Lost toast

When I was working for a travel website, I recruited an editor for online marketing department. Among the resume, I selected a girl with good outlook and English level. The manager interviewed her and thought her oral English was good. And she was good looking and had good manners. The manager recruited her as an English editor in our department. Her name was Stacey.

Stacey came to the company, and got along well with everyone. Sometimes she would distribute candies to us. One day she gave me a lot of candies.

Each day, she worked in our department, and her cubicle was close to mine. The girl looked more and more pretty, a native of Shanghai. She told us she had wonderful breakfast each day. She had steamed eggs, mung bean pastry, red bean porriage, and something else. She had a great meal.

Sometimes she had a fever. But she soon recovered.

Several months latter, a strange event took place in our company. Because the lunch in the company's dining hall do not offer good food, most employees bring their own lunch to the company. And everyone would have lunch together at noon. In the early morning, they put their lunch box in a room, and at noon, they would fetch their lunch box and enjoy the food.

However, someone said their lunch box was lost. And they had no lunch to eat. They starved. Someone said their pork or egg was stolen, but the rice remained there. Someone said their rice was gone. 

The managers of the company were notified at once. They sent emails to the whole company, and the title was On some "trivial" issues. The managers said they would take measures and investigate on this issue seriously. And if someone meant to have a joke, he or she is alarmed to stop all at once and admit his or her fault. And the company would install monitors in the dining room soon.

In our department, we talked about this event and felt weird. Who would be the thief? Stacey joined our discussion and we were reasoning. But no one would find a clue. 

The next day I brought a toast for breakfast. Because I did not have time to cook my breakfast at home. I put my breakfast in the dinning room and worked for a moment in front of my computer. But when I returned and looked for my toast, the large toast was gone.

So I had to starve and insist on working until noon. I complained to everyone I lost my toast. They all consoled me and including the girl, they discussed this matter. However, they could not make a conclusion. I wrote an email to English club, complaining about the incident. I wanted to get back my toast. Stacey smiled, looking as if she would console me.

A day latter, the manager in human resources department phoned me. She seldom phoned me personally.

"Check your wallet! No money lost? And your personal belongings? Nothing lost? How about other people in your department?"

I checked my belongings and nothing was lost.

Stacey's seat was empty. Kate was whispering to others in a small voice.

Where is Stacey? I asked.

Use your brain. Kate reminded me. 

For a moment, I could not think it over.

It was Stacey. said Kate. The human resources department has discovered her theft. Now the managers called her to their office. Probably she will be dismissed.

I was astonished.

Kate said, she always claimed that she is a rich girl, and she had great breakfast. It was like a feast. But why shall she steal food? How did she grow up? When she had a fever, how did the man treat her? It was a mysery.

It was the first time I recruited anyone for the company. I recruited a thief! 

The next day, Stacey sat in front of her computer. And she sent an email to me.

Do you still want to be my friend?

I shocked my head. And I replied to her in the email.

I do not want to make friends with an dishonest person.

Stacey was gone. And we never saw her again.