CHAPTER FOUR HUNDRED AND TWELVE – WORKPLACE FRICTION

The clock ticked loudly in the quiet room, each second feeling like an eternity as they grappled with the impossible choice before them. Jasmine sat in her makeshift office at the construction site, rubbing her temples. The constant noise of machinery and hammering did little to soothe her growing headache. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," she called out. Hank, the burly foreman, entered, his weathered face creased with concern. "Ms. Delacroix, we've got a situation brewing out there." Jasmine straightened in her chair. "What's going on, Hank?" "It's the old timers and the new hires. There's been some... friction." Hank shifted uncomfortably. "Nothing major yet, but I thought you should know." "Tell me more," Jasmine urged. Hank sighed. "Well, yesterday, I caught Joey – he's been with us for years – giving one of the new guys, Mike, a hard time about how he was handling the drywall. It almost came to blows." "And today?" "Today, I overheard a group of t