Golden Cage Mommy Mutiny (Elyse) novel Chapter 3

I locked myself in my office for the whole afternoon. Downstairs, several media vans were already parked,

waiting.

I let out a quiet, self–mocking laugh.

Fine. From today on, Layla West would purely be a businesswoman.

I picked up the internal phone and called the head of Admin. “Notify all employees. Tomorrow at nine,

everyone meets in the main conference room.”

“Regarding the daycare benefits and the recent public backlash, the company will announce its final

decision.”

On the other end, the Admin director hesitated. “Ms. West… are we really going to compromise?”

“No.” I stared out at the flashing cameras below and spoke slowly, clearly. “It’s time they pay for their greed.”

The next morning, the main conference room was packed. The air wasn’t tense. It was excited, expectant, like

people had shown up for a victory party.

Elyse sat in the front row, surrounded by working moms like she was their commander–in–chief. She’d even done her makeup, basking in the atten

s” to anyone who would listen.

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“When dealing with such fat cat, you can’t have a soft heart.”

“As long as we stick together and blow it up big enough, she’ll fold.”

“Just wait. Today we’re getting an answer that’ll satisfy us.”

Nancy sat beside her, wearing a polite little smile, nodding along.

At exactly nine, I walked in. Every gaze snapped onto me. Some were gleeful. Some were purely curious. And some didn’t even bother hiding the hunger.

I stepped up to the front, ignoring the slides, and surveyed those faces below.

Then I bowed deeply. “First, I owe everyone an apology.”

The room erupted, a wave of clapping and cheering. Elyse lifted her eyebrows in smug triumph and pulled out her phone, like she was about to text someone her victory report.

I straightened and looked directly at them. “Because I made assumptions, and I didn’t fully consider the need for independent childcare choices, I caused confusion and misunderstanding.”

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The applause got louder. Someone even shouted, “Ms. West can admit mistakes. We get it!”

I waited until the noise settled, then changed my tone. “To respect everyone’s personal choice, and to

respond to the strong demand for independent parenting…”

“After an overnight discussion by the management team, we’ve decided…”

I paused on purpose. Everyone held their breath, craning their necks, eyes glittering with anticipation.

I met their gaze, then delivered it, word by word. “First, effective immediately, the on–site daycare will be

permanently shut down.”

The room exploded into celebration. Elyse and the women around her hugged like they’d just won a war.

I kept going as though their hurray didn’t reach me. “Second, to compensate everyone, the company will

switch to a childcare stipend.”

The room quieted again, attention sharpening. I cleared my throat and announced the number they’d been “fantasizing” about. “Eligible employees will receive a childcare stipend of two hundred dollars per month.”

Silence. Dead, total silence.

Elyse’s phone, the one she’d been holding up like a trophy, slipped out of her hand. It hit the floor with a sharp

crack. The screen shattered.

She was the first to recover, jerking to her feet, voice turning shrill. “Two hundred? Layla West, are you dismissing beggars? What happened to the daycare budget? You pocketed it, didn’t you?”

I looked at her, cold and steady. “Budget? What budget? The daycare was funded by me personally. My money. It didn’t come out of company operating funds. Now I’m not paying for it anymore. Is that a

problem?”

The room went blank. They’d all assumed the daycare was a company expense.

They’d assumed if they made enough noise, they could turn that “benefit” into cash.

They’d never once considered the possibility that the money was never theirs to demand.

That it had been a gift from my own pocket.

“Bullshit!” Elyse screamed, eyes wild. “You’re lying! You’re just a filthy fat cat trying to swallow the money!”

“Whatever you think,” I said without emotion. “Also, a friendly reminder to everyone…”

“Because of this PR crisis, the company’s reputation has been seriously damaged. Our largest strategic partner has just frozen our cooperation.”

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“The board held an emergency meeting overnight. They’ve instructed me to cut thirty percent of operating costs within twenty–four hours to prepare for potential fallout.”

I paused and let my eyes sweep across the room. Face after face had gone pale.

“Layoff notices will be sent to your email tomorrow morning.”