Rite of Passage

Nnenna frowned. "Um… home?"

Chinwa's lips curled into a smirk. "Home? Oh, I'll forgive that because you are new and you don't know the rules yet." She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice just enough to sound both condescending and menacing.

"Don't you know that the newbie is supposed to stay behind, make sure everything is in order, sweep the floors, and then close the shop?"

Nnenna blinked.

Excuse me?

Her eyes darted to the other staff members, expecting at least one of them to speak up. Surely, this wasn't right?

But none of them said a word.

The other employees kept their heads down, suddenly very interested in their fingernails, the floor, or anything that wasn't her.

Oh.

She got it now.

This wasn't just Chinwa trying to enforce a rule, this was a test.

A humiliation tactic.

Nnenna's fingers curled slightly at her sides.