Literature
Moving Up
“Welcome to the family.” That should have been Julia’s first red flag. No business that called itself a family turned out to be a good one. But the job paid well and she needed work, so she smiled and shook the interviewer’s hand. It was hot and felt like wax. That should have been her second red flag. When she stepped off the elevator on her first day, all her coworkers rushed up to greet her. “We’re so happy to have you on the team!” “Come see your desk. It’s in a great spot.” “Do you like fruit? We got you a gift basket.” Julie’s new coworkers whisked her to her new desk. They hadn’t lied. The desk was in a good spot, near the bathroom and the breakroom. Her desk was dominated by the biggest fruit basket she had ever seen in her life, festooned with ribbons that said “Welcome!” in big, friendly letters. The rest of her shift was spent learning names, trading phone numbers and social media contacts, and touring everyone else’s
