Part 3Colleague Tries Skipping Out on the Bill; I’m Not Having It—Called the Cops!

I couldn’t take it anymore. So I smiled sweetly. “I bet that Chanel bag’s a knockoff.”

Val whipped around. “What did you just say?”

I shrugged. “You can’t even fork over twenty dollars. I doubt you can afford real Chanel.”

She grabbed her bag and stormed over. “Are you blind? Look at the details—no fake would be this good!”

I took a step back. “Oh, I get it. Everyone must have chipped in to get it for you.”

“Shut up! Nobody’s that stupid!”

I pointed at her half-finished food. “Little bits here, little bits there—eventually, they add up, don’t they?”

Everyone stared at her. Her face turned red.

She threatened, “Acting like a hero, huh? Be careful, or you might find yourself unemployed.”

I looked at her, deadpan. “You’ve got spinach in your teeth. And bad breath.”

The whole office burst into laughter. Humiliated, Val stomped back to her desk. She plopped down so hard that her leftovers spilled onto her Chanel bag.

She shrieked, rushing to the restroom with her bag.

Jamie came over to thank me, saying it had been ages since anyone had taken Val down a notch.

I offered him my lunch. “I haven’t touched it, and I’ll be out soon anyway. Go ahead.”

A colleague asked, “Aren’t you worried Val will come after you? I mean, she does have connections.”

I threw on my Hermès bag. “Not my problem—I’ve got money.”

She gave a low whistle. “Respect.”