apologize to me, and promise you won’t do anything like this again. I’ll let this go.”
“Sorry… sorry, I won’t do it again,” he muttered in a low voice, clearly embarrassed.
“Fine. I’ll keep the evidence, but I’ll give you a chance. You’d better keep your word. If I find out you’re thinking of anything inappropriate again, I won’t care about our past relationship.”
