I Hope You Will Never Regret

At 11 am, Aunt Elizabeth and her niece arrived at the CCMA. They walked to the reception to register their name, and they mentioned the case name. The receptionist asked them to take a seat.

Sierra was already there waiting for them. Elizabeth approached her smiling and said, “Sierra, I apologize for my niece’s behaviour. Please forgive her. Also, your job is still waiting for you.”Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Before Sierra responded, Lily looked at Sierra coldly and said, “What? Over my dead body. Don’t even think about it. You are not allowed to set your foot in my house.” Sierra smiled at Lily mockingly as if she was a clown.

At that moment, the Commissioner called out their names. Then they followed her to the conciliation room.

She looked at them and said, “Please take a seat. My name is Commissioner Steyn. I will be listening to your case.

Should we fail to settle, we will go straight to the arbitration hearing. Mrs Rogers, please tell us about the case.”

Sierra looked at Commissioner Steyn and said, “My name is Sierra Rogers, I was employed by Madam Parker. While I was working, her niece, Lily, approached me and ordered me to prepare a hangover soup for her.

I told her that I didn’t know how to prepare it because my husband does not drink. She slapped me across the face and fired me. I defended myself, and then I left.

Before I came here, I wanted my job back because I was the only one who was working in the family. However, Madam Parker’s niece told me not to set foot in her house.

I love my job a lot, but it would be foolish of me to go back to the lion’s den since Madam Parker is scared of her niece.

Miss Lily gave me no choice but to ask for one hundred thousand rand as compensation for assaulting me and for being unfairly dismissed.”

Commissioner Steyn looked at Elizabeth and said, “Miss Elizabeth Parker, please state your case.” Lily looked at Sierra viciously and replied, “Don’t be greedy. We will pay you ten thousand rand only. Take it or leave it.”

Commissioner Steyn looked at Elizabeth and asked, “Is she your representative, Miss Parker?”

Elizabeth shook her head and replied, “No. She is my niece, but I fully agree with her. Mrs Rogers had been with us for less than a week, and she doesn’t deserve one hundred thousand rand as compensation.”

Commissioner Steyn looked at Sierra and asked, “Mrs Rogers, are you willing to take the offer on the table?”

Sierra shook her head and replied, “Commissioner Steyn, as you know, the unemployment rate is too high. It wasn’t easy for me to find this job. So, I won’t accept the offer.” Lily scoffed, but she didn’t utter a word.

The Commissioner looked at them and said, “Since the matter is unresolved, we will go straight to the Arbitration hearing. Let’s take a ten minute break.”

During the Arbitration hearing, Commissioner Steyn ruled in favour of Sierra. She looked at Elizabeth and said, “After listening to both parties, I decided to award Mrs Rogers a 12 months’ salary as compensation.

The compensation is not because Mrs Rogers has lost her job, but it is a monetary relief for the humiliation that Mrs Rogers has suffered at the hands of your niece.

Miss Parker, please pay Mrs Rogers an amount of sixty thousand rand within fourteen working days.”

Lily couldn’t believe her ears, she wanted to retort, but her aunt glared at her. Sierra was over the moon. Her husband had told her to accept thirty thousand rand as compensation. Both parties signed the settlement agreement and left.

Aunt Elizabeth and Lily went to the parking lot in silence. Her aunt was fuming with anger. She had lost sixty thousand rand because of the mess that was created by Lily. She vowed that she would never hire a helper ever again.

Lily got in her car and drove away. She left her aunt standing in the parking lot. Sierra was standing not far from them. She was waiting for her husband to fetch her.

She laughed out loud and said, “Madam Parker, people will judge you and say you have failed to discipline your niece because you didn’t give birth to her. How could you allow a twenty-year-old girl to waste her life in taverns?”

Elizabeth was utterly dumbfounded. The truth was she didn’t know how to control her niece. Also, she had just found out that Lily was drinking.

She looked at Sierra and sneered, “Please mind your own business. The Parker family matters have nothing to do with you.”

Then she took her phone and requested an Uber. Her heart was overwhelmed with bitterness. Her beloved niece had humiliated her in front of their enemy.

After the court case, Eric Duma decided to visit Avery at the Taylor Private Hospital. He wanted to know if she was looking for someone to run her laboratory.

Then he would recommend his best friends, Sean Swan and Henry Gibbs. He knocked on the door. Avery replied, “Come in.” He opened the door and entered Avery’s office.

Avery’s eyes lit up when she saw him and said, “What a pleasant surprise, Uncle Eric. Are you well?” Eric smiled broadly and replied, “I am well, Avery. How are you?” Avery indicated that she was well as well.

Eric looked at Avery and said, “I heard that you are building a laboratory to produce Longevity Health Supplements. Are you going to hire more people?”

Avery nodded her head and replied, “I will hire someone to run the company as a Director and an Administrator to provide operational and administrative support to the director to ensure efficient and effective running of the company.

Also, I need people who will help me to plant medical herbs. I will also recruit Pharmacy Assistants from the Pharmacy Faculty. Do you have someone in mind, Uncle Eric?”

Uncle Eric smiled and replied, “My best friends, Sean and Henry have been struggling since the Bennet Group went into bankruptcy.

Sean is struggling to pay his mortgage bond installments. As a result, for the past three months, I have been helping him with the payments.

Also, I have been helping Henry with his Penthouse installment payments. Please do me a favour and hire them when your laboratory has been completed. Sean and Henry are capable and have integrity.

When I see them struggling, I feel guilty because I am the one who introduced them to that good-for-nothing Jordan. We have been best friends since boarding school days, and they are good people.”

Avery smiled at Uncle Eric and said, “Let me think about it. I promise to come back to you.” Avery wanted to discuss the matter with her husband first to avoid any misunderstanding.