The younger woman's eyes filled.
"For calling someone."
The representative sat across from her.
For a moment, she seemed unsure how to respond.
Then she said, "You're being asked to provide a witness account."
The saleswoman looked down.
"That's usually how it starts."
The representative was quiet.
Then she asked gently, "What do you mean?"
The young woman swallowed.
"When employees report something, the manager says they're creating problems."
She looked toward the door.
"Then their schedules change."
The representative's expression became serious.
"Has that happened before?"
The saleswoman nodded.
"Yes."
"To you?"
A long silence followed.
Then she whispered, "Twice."
The representative opened a notebook.
"Would you feel comfortable telling me about those incidents?"
The young woman looked toward her.
For a moment, fear returned.
Then she remembered the woman in blue standing perfectly still while her handbag lay on the floor.
She remembered the question the owner asked.
Would you have treated me differently if you had known?
And she realized that if everybody remained silent, the answer would always be yes.
She took a breath.
"There's something else."
The representative looked up.
"What?"
The saleswoman reached into her bag.
She removed a small blue notebook.
Its corners were bent.
The cover was worn.
And several pages had colored tabs.
"I started writing things down last year."
The representative stared.
The saleswoman placed it on the table.
"Dates. Complaints. Customers who were told to leave. Things the manager said."
For a moment, the representative didn't move.
Then she asked, "Why did you keep this?"
The saleswoman's eyes filled.
"Because I thought someday someone would ask what happened."
She looked down.
"And I wanted to be able to answer."
The notebook contained forty-three entries.
Not every entry described discrimination.
Some concerned inventory discrepancies.
Others involved customers receiving incorrect information, employees being pressured to ignore complaints, or the manager instructing staff to change written explanations after an incident.
But several entries described conduct similar to what the owner experienced.
A Black mother and daughter were refused access to a private fitting appointment despite having a valid reservation.
A Latino customer was asked for additional identification before trying on a jacket, while another customer wasn't.
A young Black designer visiting the boutique to inquire about a collaboration was told that Leonne Elegance did not accept unsolicited "streetwear proposals," even though she had brought an appointment confirmation from corporate merchandising.
The saleswoman had recorded dates, approximate times, and the names or roles of people present.