Forced to Clean Public Toilets Chapter 1

Pre-holiday rush, I prepped for a trip when Supervisor Victoria told me to cancel my flight—we’d drive her car instead. She said it’d save the department budget and give her time to mentor me, a “golden opportunity” others would beg for.

I believed her, spent six grueling hours as her unpaid chauffeur. At a highway rest stop, before I could breathe, she kicked a grimy mop at my feet. “Restroom stall’s filthy—go mop it,” she sniffed. “No custodian around, and I’m not stepping in dirty water. Young people lack initiative! I brought you here to groom you for promotion—can’t handle this, how will you lead?”

I almost laughed. The company would’ve reimbursed my one-hour flight; instead, I drove, saved her gas, and now I’m her restroom janitor? She tapped her foot, urging me to hurry for the client. Swallowing disgust, I grabbed the mop—then snapped a clear photo of the mess, opened Slack, and tagged the CEO: “@Chairman Harrison. Victoria says I can’t attend the client meeting unless I mop this rest stop restroom.”

My phone began to vibrate violently within three seconds of hitting send.

Outside the stall door, Victoria was still lecturing me, her high heels clicking sharply against the tile floor.

"Brooke, what is taking you so long?"

"Clients despise tardiness. Do I really have to teach you the absolute basics of business etiquette?"

On my screen, notifications were cascading down.

Chairman Harrison had instantly replied to my message with a single, ominous question mark.

The massive company Slack channel, usually filled with hundreds of sycophantic "understands" and "received" messages, was dead silent.

I locked my phone and slid it into my pocket, leaving the black, greasy mop untouched in the corner. I turned on the faucet and slowly, deliberately washed my hands.

"Brooke! Are you deaf? Did you hear me?"

Receiving no response, Victoria began to pound on the heavy wooden door, making it rattle on its hinges.

"Do you want to lose your job? Believe me, I can have you packed and gone by tomorrow morning!"

I pulled two paper towels from the dispenser, carefully drying my fingers. Then, I threw the door open.

Victoria’s hand was still raised to strike the door again, almost hitting my nose. She pointed a manicured finger at the wet spots on the floor, her voice rising to a shriek.

"Are you deaf? I told you to mop the floor!"

"I've spent the last six hours teaching you the ropes. Is a little manual labor really beneath you?"

"I’m not mopping the floor, Victoria."

I tossed the crumpled paper towels into the trash, my voice entirely flat.

"I was hired as a legal assistant, not a janitor."

Victoria gasped, taking a step back before crossing her arms with a cold sneer.

"Well, look at you, growing a spine. Legal assistant? Let me remind you, you’re still on probation. Don't think for a second that this company can't function without you. I could post your job today and have a hundred hungry graduates begging for it by dinner."

She pointed dramatically toward the highway exit.

"If you don't want to do the work, fine. Get your things and get out of my car. I don't carry freeloaders."

"Are you absolutely sure you want me to leave, Victoria?"

I fished my phone out of my pocket, unlocked the screen, and held it up right in front of her face.

"Maybe you should check Slack first."

Victoria frowned, her brow furrowing in confusion as she reached for her own phone.

In an instant, the flush of anger on her face drained away, leaving her skin a sickly, pale white.

On the screen, right below the CEO's question mark, was a fifteen-second voice note from Chairman Harrison.

"What... what did you do?"

She stared at me, her voice cracking as she lunged forward, trying to grab my phone out of my hand.

"You lunatic! How dare you post that in the main channel?"

"Delete it! Delete it right now!"

I stepped back easily, letting her swipe at empty air.

"It's been past the two-minute mark, Victoria. I can't delete it."

My voice remained perfectly level. "Besides, Mr. Harrison just messaged me privately. He told me to wait right here at the rest stop. He's currently visiting a nearby subsidiary, and he's sending his personal driver to pick me up."