is it normal — never paid me?

i joined a startup, and they never paid me. it all started after I'd been working for ten weeks and they still hadn't given me an offer. they kept making excuses like, "we're finalizing the legal entity," and i just kept working, hoping it was true. it felt like sand slipping through my fingers, but then it hit me: this was tactical, intentional not paying. i asked HR about it and they offered me phantom shares, not actual equity, which made me feel totally cheated and betrayed. that's when i drew a line in the sand. i told them to pay me or i'd stop working right then and there. they didn't reply for four whole days, and during that silence, i just felt so unimportant and even more betrayed after putting myself out there like that. so i quit. now, i'm suing them.

other stories in career

• is it normal — will shutap as a new start fail?
• is it normal — sick or will i get sick being alone?