Chapter 8 - The Rebuilding
An hour later, the atmosphere in the basement assembly room was completely transformed.
The six members of the custodial staff, along with Hector, sat around the long table. In the center of the room, sitting in a folding chair with a warm cup of tea in her hands, was Martha Evans.
When Daniel Anderson and Riley entered the room, every worker stood up out of respect.
Daniel held up a hand, motioning for them to sit. For the first time in memory, the multi-billionaire CEO looked humbled. He looked at the cracked linoleum floor, the rusted pipes along the ceiling, and then at the tired, hard-working faces of the people who kept his empire running.
"Please," Daniel said softly. "Sit down."
He walked over to Martha, pulling up a wooden chair and sitting directly across from her.
"Mrs. Evans," Daniel said, taking her calloused hand in his. "My daughter has told me everything. She told me about your twelve years of service to this building. She told me about your dedication, your sore knees, and the way you protected her when she was hurt."
Martha swallowed hard, looking at the wealthy man with a mixture of awe and residual nervousness. "Mr. Anderson... she was just a girl who looked like she needed help. I didn't know who she was."
"You didn't need to know who she was," Daniel said, his voice thick with emotion. "You saw a human being in pain, and you helped her. While the people I paid six-figure salaries to act like savages walked by and laughed."
Daniel stood up and looked around the room at all the workers.
"Effective immediately," Daniel announced, "Anderson Meridian Group is severing all third-party cleaning contracts. Every single one of you is being hired directly as permanent, full-time employees of this company."
A faint gasp ran through the room.
"Your wages will be increased by forty percent," Daniel continued. "You will receive full dental, health, and pension benefits retroactive to your first day of work in this building. All stolen overtime pay calculated over the last three years will be reimbursed with a one-hundred percent corporate match bonus on your next check."
Hector covered his face with his hands, his shoulders shaking with silent, tearful relief. The woman in the corner let out a loud cheer, hugging the worker next to her.
"And as for you, Mrs. Evans," Daniel said, turning back to Martha with a warm smile. "I am creating a new position: Director of Facility Welfare and Operations Audit. You will oversee worker conditions across all twenty-eight of our corporate properties nationwide. You will report directly to my daughter."
Martha stared at him, her mug trembling in her hands. "M-Mr. Anderson... I don't have a college degree. I only know how to mop and sweep..."
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"Mrs. Evans," Riley said, stepping forward and placing a gentle hand on Martha’s shoulder. "You knew more about what was broken in this company than the entire Board of Directors. We don't need a degree. We need your heart, your honesty, and your eyes."
Tears streamed down Martha’s face as she reached up, squeezing Riley’s hand tightly. "Thank you, child... thank you."
