I paused.
“How generous?”
She looked embarrassed.
“I probably shouldn’t say.”
“You don’t have to.”
She hesitated.
“Eighty-five.”
I almost choked on my coffee.
“Eighty-five thousand?”
She nodded.
“I negotiated a little.”
A little.
I smiled.
“That’s great.”
And it was.
For her.
But something inside me shifted.
That afternoon, I went to HR.
I didn’t storm in.
I didn’t make accusations.
I simply asked for clarification.
“I’ve heard the salary for the new position is $85,000,” I said.
The HR representative looked uncomfortable.
“That information is confidential.”
“I understand. I’m not asking you to disclose anyone else’s private information. I’m asking about the salary range for my position.”
She typed something into her computer.
“The position is currently budgeted at $85,000.”
I stared at her.
“My current salary is $55,000.”
“Yes.”
“Same title?”
“Yes.”
“Same responsibilities?”
“Generally.”
I took a breath.
“Why?”
She leaned back in her chair.
“Compensation is based on several factors.”
“Such as?”
“Experience, market conditions, negotiation, hiring needs…”
I nodded.
“So she negotiated better.”
The HR representative gave me a careful smile.
“That can be a factor.”
For a moment, I said nothing.
Then I smiled.
“Understood.”
She probably expected me to argue.
Instead, I stood.
“Thanks for explaining.”
As I walked back to my desk, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years.
Clarity.
I had spent six years assuming that my company didn’t have the money to pay me more.
Now I knew the truth.
They had the money.
They simply hadn’t considered spending it on me.
And that was a very different problem.
That evening, Karen came by my desk.
“Don’t forget,” she said, “we need you here until seven.”
I looked at the clock.
It was 5:03.
“Of course.”
She smiled.
“You’re such a team player.”
Again, I smiled.
“Happy to help.”
But this time, I wasn’t thinking about Emily.
I was thinking about myself.
That night, I opened my résumé.
Then I opened my professional network.
Then I started researching salaries for people with my experience.
By midnight, I had sent out three applications.
By Wednesday, I had sent eleven.
By Friday, I had seventeen.
Meanwhile, I continued training Emily.
And I trained her well.
I showed her every system.
Every process.
Every shortcut.
Every recurring problem.
