The Scam

“I couldn’t believe Margaret didn’t know it was a scam. How could she not see all the red flags?” Molly was trying to stay calm, but I could tell she was nervous. She was usually upbeat, but her face had paled considerably since the news came. 

“I have no idea. She’s always telling us about how good she is at her job and how she has done this all before, but this should have never happened.”  

“Do you think we will survive this? I am one paycheck away from being living out on the street.” Molly was almost in tears and I could see her future flashing right before her eyes. She was usually emotionally stable, but the thought of being evicted from her apartment was fraying her last nerves. 

“Let’s get more information. Do a little snooping. See what we can find out.” I gently took Molly’s arm and pulled her toward the break room. Serena was there and was a notorious gossip who loved to spill the beans about everyone and everything. She didn’t have any boundaries or reservations about telling every detail to everyone. I sat Molly down at the corner table with a cup of coffee and sat with my back to Serena so she wouldn’t try and draw us into her conversation. She would talk to anyone and everyone whether they wanted to have a conversation or not.  

Twenty minutes later, Molly and I knew everything we needed to know without saying a word. And I had never seen Molly this furious. Three days later, Molly was unemployed, her rent was paid and Margaret would never work again.