Manager Puzzled After Waitress Stops Working, Then Turns Around To See Nine Officers

Almost Time For The Trap

Hailey knew it was nearly time for her trap to be sprung. She was sick and tired of everything going on behind the scenes. She was about to expose it for everyone to see.

Everything was in place; now, she had to be patient and wait for all hell to break loose. Her manager was in his routine, but it was about to be shaken up in a big way.

Exposing Them For What They Really Were

Hailey tried acting as normal as she could, but it was difficult with the butterflies in her stomach.

She had worked hard to set everything up. Soon it would be out of her control and in more professional hands.

She helped customers and wiped down the counters, buying time for her trap; they would be there at lunchtime.

Lunchtime

Hailey nervously looked up at the clock on the wall. She saw the minute hand ticking over the 12.

That meant it was about time. She had to stop her hands from shaking when she saw the car pulling up.

It started with one car pulling into the parking lot, then another, and another after that.

The three cars had surrounded the restaurant, and nine men got out of the cars.

Boots

The door opened, and the sound of heavy boots echoed on the tiled floor.

Hailey knew exactly what they were doing in the restaurant, even if the manager didn’t have a clue.

Nine pairs of boots were on the restaurant floor, and nine hands rested on nine holsters.

They were in black uniforms, and they knew exactly why they were there.

Ordering Their Meals

Hailey asked the officers what she could help them with, pretending to be ignorant of the truth.

They knew she was the one who had called them and was in on the plan.

They sat down and ordered their meals, not revealing the real reason they were in the restaurant.

The manager saw dollar signs with nine new guests, but his world was about to crumble.

Confrontation

After finishing their meals, the officers called Hailey over. They asked for the bill, but there was something else they wanted.

They asked to talk to the manager. Hailey played along and called her manager over.

He had no idea what was wrong. Maybe the food wasn’t adequate? But he was about to face the music once and for all.

Getting Ready For Work

Hailey Jones woke up to the sound of her alarm clock.

She turned it off and checked the time; it was nine in the morning, and she needed to get to her first day of work.

It wasn’t the most glamorous job, but it paid her bills. She put on her uniform and got ready to head for work.

It was a short walk to the restaurant just a few blocks away. But she had no idea what would happen in that place.

Hailey Jones

Hailey Jones contemplated everything that had led up to his point in her life.

She graduated from high school with the highest honors. But there was just one problem.

Hailey was astonishingly accomplished in academics, but her parents simply couldn’t afford to pay for her studies.

This left a huge void in her heart, but she wouldn’t give up so easily.

Saving Up

She decided that the only way for her to get to her education was to save up for it.

That meant she’d need a job. After months of searching, the best she could find was a job as a waitress.

It was by no means her first choice, but she needed the money.

She took the job and prepared to work in a diner-style restaurant for the first time. But she had no idea what she was walking into.

Her First Day

Hailey’s first day on the job wasn’t anything like she expected. She was pleasantly surprised with how the day went.

The patrons at the diner were surprisingly nice to her and even tipped generously.

She had made a surprising amount of money. Far more than she expected, but things were going to take a terrible turn.

The End Of Her Shift

Hailey finished her shift at nine at night. The twelve hours had been long, and her feet were sore with the shoes she was forced to wear as part of her uniform.

But it was worth it with the tips she made. That was until she decided to cash up and count the total amount she had made for the night.

That’s when she felt dread creep up her spine; something wasn’t right.

Missing Cash

After counting the cash given back to her by the manager, she noticed something odd.

She didn’t have nearly as much cash as she should have. Was this some kind of mistake?

She decided to go back and ask her manager about it, but she had no idea what kind of mistake she was making.

Things would only get worse for her.

Asking Him About It

Haily approached the manager, who was busy counting the rest of the earnings in his hands, a greedy look in his eyes. “Hi, Arthur. Do you have a second to talk?” She asked him politely.

He had been kind to her the whole day, while the customers, but that was about to change. His once friendly expression had shifted, and it made her stomach drop. Just hearing her voice seemed to anger him.

How could she have known that her day would take a sinister turn?

The Change

She noticed the change in his expression immediately. He had been in such a good mood all day, but now, his mood had shifted drastically.

Her stomach twisted into a knot when she noticed his icy glare. 

Suddenly, she wished she hadn’t bothered to talk to him. But she couldn’t back down now. Something wasn’t adding up.

Twelve Hours 

Hailey had spent twelve hours on her feet, serving and cleaning tables. Her entire body ached and she was so exhausted.

But all she got for her hard work was a few dollars. At first, she assumed that it was some kind of mistake. 

Arthur was a kind and understanding man, at least, that’s what she thought. He wouldn’t do this to her, right?

The Same Man

He stared with narrowed eyes, waiting for her to say what she wanted to say. She couldn’t believe that this was the same man who had handed her an apron earlier that day.

She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but nothing came out. What had happened that he was in such a bad mood all of a sudden?

“I think there was a mistake,” She choked out after a minute of silence. 

He Waited 

He didn’t say a word, merely raising an eyebrow and waiting for her to continue. She let out a shaky and shook her head. He was in a bad mood, but surely that didn’t mean that she had to be so afraid to speak to him.

She cleared her throat and straightened her posture, trying to speak more confidently than before.

“I think you accidentally gave me the wrong amount, I received less than half of the tips I got today” But his glare only intensified. 

Did He Hear Her?

She expected him to fix the issue but instead, he rolled his eyes at her and continued counting the money in his hands.

Did he not hear her? She was confused. He was so pleasant around customers, but she was about to meet his true colors. 

“Arthur? Is there a problem?” She questioned after a second. But when he turned back to face her, her stomach dropped. 

Dismissing Her

The manager stared at her with a look that could curdle milk. She immediately knew that she had made a mistake.

He didn’t immediately answer her, but she could tell he wasn’t happy.

Eventually, he opened his mouth to speak. But what he said was like nails on a chalkboard.

He was only going to dismiss every concern she had, but not in a good way.

Getting Annoyed

Arthur spoke in a deep, threatening tone, “That’s how much you made for a full day. Get used to it.” But that didn’t make much sense; it was less than half of just the tips she remembered getting.

She was confused as worry settled into the pit of her stomach. She didn’t understand what Arthur’s issue was.

Weren’t waiters supposed to get 100% of their tips? It didn’t make sense to her. 

Her Mistake 

He turned away from her once again, and she was left staring at the back of his head, astonished by his words. She wanted to challenge him on the matter, but she was too exhausted. 

But that’s when Hailey made a mistake; she decided to let it go and leave the restaurant. The manager was counting on her to avoid a conflict.

But he had no idea who he was messing with. 

That Night

When Hailey got home that night, she instantly made her way to bed. She was gutted by the way her boss had acted. But she decided to shake it off. Maybe he was just in a bad mood. 

She hoped that everything could be sorted out when she returned the next day. But for the time being, she didn’t want to think about it.

All she wanted was to rest. How could she have known that it would only get worse

Losing Her Money

 

Hailey tried to forget about the night. She showed up the next day ready to work, having put everything that happened the previous day behind her. =

With her apron around her waist, she hurried to wait tables. As with the previous day, the customers were generous with their tips.

Arthur appeared to be in a good mood, acting extra kind in front of customers.

She Thought Wrong

Hailey had almost completely forgotten about his behavior from the day before. She went about her time serving customers and chatting with fellow waiters.

All seemed to be going well.

But that changed again once the last few customers left the restaurant. She thought she’d get everything she earned, but then Arthur struck again. 

Check The Cash 

Once everyone had left, he called her to the side, smiling as he handed her the cut she’d made. Something inside her begged her to count the cash, to confront him if he’d taken chunks of it out again. 

But being a person who always saw the best in people, she took the cash and hurried away.

But as she was checking out of her shift, the urge to take a look overwhelmed her. 

She Couldn’t Stop Herself 

She walked into a small room in the back where she kept her bag and removed the scrunchy from her hair. She then bent down to her bag and began placing her belongings inside. 

She removed the envelope from her pocket and began placing it into the front pocket of her bag, but then she stopped.

She knew that if she looked, she would probably be disappointed. But she couldn’t help herself.

It’s Happening Again

Hailey opened the envelope the manager had stuffed into her palm. Her brows furrowed. The money was two-thirds of what she’d made. 

Her eyes turned watery as she faced her manager’s office. How could he do this to her again?

Was there something she was doing wrong to warrant such harsh treatment?

Singled Out

She assumed that she was the only waitress being treated this way. Perhaps she was the problem and this was his way of punishing her for doing a bad job. 

She didn’t know what was going on. She worked hard and she tried her best, but he made her feel awful.

She felt singled out, but was there a possibility that he was treating everyone else like this too?

She Can’t Mess This Up

Hailey couldn’t tell. She decided the best way to handle the situation would be to seek out one of the other servers to ask if she was messing up. 

It had taken her a while to get this job, and she didn’t want to jeopardize it in any way. Maybe they could give her some tips and help her improve.

But she was about to learn the awful truth.

Her Job

This job was important to her. In her head, it would help her secure a steady income stream while keeping her mind off her issues with not being able to attend college. 

She had been struggling as of late, and she needed a reason to get out of bed in the morning. That’s why it meant so much to her.

With this thought in mind, she set out to fix whatever she was doing wrong.

Seeking Help 

The first person Hailey approached was the waitress who’d trained her when she first joined the restaurant. She asked all the needed questions. 

Was she approaching the customers in an aggressive manner? Was she not hygienic enough? Was she not smiling enough?

What was wrong that the manager would see it fit to dock her tips at the end of the day?

Everything Changed

As she spoke to the waitress, she noticed a slight change in her expression. Her bright smile had shifted into a forced one as she lowered her gaze to the floor. 

She seemed caught off guard by Hailey’s last question. It was clear that Hailey had no idea what she had gotten herself into.

The waitress didn’t say anything at first, but then she spoke.

Keep Your Head Down

But the waitress, Amy, didn’t answer her. “Just keep your head down and work,” she whispered, her eyes darting toward Arthur’s office. 

As she spoke, there seemed to be a lingering fear in her eyes, a fleeting dread that Hailey couldn’t explain. The waitress forced a smile and hurried away, eager to continue with her shift.

What was happening?

More Questions Than Answers 

The interaction with Amy left Hailey with more questions than answers. She started wondering why Amy would react this way.

Perhaps the waitress didn’t want to be associated with Hailey and all her failures at the restaurant.

Did she fear getting her tips slashed in the middle as well?

More Questions Than Answers

Hailey hoped that speaking to Amy would give her some answers, but now she was left with even more questions. She was exhausted from worrying so much about work.

Arthur seemed like a nice man, but his attitude changed whenever they spoke about money. She wondered what the issue was.

What was she doing to justify his horrible actions?

Talk To More Servers 

Hailey needed to talk to more servers. But she still had her shift to take care of, with three tables waiting for her to serve them.

She put her worries aside, reinforced her smile with an even brighter one, and proceeded to work.

She was good at distracting herself, and that’s exactly what she did for the next little while.

Good Work

For the next few hours, she served tables expertly. She didn’t mess up a single order, she was friendly, and she was quick. She could tell that all of her tables were satisfied with her work. 

The tips reflected it. She only hoped that she wouldn’t get the same treatment she’d been getting at the end of the day.

The feeling of dread overwhelmed her just thinking about it.

Doubling Down

Hailey worked hard that day. She was on her toes, going from table to table, talking to customers, and making them feel at home. 

Even the other servers were surprised by her newfound energy, with one of them asking Hailey if she was okay. But Hailey didn’t give a precise answer.

“I just love working,” she smiled. She was sure Arthur wouldn’t cut her money again.  

Phenomenal Performance 

Throughout the day, Hailey had been asking around about her performance. Her fellow servers insisted she was phenomenal. 

The customers she’d served agreed. They’d tipped her more than she’d made on her first and second day combined!

As evening came, she walked to Arthur’s office, ready to see if history would repeat itself. 

It Was A Good Day

Hailey was sure she’d get all her tips tonight. She’d worked extra hard, making the restaurant proud. She’d received compliment after compliment from everyone, from staff to customers.

Even Arthur had patted her back, saying she was doing great for her first week.

“Keep it up,” he said while hurriedly moving up and down the counter. 

Her Cut For The Day

Arthur handed Hailey her cut for the day, barely even looking her in the eye. But the amount was less heavy than Hailey expected. 

She was sure she’d made a lot of tips today. She’d had trouble carrying the cash to the office owing to how much it was.

So what was going on here?

Frozen

She stood frozen in the middle of the room, staring at the thin envelope in her hand. She wanted to say something, but when she opened her mouth, not a word came out.

Arthur barely acknowledged her as he went about his business. 

It wasn’t until after a minute that he realized that the girl was still standing right behind him. She was completely silent. 

Anything Else?

“Is there anything else you want?” Arthur asked, his gaze boring into her. “I am a very busy man, Hailey,” he added. 

Hailey walked away, confused and saddened by what was happening. She thought she was great at her job.

Today had shown her that she was great at it. Why was her boss cutting her tips?

The Issue Is With Him

Hailey couldn’t explain what was happening. Slowly and slowly, it became apparent that the issue was not with her but with her boss. 

What if the man was cutting her pay to line his pockets? Seeing that Hailey was young and naive, he’d get away with it.

That was what the man thought until the nine officers entered the restaurant.     

Confront Him 

Tired of how things were going, Hailey decided to confront the manager. He’d spent the following week taking from her tips. 

“Why have you been paying me half of the tips I usually make?” she asked fiercely, finally fed up.

“Am I doing something wrong, or is there a clause in our contract that I missed?”

A Coherent And Plausible Reason 

Hailey expected her manager to give her a coherent and plausible reason. But he looked at her from head to toe before laughing. He tilted his head threateningly and took a step toward Hailey. 

“Can you please get back to work,” he commanded, barely giving this grave matter the seriousness it required.

If only he knew how this would end for him.  

It Continues 

Hailey had thought the manager halving her tips would be a one-time thing, but she was mistaken. Over the next few weeks, she only felt more suspicious of the manager.

She approached him on multiple occasions, but every time she mentioned her money, he’d get irritated and call her ungrateful.

He had the worst excuse for what she was going through.

“Shared Tips”

After seeing that she wouldn’t take no for an answer, he decided to finally give her an explanation. “It’s all part of sharing your tips with the other waitresses,” He spat at her one night.

She knew that she should have believed him; he was her manager, after all.

But something in her gut told her to start digging deeper than just that.

Asking The Other Waitresses

She decided to ask another waitress about the shared tips, but she couldn’t believe what she was about to hear.

The waitress tensed up and shut her down.

“I don’t want to talk about it. We’ll get in trouble,” She nervously said. This was the only convincing she needed.

She wouldn’t let the manager intimidate them all. He’d regret messing with her.

Making a Call

Hailey decided to make a call. It was the best course of action.

She dialed a familiar number and waited for them to pick up. “Hello. I’d like to speak to someone in charge.” She said in a serious tone.

She spoke to someone high up, and they surprisingly listened to her plea. She set up the perfect trap for her manager.

Time For The Trap

Hailey knew it was nearly time for her trap to be sprung. She was sick and tired of everything going on behind the scenes.

She was about to expose it for everyone to see.

Everything was in place; now, she had to be patient and wait for all hell to break loose.

Her manager was in his routine, but it was about to be shaken up in a big way.

Exposing The Manager

Hailey tried acting as normal as she could, but it was difficult with the butterflies in her stomach.

She had worked hard to set everything up. Soon it would be out of her control and in more professional hands.

She helped customers and wiped down the counters, buying time for her trap; they would be there at lunchtime.

Time For Them To Come

Hailey nervously looked up at the clock on the wall. She saw the minute hand ticking over the 12.

That meant it was about time. She had to stop her hands from shaking when she saw the car pulling up.

It started with one car pulling into the parking lot, then another, and another after that.

The three cars had surrounded the restaurant, and nine men got out of the cars.

Surrounding The Place

The door opened, and the sound of heavy boots echoed on the tiled floor.

Hailey knew exactly what they were doing in the restaurant, even if the manager didn’t have a clue.

Nine pairs of boots were on the restaurant floor, and nine hands rested on nine holsters.

They were in black uniforms, and they knew exactly why they were there.

In On The Plan

Hailey asked the officers what she could help them with, pretending to be ignorant of the truth.

They knew she was the one who had called them and was on the plan.

They sat down and ordered their meals, not revealing the real reason they were in the restaurant.

The manager saw dollar signs with nine new guests, but his world was about to crumble.

Talking To The Manager

After finishing their meals, the officers called Hailey over.

They asked for the bill, but there was something else they wanted. They asked to talk to the manager.

Hailey played along and called her manager over. He had no idea what was wrong; maybe the food wasn’t adequate.

But he was about to face the music once and for all.

Getting Involved

The policemen all got up at once and waltzed towards the manager.

His confident demeanor suddenly changed to a smaller stature.

The head police officer simply said, “Hi, sir. We’d like to look at your sales records.”

The manager’s face drained of all its color, “W-why would you want that?” But the officer was insistent.

Handing Them Over

The manager had to call his boss in – the owner. He was less than pleased that the police were looking into stolen tips.

He helpfully gave over all of their sales records.

The manager didn’t seem as happy as the owner to have that happen. The police sifted through the last month of records and realized something startling. Hailey was right all along.

Perjury

The police found the manager of the restaurant responsible for perjury.

He had been taking almost all of the waitress’ tips and intimidating them into not talking about it.

Arthur was fired immediately and taken to jail. He would be put on trial for what he had done. As for Hailey, she was congratulated on doing the right thing and assisting in taking him down.

Learning A Valuable Lesson

Even though what happened to Hailey and the other waitresses was terrible, she managed to reflect back and learn a valuable lesson. She learned to never give up. 

She came out of the experience stronger, and even though she never saw the money that was stolen, she would never let something like that happen again. But there was one last surprise. The owner reached out to Hailey to talk to her about what was going on in his restaurant. He told her that he was sorry about what Arthur had done to her and the others, but he would make it right. 

He saw potential in her and did the unthinkable. With having to quickly fill the manager role, he gave it to Hailey with a substantial pay raise. This meant she would get closer to her dream of studying one day.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.