CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE - THE NIGHT OF THE GALA

    They spent the rest of the lunch hour brainstorming ideas for the infographics. By the time Nia had to return to work, they had a solid plan in place. The marketing team promised to start working on drafts right away. As Nia pushed her cleaning cart through the hallways that afternoon, she couldn't help but notice a change in the atmosphere. People were gathered in small groups, talking in hushed but animated tones. She caught snippets of conversation as she passed. "Did you hear about the petition?"   "I can't believe they're trying to cut the janitorial budget."   "Remember that time they cleaned up that massive coffee spill in the conference room just before the big client meeting?" Nia's head was spinning. A petition? She hadn't heard anything about that. As she rounded a corner, she nearly collided with a group of mid-level managers huddled around a clipboard. "Oh, Nia!" one of them exclaimed. "Just the person we wanted to see. Have you signed the petition yet?" Nia b