Chapter Eleven
Stress Relief
“Do you want me to come over and tongue you?” Janice asked on the phone.
Giselle laughed, the first time she had done so since Nigel fired her. Janice’s straightforward demeanor had lifted Giselle’s spirits—whether the girl had been kidding or not. More than likely not, which made the comment all the more humorous.
“Tempting, but I’ll have to pass,” Giselle responded. “I…I need a favor, Janice. You mentioned your mother is a lawyer. Is she available for a consultation?”
“Sounds serious,” Janice said. “Where did you hide the body?”
Giselle laughed again. “Nothing like that. I was fired from my job, and a friend believes I have a shot at a wrongful termination case.” She briefly explained the circumstances of her firing.
“Sorry to hear that, babe, really. I’ll text you my mom’s email address, and I’ll give her a heads up. Send everything you have.”
“Thank you so much, Janice. I really appreciate it.”
“Sure thing. This dirtbag will get what he deserves. You going to be okay for now?”
No. But I need to keep my head up so others won’t worry. “Yeah, no biggie. I’m keeping busy with physical therapy and stuff.”
“And banging the line judge, no doubt.”
Giselle blushed despite being alone in her living room. “That too.”
“Glad to know,” said Janice “It’s a good way to burn off stress. Listen, you contact me if you need anything, understand?”
“I will,” Giselle replied, feeling a surge of warmth for her friend. “Thanks again, Janice. I’ll see you around.”
After hanging up, she opened her laptop and plugged in the thumb drive.
She surfed through the work documents and chose the more critical ones depicting Nigel’s abuse, belittling, or threats.
Thank you again, Ralph, for advising me to save these.
No doubt Nigel already deleted my accounts, files, and emails at the dealership.
After Janice’s text arrived showing her mom’s email address, Giselle created a zip file and pasted all the documents into a blank email draft. She then spent the next thirty minutes typing up a solid narrative explaining the history with Nigel, incidents at work, and her current situation.
Hitting send, a powerful relief washed over her.
She had accomplished an agonizing first step in her search for redemption.
Court cases could be nightmares of physical and emotional stress, but she had nothing else to lose.
This case might stretch on forever and I probably won’t eat or sleep much, but all my friends’ support has been everything.
I love them, and I couldn’t do anything without their help.
As if reading her mind, her phone buzzed from Tony’s incoming call. Since her firing, he had also provided a mountain of love and bedrock of support. Giselle smiled as she pressed the phone to her ear.
“I’m taking over your physical therapy,” he offered.
“What do you mean?” she asked, intrigued.
“Let’s be honest, you need to cut way back on expenses until your situation improves,” Tony began.
“Medical co-pays can be expensive at a clinic. I’ll do your PT for free of course, and we can use the facilities on campus where I train and study.
I’m not licensed yet, but I know what I’m doing and can help you through this. ”
The idea seemed fantastic, but anxiety held her in an icy grip. “Won’t you get in trouble? I don’t want to put you in a bad spot, Tony.”
“Don’t worry about that, love,” he replied. “I have a key to the training area, and we can do sessions after hours when no one is around.”
Giselle closed her eyes. Indecision tore her heart. She had already emptied her savings to pay the month’s rent, and as predicted, the job search proved slow and unproductive so far. She had fumbled through creating a budget, but at the moment, things looked grim and anything would help.
She sighed into the phone. “Okay. But let’s please be careful. I don’t want you to get caught sneaking around.”
“At the first sign of heat, we’ll pull the plug,” he suggested. “Sound good?”
“Yes! And thank you, Tony. This means so much to me. You, Janice, and Ralph have been amazing.” She brought him up to speed on Janice’s mom possibly providing aid.
“Hang tight, hun,” Tony said. “You are not alone, and we’ll get through this together.”
The next morning, Janice confirmed that her mother, Elise, would take the case. Later in the evening, Giselle awaited the lawyer’s call for a consultation. Nervous, she paced her small living room and chewed on a nail. The ringtone made her jump when it flared to life.
“Giselle, darling, it’s finally good to speak with you,” Elise said over the phone.
“Janice told me all about your situation, and I’ve reviewed the documentation you sent me.
We have the groundwork for a case, but the justice system can be unforgiving to all parties.
I’ll explain the terms of law, then you must tell me how you feel about everything. ”
“Thank you, I admit this is nerve-wracking,” Giselle confessed. “But I certainly appreciate your time and assistance. Please describe the process.”
Elise explained that wrongful termination may occur if an employee has an injury outside of work, particularly if the termination violates a federal or state law.
“You are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. This is a law protecting off-duty conduct, like your injury during the soccer match.”
Giselle nodded to herself, still unable to sit down as she walked slowly around the coffee table. “I also read something about being protected from discrimination at the workplace when suffering an injury?”
“Yes, smart girl for doing your own research,” Elise said. “There is discrimination where if the injury results in a disability, your employer, Nigel, would be prohibited from firing you under the ADA. He would also be required to provide a reasonable accommodation.”
Giselle recalled multiple occasions when Nigel berated her for being late even though she had to hobble from a distant parking space before her handicap placard arrived. Reasonable accommodation? My ass. “Please tell me more, Elise.”
“I recall in your files that Nigel threatened you for taking leave for doctor appointments,” the lawyer continued.
“The firing may be tied to retaliation for exercising your legal right to take leave, even for an off-duty injury. This also relates to what is considered a violation of public policy, where laws protect employees from termination for lawful off-duty conduct, again, like your soccer game. Overall, we have a decent chance, sweetie. However, don’t believe the cliché term, ‘it’s an open and shut case’.
Anything can happen in the justice system, so please let me know how you feel. ”
Giselle sighed, her mind pinging in all directions.
Her feelings swirled as she learned more.
Her stomach fluttered and heart raced. Excitement filled her but also fear.
From what she had researched, trying to take someone to court paved a lengthy and difficult path.
The emotional commitment might cause tremendous strain.
Anxiety over the final judgment haunted her—what if she lost?
How would she pay for everything? Judges, lawyers, court proceedings…
everything overwhelmed and seem so daunting.
I need to get through this. Take what I learned on the soccer field from my teammates and Coach Jess. Sometimes patience is key as the play is executed. Bite down, dig deep for that grit, and explode into action when the timing is right. Most of all, I need to remember my friends are at my side.
“I’m committed, Elise,” Giselle stated. “I wish to continue. Not for my sake, but for everyone at the auto dealership who has suffered under Nigel. That man needs to understand that what he is doing is not okay. Let’s do this.”
“That’s very brave, Giselle, and I’m with you every step of the way,” Elise responded.
“As the situation develops, I’ll provide every detail and update.
I’ll start by filing a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a government agency where a ‘right to sue’ letter must be issued.
Afterwards, we can file the lawsuit itself.
Depending on what Nigel’s lawyer decides, this case may end up in court for a grueling battle.
Or it may reach settlement which is the preferred option for most parties.
No one gets sued, a monetary payment is issued, and everyone goes their separate ways. ”
An unexpected sob escaped, the multiple emotions bubbling forth.
Giselle covered her mouth, her vision blurred by tears.
She suddenly wanted to run or hide until everything went away.
She also wished to charge forth and deliver justice to the man who caused her so many stress headaches and sleepless nights.
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry,” came Elise’s gentle voice. “This must all be so intimidating, especially to someone your age. You’re just a baby, like my Janice. I’m glad the two of you are friends.”
My friend, and your daughter, spanks me pretty hard. At the thought, Giselle giggled. A surge of cheer welled inside, and she wiped her eyes. “Janice has been a rock, and I’m also grateful we became friends. She’s very special.”
“That’s sweet. Don’t hesitate to call me for anything, Giselle. We’ll be in touch soon, okay?”
“Okay. Have a good night, Elise. Thank you.”
Giselle finally flopped down on the couch, the conversation exhausting her. Another hurdle had been cleared, but several more lay scattered in front of her. At this point, she could only wait for the next bit of news from Elise.