I was at coffeeshop, sitting with my coffee, when I noticed her sitting alone nearby. She looked really down, like something was bothering her. I smiled and said, “Hey, how’s your day going?”
She gave a little, tired laugh. “Not great, honestly. Just trying to get through it.”
I smiled back. “Yeah, some days are like that. Anything good happen today?”
She shrugged and played with her cup. “Nothing really. Work’s been tough lately.”
I waited a moment, then said, “You seem a little off. Want to talk about it?”
She sighed. “Okay… I guess I’ll tell you. When I joined my team, I was so excited, ready to do well. But soon, the work I used to do was just taken away. No one said why. They gave it all to other people.”
She looked down, voice breaking a bit. “I was left with small, meaningless tasks, like I wasn’t doing anything important.”
She swallowed hard. “Then people started saying things — that I’m not technical enough, that I can’t focus. No one asked me what was really going on. I wasn’t slacking. I was trying to catch up after a lot changed in my life.”
She looked back at me. “When I tried to explain, my manager wasn’t on my side at all. He shut me down, sometimes even yelled. He believed the gossip instead of me. Meetings happened without me. People stopped talking when I walked in. I was there, but invisible.”
I asked, “Why don’t you just leave?”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I’m here on a visa. If I lose my job, I lose everything. No safety net, no savings. My family needs me.”
She gave a sad smile. “The job market’s awful right now. Layoffs everywhere. I’m stuck.”
Her voice was soft. “I don’t have the energy I once did. I thought working hard and being loyal meant something. Now, I don’t know.”
She looked at me with tired eyes. “The time I needed to rest? That’s why they don’t trust me.”
She shook her head. “I used to be someone people counted on. Now? I’m useless. It’s because of the bad rumors, and my manager listens to them instead of me.”
She smiled sadly. “No one’s really listening. I don’t expect anyone to fix this. I just have to deal with it and move on.”
We sat quietly after that. I didn’t have answers, but I could listen. Sometimes, that’s all people need.
I was there few days ago as well but moved on and she too does that. time heals most of things. Not everyone expects a solution to be provided but a listening ear without judgement. no matter if that's a stranger. just pour out and be cautious on what you are sharing. ease your brain and move on.
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