Chapter 10 - THE COST OF "CHEAP JUNK"
Claire calculated the damage.
Not by emotion.
Item by item.
Broken shelf:
$340.
Destroyed jars:
$612 retail inventory value.
Damaged dry goods:
$188.
Bent display frame:
$420.
Ruined signage:
$96.
Lost weekend sales from closure:
estimated separately.
Total physical and short-term business loss:
under $3,000.
Margaret could pay that easily.
Which was why Claire refused to let money become the whole story.
The larger harm was not financial.
Lily stopped wanting to go to the stall.
She asked:
“Will Grandma come back?”
Claire answered:
“Not while you’re there.”
“Will she smash it?”
“No.”
“Promise?”
Claire paused.
“I can promise I won’t let her near you there.”
Better.
May you like
No guarantees about another adult’s choices.
A child should not be given false certainty just because the adult wants to sound comforting.
