Second Chance: Dismantling the Penny-Pinching Mother

I seized the moment when Sadie was in the restroom and quickly brought the snacks over to our manager, Ian Rodriguez's office.

In my past life, I had reported Sadie's appalling behavior to him more times than I could count, but he always encouraged me to be patient. After all, she'd been unemployed for over a year.

This time, I was determined to let him witness Sadie's "generosity" firsthand.

"Mr. Rodriguez, these are the snacks our new colleague handed out. Since it's about afternoon tea time, I thought you might like some," I said.

A bright smile spread across Ian's face as soon as he saw what I was holding. "Excellent timing. I was getting peckish. You can leave them here."

I set the snacks down and left without saying a word. Just as I was about to step out of the office, I caught the sound of him ripping open the bag and eagerly digging in.

I returned to my desk and got back to work.

Before I realized it, the day had ended. One by one, my coworkers started packing up, getting ready to clock out.

Suddenly, Sadie stood up and blocked everyone's way.

"You all just ate my snacks," she said, holding up her phone with her PayPal app opened. "Nobody's paid me so far. Make sure you do before walking out."

A few of my coworkers froze, exchanging knowing looks. It quickly dawned on them that they were dealing with someone a bit unconventional.

Finally, one of them asked, "Alright then, how much do we owe you?"

"50 bucks," Sadie said without missing a beat.

Those who were ready to pay just to avoid trouble immediately lost their composure.

"Wait, what? Why should I pay 50 bucks for those cheap snacks?" someone blurted out.

"These are imported! You clearly don't know what real quality tastes like. 50 dollars is already a steal," Sadie snapped back.

Everyone's mood shifted, their faces burning with anger.

A few lucky coworkers who happened to be on a diet got off easy. They handed the snacks right back to Sadie.

"Luckily, I haven't touched any yet," one of them said. "You might as well take them back. There's no way I'd risk eating something that pricey."

Meanwhile, someone had already done a quick search online. As it turned out, each snack cost only five dollars.

Holding up their phones, my coworkers confronted Sadie. "This is extortion! It only costs five bucks online. Do you think we're idiots?"

Sadie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "But I brought those snacks all the way to the office. Doesn't that count as travel expenses? Stop complaining and pay up!"

Just as they were about to argue, the manager's office door suddenly slammed open. Ian stepped out, looking pale as a ghost.

He glared at Sadie and shouted, "Sadie! What on earth did you feed me?"

Ian couldn't hold back his gag reflex. Before he even made it to the restroom, he doubled over and vomited right where he stood.

A sharp, sour stench filled the air instantly, forcing everyone to cover their noses and step back.

Sadie looked completely bewildered. "What are you talking about? You've got to be mistaken."

I finally spoke up. "Sadie, since you handed out snacks to everyone except Mr. Rodriguez, I thought I'd give him my share. What's wrong, Mr. Rodriguez? Are you feeling okay?"

"Those snacks were spoiled! How could you hand them out like that? Sadie, were you trying to poison me?" Ian's voice cracked as he shouted.

Sadie was caught off guard. She quickly stepped forward, trying to steady him. "No, wait! I didn't know Cora gave them to you. Don't be angry, Mr. Rodriguez. Let's get you to the hospital right away."

Just then, one of my coworkers spotted the expiration date stamped on the corner of the package. "Are you kidding me? Did you honestly expect us to pay for expired snacks? What's wrong with you? What if we all ended up with food poisoning? Would you even own up to it?"

Without warning, another coworker hunched over, gripping their stomach. "Damn, my stomach's killing me! It's definitely those expired snacks. Don't think you can get away. You're paying for my medical bills!"

Sadie didn't dare say a word. Helping Ian to his feet, she hurriedly helped him out of the room.

As soon as she was gone, the remaining coworkers gradually dispersed, quietly voicing their frustrations under their breath.