Chapter 3 - The Missing Money Was Real
Bellamy House added a twenty-two percent service charge to large private events.
The policy was clear.
A defined portion covered administrative costs.
The rest went to eligible service employees according to documented hours.
But over the previous nine months, servers said the numbers stopped matching.
A $40,000 corporate dinner might generate thousands in service charges.
Staff would receive a few hundred dollars total.
Management blamed taxes.
Payroll timing.
Event credits.
Accounting corrections.
No explanation stayed the same twice.
Emma owned fifty percent of Bellamy Hospitality through shares inherited from her father, Arthur Sterling.
The other half belonged to his longtime business partner, Victor Hale.
Victor insisted the complaints were misunderstandings.
Thomas disagreed.
So Emma did something Victor hated.
May you like
She put on an apron.
For three weeks, she carried trays and watched.
