First Choice
by Melanie Hemry
Jasmine yawned as her fingers danced across the computer keys, calculating and then recalculating the finances for one of the largest casinos in the world in Las Vegas, Nev. She paused, closing her eyes. Relentless days of work with little time off had taken its toll—fatigue leaving her dizzy.
Yawning again, Jasmine reminded herself that she would have the weekend to rest and regroup. Besides, she was living her dream. After earning a master’s degree in accounting, she had been sought after by three of the top four accounting firms in the country. When Deloitte, considered the No. 1 firm, offered her a job, she accepted.
Jasmine loved the work and excelled at it. But the hours were grueling. First, she was working 40 hours a week. Then, her schedule had increased to 50 hours. Then 50 became 60, and soon she was working 70-hour weeks. Now, the entire team was working 90 hours per week.
Jasmine longed for a day off to rest—to go to church and immerse herself in the Word of God. And she desired to teach her fitness classes and strengthen her body after days on end sitting at a computer.
Glancing out the window, she realized it was already dark. Closing her files, she sighed with contentment. It was Friday evening, and the team had been given the whole weekend off. A few minutes later, Jasmine froze as she listened to the announcement. The time off had been canceled! Everyone was going to have to work through the entire weekend…again.
Slipping out of the building, Jasmine ignored the chilly January weather as she walked to the parking garage. Climbing into her black Chrysler convertible, she locked the doors, fell against the steering wheel and sobbed.
She was only 25 years old. How could she have worked so hard to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting only to be this miserable?
After a while, Jasmine dried her eyes and trudged back into the building. I’ve sold myself into slavery, she thought. Her dream had turned into a nightmare.
