My best friend

This woman and me were best friend for more then 8 years. We did a lot of thing together and I have supported and helped her in many ways.

She was a single mother and sometime having a hard time. So I baby-sit her daughter a lot to give her breaks. I also drove her here and there very often since she didn’t have a car.

During this time she went 3 times to hospital, once for surgery and twice for broken bones. I visited her a lot in the hospital and took care of her when she got back home. Also the 3 times I took her daughter to my home until she could recover.

This woman is right the opposite of me. She has a loud voice. She surely doesn’t think twice to say what’s on her mind even if it hurt people. She is also self-centered. If she don’t gets what she wants she gets angry and I mean angry. She wants to be first in any situation. She likes attention. While we were best friends I never saw that in her or maybe I didn’t wanted to see it. Something awful had to happen before I could admit to myself that she was this way.

The last 2 years that she was my best friend, we were working together in a restaurant as waitresses. I did noticed that the customers were more nice to me and leave me better tips then they would leave to her but what could I do about it. She started to ask me what did I say to the customers, what did I promise them so I could have better tips then her. I always thought she was joking and I didn’t bother with what she was saying.

One day the manager came to me and said there was a manager assistant position opening and he wanted me to get the position. Of course I was please. I had 3 children and needed the money. I told my best friend and she replied: “How come you get a chance to get that position and not me? I was working here before you.” I didn’t know what to reply. She walked away swearing.

The next evening while I was working something bad happened. When I closed the restaurant there was money missing from the cash. A lot of money. I did that cash over and over again but I couldn’t see where the money went and why it was missing. So I left a note to the manager and for him to call me the next morning since I wasn’t working for the next 2 days. He did called me the next evening saying he was pressing charges against me for stealing. He said he had a witness. I asked him who it was but he didn’t say.

The next week was hell for me. All I could think was about that evening. Going over and over again my every step in that restaurant. I just couldn’t see where the money went or what has happened. Me, mother of 3 children, going to jail for stealing. I couldn’t defend myself since I was the only one working that evening.

Then my manager called again saying that he was so terribly sorry to have put charges against me and not giving me at least a chance. He said that one of the customers that evening came to him and asked him how was his son. The manager doesn’t have any son. So the customer said to him: “I was sure you have a son. The evening I was at your restaurant, while the waitress has went in the back to get something, this young man went behind the counter, opened the cash and took money. I really thought that he was your son.”

My manager apologized again and again and told me his offer still stood for me to being assistant manager. I refused the position and told him I would never work there again. Then I asked him the question: Who was the witness that told you that had seen me taken the money?” He replied: “ Look I have hurt you enough as it is. Lets forget about the whole thing.” I repeated my question: “ Who?” and he said it was my best friend.