Linda worked as an accountant for a big company her whole life. Even when she was old, she was still the best worker there. But she wanted to quit, which the director wouldn’t let her do. She asked for a longer break, but was turned down. That’s when she decided to quit. But the director showed up at her house and gave her a shocking idea.

“I’ve been working for more than 40 years, Mr. “I think I’ve worked hard enough for my retirement,” Linda told her boss at the accounting firm where she had spent her whole life.

“No, Linda. We still can’t do that. You can’t treat us like that. You can’t leave your job without a good person to take your place. “It’s just not possible,” Mr. Salinger said in response to her idea, shaking his head.

Linda was the best worker in the company, but she really needed to quit now. All the new, more complicated computer programs were hard for her to learn, and staring at a screen was hurting her eyes. She always had headaches and got tired quickly. She needed to rest, especially since she had missed so much of her life while she was working there.

Everyone who worked at her company was expected to do their best. Linda was a very driven woman who always wanted the best for her family. So, she worked twice as hard and put in twice as many hours to become the best employee in the company. And she had been there for a long time.

But now, Mr. Salinger, the director, told her to stay, and she did as he said.

Linda was sad that Mr. Salinger did not support her retirement because she was too busy with work. Her kids and her husband, Thomas, saw this and decided to plan a few trips for the weekends.

Linda spent time with her grandchildren at barbecues and the Richmond County Fair in their hometown of Staten Island. They also spent some time in New York visiting tourist spots.

One weekend, her husband surprised her by giving her several plane tickets for a trip to Europe that they were planning for the summer. They could be switched, so all she had to do was set up her vacation time at work to get the most out of it.

That was the best thing to do. If Mr. Salinger wasn’t going to let her retire, he had to let her have a good vacation this year. After all, it had been many years since she had taken a long break. She had to.

“No way, no how! That’s way too long. Linda, we need you to be here. “I thought we had already talked about this,” Mr. Salinger said, throwing some papers on his desk and looking at Linda with disappointment.

“Mr. Salinger, I’ve worked hard for years and deserve a long break. We talked about retiring, but you said you couldn’t. A vacation only lasts for a month. “That’s nothing,” Linda said, putting her hands together as if to beg.

“I already told you my answer. When her boss said, “That’s it!” and started typing on his computer, she usually knew it was time to leave. Linda, however, had had enough. When she saw her boss’s face, she felt very sad. He treated her like this after all these years.

“Fine. I quit then. “Starting right away,” Linda said in the most calm voice she could muster. As she ran out of Mr. Salinger’s office, she didn’t have time to watch his jaw hit the floor. She went straight to her desk and grabbed a few of her trinkets, photo frames, and purse. She had finished.

“Linda! You can’t leave! You can’t quit!” As she walked toward the elevator, Mr. Salinger yelled at her. Everyone in the office turned to look at them.

“Goodbye, everyone!” Linda gave her coworkers a wave. “I’m giving up my job today!”

“FINE! GO THEN! WE CAN HIRE ANYONE TO DO YOUR JOB! IT IS THE EASIEST IN THE COMPANY! GO! YOU UNGRATEFUL OLD WOMAN!”

When Mr. Salinger started shouting, Linda’s coworkers stopped applauding. She didn’t care about him. She got in the elevator and smiled as she left. She had freedom.

A month later, Linda was busy in her room trying to decide what to pack for her trip to Europe. She and her husband were going on a trip that would last at least two months. They were leaving in a few days. It was going to be great, but she had to have options for what to wear.

The doorbell rang. She went to the door and was surprised to see Mr. Salinger’s sad eyes looking back at her.

“What are you doing here, Mr. Salinger?” She was shocked by his visit, so she asked.

“I’m here to tell Linda that we need her. You’re needed by the company. We hired someone younger, but she doesn’t know anything. We’re in trouble without you, Mr. Salinger begged, his face showing how much pain he was in.

Linda said, “I thought anyone could do my job.”

“Please! Don’t make me beg. Please come back. Mr. Salinger insisted, looking like he was about to get down on his knees, “I can give you a raise and the time off you asked for.”

She shook her head, though. “No amount of money could get me to go back to work, Mr. Salinger. Over these decades, I didn’t ask you for much. Even though I was the best worker, you still treated me like garbage. I wasted so much time and missed so many important moments in the lives of my family. Now it’s time for me to enjoy what I’ve worked for. I now understand that work isn’t important. Spending time with the people you care about does. Good luck, Mr. Salinger,” she said in a calm voice.

Mr. Salinger hunched his shoulders, and Linda shut the door in his face.