Enjoying a fantastic new job and an unexpected romance, Maria felt like she was living her dream. When her angry boss decides to fire her, everything comes crashing down.
Maria hugged her son Lucas in tears.
“My dear, you have my undying admiration! I never thought you would succeed in life when I found out I was pregnant with you.”
And now I congratulate you on your graduation from law school – magna cum laude!”
Lucas gave her a sardonic smile. “Wow, sounds like I’m hopeless,” he said.
Maria gave him a friendly slap on the arm. You know what I mean. At only sixteen, I was still a child. Lucas, you bring me joy and pride despite the challenges of being a young mother and I admit I have made many mistakes.”
After placing a kiss on Maria’s cheek, Lucas ruffled her hair. Since she attended community college and high school while he grew up in his grandparents’ house, their relationship was special. They used to get ready for school at the same time, almost like siblings.
“I’ll miss you.” Maria sighed. “I’m glad you have a job now, but I wish you’d stay here and not move to the city.
“I’ll visit you one more time. It’s only an hour’s drive, you know.”
Maria smiled at him as they walked hand in hand through the institute’s well-maintained grounds.
The air smelled as clean and pleasant as the sunset. Lucas couldn’t have asked for a better day to start the rest of his life.
After five years, Maria joined a large organization where she had been employed shortly before. Even though Maria was forty years old, she felt like she was starting over because she had spent so much of her youth raising Lucas.
When she met Allen, her new boss, the feeling hit her pretty hard.
She shook his hand and felt an electric fire run through her, her eyes refusing to leave his beautiful face.
“Marie, it’s great to have you on board,” Allen remarked. “I liked your resume and I feel like you are exactly what we have been missing here.
“I’m glad to be here and to work with you.
That’s pretty much my ideal job, to be honest.”
Maria melted as Allen smiled. He muttered something else but she ignored it as she admired his well-groomed beard and the way his arms moved under his shirt.
Allen continued, “Let me show you to your office.” “You’re right next to me so I can hold you eve.
Maria’s heart dropped out of her chest when he winked at her. She needed to control herself! He led her down the shiny cobbled corridor as she forced herself not to stare at his ass. Maria had no desire to be involved in a romantic relationship at work. She didn’t want to be one of the many friends who met this fate.
Maria quickly learned that the heart follows its impulses, no matter how foolish they may be. It didn’t help that Allen wasn’t wearing a wedding ring or that she often caught him watching her slyly.
It started with shy smiles and light-hearted jokes over morning coffee. Their feet often scraped under the table as they collaborated on designs. None of this seemed serious until the day Allen brought Maria into his office to brief her on a major project.
“We got the deal!” Allen smiled at her.
Maria’s ideal position in the company quickly turned into a nightmare.
Although their embrace was impetuous, the uncontrollable rush of happiness from their success together, once they were in each other’s arms, neither Allen nor Maria wanted the moment to end.
“I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice, “but we shouldn’t.”
She said, “Yeah,” her eyes meeting his.
Ever since they were so close, she could feel his heart pounding just like hers. His perfume flooded her senses with the scent of wood and leather. His fingers traced the curves of her face with fiery precision.
There was beauty and pyrotechnics in that first kiss. He pulled her closer and her insides felt like cotton wool. It was the beginning of a short but intense relationship that took place behind closed doors in various hotel rooms and offices throughout the area. Something unexpected ended Allen and Marie’s burning, passionate love.
“You can’t be pregnant. With his head buried in his hands, Allen collapsed.
“We can arrange it, even if we didn’t plan for the baby,” Maria replied, placing her hands on his shoulder.
“No, we can’t. Allen stood up and began pacing his workspace.
“Maria, I love you, but we have to stop this. I’m married, so we can’t be together.”
Maria fixed her gaze on him. The globe seemed to stop spinning. “But you don’t have a ring… and no family photos!” She pointed at his desk and blurted out.
“I prefer to keep my work and personal life separate,” he muttered, running through his hair. “I’m sorry, but I believe this will make us both wiser than when we started. I mean, everyone makes mistakes, right? Of course, I’ll cover the termination costs.”
“No!” Maria crossed her arms over her stomach.
“I won’t, Allen.
Allen’s face was darkly shadowed with anger. Maria, you have to be careful about this. Carrying this pregnancy to term will be a serious mistake.”
“The only fault here is you. Maria ran through the door. She was shocked that the father of her child left her for the second time in her life!
Some of Mary’s worst days were to come in the following months. She was devastated by the look her parents exchanged when she told them she had been abandoned by the child again. She also couldn’t bear to tell Lucas that he was going to be a brother. How could she break that bubble with this news when he seemed so happy on his social media?
Maria’s ideal position in the company quickly turned into a nightmare. Allen stopped collaborating with her on designs. He preferred to let her complete the task on her own. After reading everything, he would send her suggestions back with pages of notes on things to change. Because of this, she ended up doing each task three times.
“When I’m done with them, that stupid boss of yours will never be able to get another job.”
She was unable to communicate with him at all, not even on business matters. He would dismiss her and advise her to send an email, but usually ignored him. His attitude worsened as soon as Maria appeared.
“Congratulations!” Amy, the accountant, grabbed Maria’s hand. “I didn’t know you were married. When-“
“Johnson’s proposal must be completed today.” Allen suddenly materialized and hurriedly escorted Maria back to her office.
Maria whispered to him, “I didn’t want to say anything about us.”
“The office is a place for work, not talk!” A red-faced Allen finally snapped.
As Maria’s due date approached, Allen did little to lighten her workload. Rather, he overworked her and often made rude remarks about how she made things happen. Although Maria often came home in tears, she hesitated to tell Lucas that she was expecting.
Allen barges into her office one day, fuming over the latest draft she was working on. As he shouted at Maria, a stabbing pain began in her lower back. He was about to leave the room when Maria’s water broke and ordered her to finish the job again.
“The baby is coming!”
They rushed Maria to the hospital. After a short but difficult labor, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Riley. She thought about putting the baby up for adoption, but after seeing Riley’s adorable face, she abandoned that idea.
A few days later, Riley brought Mario home.
With an approved six-month maternity leave, she had ample opportunity to spend quality time with her child and stay up-to-date on Lucas’ social media activities.
The following Monday, Maria had a painful shock. Her employer called her to tell her she was fired! Allen fired her for subpar performance because she never changed the plan he yelled at her for when she went into labor.
Maria began to cry. She was crying so hard that she didn’t see the man who entered her house.
“Mom?” Lucas rushed to Maria. Mom, why are you crying? What’s wrong?”
“Lucas! Why are you in this place?” Maria gave him a surprised look.
“I came for a surprise visit. Lucas’s eyes widened, taking in everything in the room, including the baby in its mother’s arms.
However, it seems I’m the one getting the surprise. “What kind of child is this?”
As Maria told Lucas everything she could think of, Lucas’ chest tightened with rage. When she finished, his hands were clenched into fists and his blood was boiling.
“It is illegal to fire you when you are on maternity leave,” he said. “When I’m done with them, that stupid boss of yours will never be able to get another job.”
“You’re afraid your little, dark secret might be exposed. When I take you to court, the judge will find it quite interesting.”
“Lucas, don’t do it. Mother hung her head. “I couldn’t live with the scandal this would cause.
“Mom, I won’t let him get away with mistreating you. Besides, I’m a big brother now. It’s my duty to keep the little guy safe.” Lucas placed a firm kiss on his sibling’s forehead and hugged his mother tightly. However, I swear to keep my distance. Just give me everything.
With a sad heart, Lucas climbed the stairs leading to the company where his mother used to work. He was deeply ashamed that she had chosen to carry these responsibilities alone rather than turn to him. The way they treated her also made him feel disgusted.
Lucas whispered, “You’re in for the surprise of your life, Allen,” as he entered the elevator.
An hour later, Lucas was sitting alone in the back of the meeting room. All but one coffee table in the middle of the room was packed with the company’s top executives and shareholders.
Allen walked into the room and everyone’s attention fell on him. Noticing that everyone was still staring at him, he apologized for being late and looked confused.
“Is anything wrong?” Allen asked as he sat down.
“Mr. Walsh, please review the documents in front of you,” the company’s CEO ordered.
“You have been charged with illegal termination of employment.
“What?” Allen looked at the pages and paled. “This statement is false! The woman was careless and lazy, so I fired her. It had nothing to do with her being hit.”
Clearing his throat, Lucas stood up. “I beg to differ, Mr. Walsh.
Lucas was smiling uncontrollably as he watched Allen wince as he introduced himself and stated his qualifications. After reading the law to the room, he insisted that Mom get her old job back and pay for the emotional distress she had endured.
“In any case.” Allen shook his head. “She was fired because she didn’t do her job well. The rest is unimportant.”
Is it not correct to say that she gave birth and was not able to finish her work? Probably because of the tension you caused by yelling at her, Mr. Walsh?’
“Now hold on a minute-“
“And isn’t it true that she wouldn’t have gotten pregnant if you hadn’t had an affair with her?”
There was a collective gasp in the meeting room. Allen’s cheeks glowed scarlet.
“Apart from wrongful dismissal, you’re guilty of terrible misconduct. Isn’t that the real reason you wish to fire my mother? You’re afraid your little, dark secret might be revealed. When I take you to court, the judge will find it quite interesting .”
Allen hung his head. He didn’t need to say anything more, so he didn’t say anything more. His face showed his shame for all to see.
That same day, Allen lost his job. When the company executives saw how much of Allen’s work Maria had completed, they not only got her back but also promoted her to Allen’s job.
Lucas, Mom, and little Riley were rejoicing.
To be closer to his family and to be able to commute to the city if needed, he decided to move back to the city.
What lessons can we learn from this story?
A devoted family will support you no matter what. Lucas and Maria hadn’t spoken much lately, but when he found out she needed help, he was ready to stand up for her.
Always uphold the moral high ground. Every good deed and every second we spend in the pursuit of justice makes the world a better place to live for everyone.
Discuss this story with your companions. It could motivate them and make their day.
If you liked this story, you might like this one about a secretary who saves her boss after she finds him sobbing at his desk.
Maria’s journey is a testimony to the strength of family bonds and the search for justice. After being unfairly fired while on maternity leave, Maria faces immense challenges, including betraying her boss and fighting to provide for her newborn son. Despite these hardships, her son Lucas, now a successful lawyer, stood by her side. His determination to seek justice and expose the wrongdoing of Allen, Maria’s former boss, was a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up against injustice.
Lucas’ intervention not only rectified the wrongful termination but also highlighted his deep commitment to his family. By holding Allen accountable for his actions and securing Maria’s reinstatement with a promotion, Lucas showed that despite adversity, integrity and support from loved ones can bring about positive change. The story underscores the idea that no matter what difficulties one faces, having a supportive and principled family can make a significant difference.
Ultimately, Marie and Lucas’ story serves as an inspiration to others. It illustrates the value of loyalty, the importance of fighting for your rights, and the impact of standing up for what is right. It also reinforces the idea that justice and fairness can prevail, especially when supported by a loving and determined family.