I really hope nobody I know ever sees this, but I gotta get it off my chest and it's like 2 AM and I can't sleep anyway, you know? So I work at this garage, been there like twenty-something years, and it's a good place, mostly. We got this guy, Bob, he's like one of the best mechanics, really good with cars and just a good dude, always laughing and stuff. But his wife, she got really sick, like REALLY sick, and he's had to take a ton of time off and it's been a real mess with money and like, how they're gonna pay for everything. And the boss, Mr. Henderson (he’s a good guy but sometimes he’s just… business, you know?), he pulled me aside and was like, “Look, we gotta cover Bob, somehow. He’s family.” And I get that, I really do. My own kid, he had that stupid appendicitis thing last year and even with insurance it was a NIGHTMARE, so I know how fast things can go south. My parents are getting older too, and like, it’s just one thing after another with them and their meds, so I get it, totally. But then he tells me what he wants me to do. We had this super rich guy bring in his fancy sports car, one of those ones that costs more than my house, for a big service. And Mr. Henderson was like, “Just add a new XYZ part to the bill. It’s like $800. He won’t even blink. And that’ll cover Bob’s salary for the next two weeks while he’s off again.” And I just stood there, you know? Like, my stomach just dropped. Because I KNEW that part wasn't getting replaced. It didn't NEED replacing. We just did that service like six months ago. But Mr. Henderson was looking at me, and he's the boss, and he was like, “We gotta do it for Bob, man. For Bob.” And I just nodded because what else are you gonna do? Say no? And then Bob doesn't get paid and his wife doesn't get her medicine? It felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, you know? So I did it. I put the part on the invoice. And the guy, like Mr. Henderson said, he just signed it, didn't even look twice. Paid with his credit card, probably didn't even notice the extra cost, probably wouldn't have cared even if he did. And now Bob's gonna get paid and his wife will be okay for a bit longer, which is GOOD, I guess. But I just keep thinking about it. Like, I’ve always tried to be a straight shooter, and now I’ve basically just… stolen from someone, even if they’re super rich and won’t miss it. And it's for a good cause, but still. It feels WRONG. And I keep wondering if I did the right thing, or if I should have just said something, but then what? What would have happened to Bob? I don't know. I just don't know what to think about it all, and it’s just sitting there, like a knot in my chest, and I can't shake it. And now I can't sleep. Great.