I’m Rosa Martinez, seventy-eight years old, and I’ve cleaned the Fresh Market grocery store for twelve steady years. Six nights a week. No complaints. No shortcuts. Just honest work to keep the lights on in my tiny apartment and help my granddaughter through college.
That Tuesday night started quiet. I was mopping aisle seven when a woman swept in—designer heels, expensive perfume, the type of person who never notices people like me.
She walked straight through my wet floor signs while talking on her phone. Her heel slid slightly, and instead of steadying herself, she spun toward me with anger already building.
“You need to pay attention,” she snapped. “People like you cause accidents.”
I tried to explain that the signs were clearly posted, but she cut me off and raised her voice. Her words stung more than anything:
“Do your job properly.”
I felt myself shrinking inside. I’ve had people dismiss me, rush past me, ignore me—but this was different. Her contempt was sharp and personal, as if my age and uniform made me less than human.
I went back to mopping, hands trembling, when a calm voice came from behind us.
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