"We all work in the same department. We see each other every single day. You humiliate everyone today, how do you plan on showing your face tomorrow? And just so you know, I placed this order as a department event. The manager already signed off on it."
I narrowed my eyes.
"The manager signed off on it?"
Mercedes's confidence swelled back.
"I told him this morning. He even said I was great at boosting team morale, and that someone with your salary should've been treating everyone ages ago. If you refuse to pay now, it's not just my face you're slapping. It's the entire department's."
The words barely left her mouth before a colleague next to me, someone I'd always gotten along with, tugged at my sleeve.
"Matilda, just let it go. Mercedes isn't someone you want to cross. Her cousin's in admin, and the manager has her back. If you make an enemy of her today, she'll never let it rest."
"Why don't you just pay this time? Think of it as spending a little to avoid a lot of trouble."
It was my money. Since when did anyone else get a say in how I avoided trouble?
I thanked her for the concern, but I didn't waver for a second.