I always respected adults—but no one taught me what to do when they didn’t respect each other. When I overheard my mom’s boss mocking her thrift store clothes, something in me snapped. My mom worked hard, never complained, and gave everything for me. She didn’t deserve to be treated like she was less than.

So I came up with a plan. With help from the boss’s daughter, Zoe, I got recordings of his cruel comments. At the company awards dinner, we played them loud and clear. The room went silent—my mom frozen, her boss humiliated by his own words.

I stepped out and spoke the truth: she was the one holding the company together. I expected anger from her—but she pulled me close and said no one had ever stood up for her before. On Monday, she got promoted. A raise. Her own team. Finally, the recognition she earned.

Mom still shops thrift, but now it’s by choice, not necessity. And when she walks into that office, her head is high. Respect, I’ve learned, isn’t about labels or paychecks. It’s about seeing—and standing up for—the people who deserve better.