“What do you mean, ‘you found another job’? You left your old job?”

I checked. “Well, yes.”

“You can’t do that,” said the woman incredulously. “You signed an eighteen-month contract.”

I paused. “Was I clear about the fact that they weren’t paying me my contracted salary?”

“Well, yes, but you can’t just walk out because they aren’t paying you according to your contract.”

I tilted my head to one side and stared at her, the way our family’s collie used to stare at humans when they were particularly unfathomable. It didn’t seem fair that I had ended up in the role of the dog and the French in the role of the humans, though.

“It might adversely affect the company,” she explained.

“That was my hope. If I timed it right, they might even lose a major client they were trying to land.”

She pressed her lips together. “Your company can’t change your pay from a signed contract, and you can’t leave your company just because they don’t pay you. What would happen to the economy if we had these kinds of things going on? You should have let us mediate it.”

I got cold chills at the very idea. “Sorry. I didn’t realize I could take down the whole economy by quitting a job. Besides, wasn’t ending serfdom one of the key goals of the French Revolution?”

Her lips tightened further. “Well, they also behaved very incorrectly, so don’t worry, that letter they sent trying to get your visa revoked . . .” She made a pffing sound of contempt and flicked her fingers. “Now what’s this you were saying about finding another job?”

“Yes, as a translator.” I had decided English-language teaching was just a scummy job to have in Paris, something almost everyone else who had ever done it confirmed, and I was ready for another field. Long-term, I wanted to work as a coordinator of a study abroad program, and I had gotten some positive nibbles. Those positions opened up slowly, however, so I needed to do something in the interim.

Her brows drew together. “But your visa is as an ESL teacher.”

“But now I want to change, and it says right here that I can change jobs if I want to.” I stood on tiptoe and stretched a finger over the counter to indicate while she looked deeply offended at having her space so invaded. Still, I had high hopes of actually having something in writing, with an official stamp on it and everything.

“Why, look at that!” she exclaimed, intrigued. “Right after that, it even tells you it will take only two weeks to get the form to change those jobs approved. What will they tell you people next?”