James had been working at the luxury clothing store for almost a year. He was a dedicated employee, always arriving on time and treating customers with the utmost respect. But today, something strange was happening.
As he finished helping a customer, his manager, Mr. Peterson, called him into the office with a serious expression.
—James, I need to talk to you.
James followed him, wondering what this was about.
—We have a problem —Mr. Peterson said, crossing his arms—. The security cameras caught you leaving the store yesterday wearing an expensive jacket from our new collection. But… you never purchased it.
James blinked, stunned.
—Wait, what? That’s not true.
—So you’re saying the footage is wrong?
—No, but…
—Look, James. If you want to prove you’re innocent, take off the jacket you’re wearing right now. It looks just like the stolen one.
James stared at him, then started laughing.
Mr. Peterson frowned.
—What’s so funny?
James unzipped his jacket and turned it inside out. A bold label was stitched inside: “Happy Threads – $29.99”.
—This is my personal jacket —James said, shaking his head—. I bought it at a discount store last month.
Mr. Peterson’s face turned red.
—But… it looks exactly like—
—Yeah, I guess luxury brands aren’t as original as they think, huh?
There was a long silence before Mr. Peterson cleared his throat.
—Well… I suppose this was just a misunderstanding.
—Yeah, sure —James said, picking up his jacket—. But maybe next time, you should ask before accusing me.
With that, he walked out of the office, leaving his manager speechless.
