[ZACH]
I sat at my desk, staring at the latest error in the report Pearl had submitted. The number on the document was missing a zero, a mistake that could have serious repercussions. It was the culmination of a series of small errors she had been making lately, and it was unlike her. Pearl was usually meticulous and reliable, which made these mistakes all the more perplexing.
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the familiar tightness of frustration building in my chest. This wasn’t the Pearl I knew. She had always been one of my most dependable employees, but something had changed. I had given her the benefit of the doubt for weeks, hoping she would bounce back, but this mistake was too significant to overlook.
“Miss Collins, I need to see you in my office immediately,” I said into t
