The woman helped the old man to his feet and carefully guided him a step aside so he wouldn’t cut himself on the broken glass. Then she calmly turned to the shop assistant. There was neither shouting nor anger in her gaze, yet that calmness somehow had a much stronger effect.

— Are you seriously speaking to an elderly person in that tone because of a jar that fell by accident? — she asked quietly.

The shop assistant was confused for a second but immediately tried to justify herself.

— And what am I supposed to do? He broke the merchandise! Let him pay and clean it up!

The woman slowly took a small service ID card out of her bag and showed it.

— My name is Anna Sergeyevna. I’m an employee of the trade supervision department. And according to the customer service rules, what you are doing right now is a serious violation.

At first, the shop assistant didn’t understand the meaning of those words. But when her eyes fell on the ID, her face suddenly turned pale.

— A customer is not required to clean up broken goods, — the woman continued calmly. — Especially if it is an elderly person. And certainly no one has the right to humiliate a customer in front of the entire store.

People around them had already begun to turn and watch.

— A report will be filed today, — she added. — And the store management will receive an official statement. Such treatment of customers carries responsibility.

The shop assistant stood there silently, not knowing where to look, while the old man still held his only loaf of bread in his hands in confusion.