”Work comes first!” my mean boss said, rejecting my vacation request to see my dying grandmother. Thats when I decided to show him why denying my leave was the biggest mistake he ever made.
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Id been working for this guy, lets call him ”Mean Boss” for nearly five years. Over time, I realized something about him: the man didnt believe in vacations. Period.
A woman in her office | Source: Unsplash
”Vacations?” hed scoff during our team meetings. ”Unnecessary luxury. You get weekends off, dont you? Thats your personal time right there.”
It didnt matter if you were burnt out, sick, or needed a break for a once-in-a-lifetime event. As long as the business was thriving, everyone elses personal life took a backseat.
I remember this one time, my coworker Jake came in with a nasty flu. Mean Boss took one look at him and said, ”Unless youre dead, youre working. The company doesnt stop for sniffles.”
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An annoyed businessman | Source: Midjourney
Jake ended up passing out at his desk that afternoon. Mean Bosss response? He told us to prop Jake up in his chair so clients wouldnt notice if they walked by. Im not kidding.
At first, I tried to rationalize it. Maybe it was just bad timing, you know? Work can get busy, and sometimes you have to make sacrifices.
But after a few years of watching my coworkers burn out one by one, I realized it wasnt about timing. It was about CONTROL.
Mean Boss thrived on the idea that the company couldnt run without him micromanaging every second of our day.
A man in suit pointing a finger | Source: Pexels
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Hed even make these awful jokes about how vacations were ”luxuries” for people who didnt have important jobs. It was exhausting just thinking about it.
Id never really pressed him for time off before. But when I found out my extended family was planning a reunion, the first one in over ten years, I knew I couldnt miss it.
This wasnt just some random vacation. My grandma Daisys health had been declining, and everyone agreed this might be our last chance to all be together while she was still with us.
An older woman in bed | Source: Midjourney
So, I did what any responsible employee would do. I submitted my vacation request six months in advance. SIX MONTHS!
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I figured that gave Mean Boss plenty of time to adjust the schedule, hire some temp help, or just plan around my absence. I thought hed grumble about it, sure, but surely he wouldnt deny me for something this important.
Man, was I wrong.
The very next day, Mean Boss called me into his office. I knew it was bad news the second I walked in. He was wearing that scowl he always had when he was about to say no to something.
Side view of a distressed woman | Source: Midjourney
”We cant afford to lose you for a week, Mindy,” he said flatly, not even bothering to look up from his computer. ”This is one of our busiest times, and you know that.”
I took a deep breath, trying to keep my cool. ”I understand that, sir, but this is really important. Its a family reunion. I havent seen some of these relatives in over a decade, and my grandmother... shes not in good health. This might be my last chance to—”
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He cut me off with a wave of his hand. ”Family reunions can be rescheduled. Work comes first! Youre too important to this company to just take off whenever you feel like it.”
An extremely frustrated businessman | Source: Midjourney
I felt my face getting hot. ”Sir, with all due respect, I gave six months notice. Thats plenty of time to—”
”Enough!” He finally looked at me, his eyes cold. ”The answer is no, Mindy. End of discussion. Now get back to work.”
”This cant be happening,” I muttered, storming out of his office.
A sad woman with her eyes downcast | Source: Midjourney
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My coworker, Jen, poked her head around the corner. ”Mindy? You okay?”
I forced a smile. ”Yeah, just peachy. Mean Boss strikes again.”
Jens face fell. ”Oh no. He didnt...”
”Yep. Denied my time off to see my dying grandma. Said work comes first,” my voice cracking on the last word.
”Thats messed up. What are you gonna do?”
I smoothed out my shirt sleeve, my jaw clenched. ”I dont know yet. But Im not missing that reunion. I cant.”
A concerned woman looking up | Source: Midjourney
That night, I sat on my worn couch, phone in hand, trying to figure out how to break the news to my family. The TV droned in the background, some mindless sitcom I wasnt really watching.
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With dwindling hopes, I texted Mean Boss that night, hoping hed reconsider. At least now. But he just repeated the same nonsense. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.
I dialed my moms number, each ring making my stomach twist tighter.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
”Hello? Mindy?”
”Hey, Mom. Hows Grandma Daisy doing?”
There was a pause. ”Shes... hanging in there, sweetie. Some good days, some bad. She keeps asking when youre coming.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back tears. ”About that... Mom, I... I might not be able to make it.”
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”What? Why not?”
A worried senior woman on a phone call | Source: Midjourney
”My boss, he... he wont approve my time off. Says its too busy at work and—”
”Too busy? This is your grandmother were talking about! Doesnt he understand?”
”Apparently not. He just kept saying work comes first. That family stuff can be rescheduled.”
”Oh, honey. Thats terrible. There has to be something we can do.”
I nodded, even though she couldnt see me. ”Im not giving up, Mom. I promise. Ill figure something out. Ill be there... for Grandma. I promise.”
As I hung up, I stared at the phone, Moms words echoing in my head. There has to be something we can do. And suddenly, I knew exactly what that SOMETHING was.
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A sad woman with her eyes closed | Source: Midjourney
The next morning, I marched into my office, my resignation letter burning a hole in my bag. Id stayed up half the night writing it, pouring five years of frustration onto the page.
I knocked on Mean Bosss door.
”Come in,” he barked.
I stepped inside, taking in the familiar sight of his cluttered desk, the framed photos of his fancy car, and his evil face. He didnt even look up from his computer.
”What is it, Mindy? Im busy.”
A frustrated businessman in his office | Source: Midjourney
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I took a deep breath. ”I need to talk to you about my vacation request.”
”Weve been over this. The answer is no.”
”I understand that, Mr. West. But Im not here to argue. Im here to give you this.” I pulled out the letter and placed it on his desk.
He glanced at it, his brow furrowing. ”Whats this?”
”My two weeks notice.”
The silence that followed was deafening. I watched as his face cycled through confusion, anger, and finally, PANIC.
An extremely shocked man | Source: Midjourney
”You cant be serious. Youre quitting? Over a vacation?”
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”Im quitting because I refuse to work for someone who DOESNT value his employees lives outside of work. My grandmother is dying, and Im not missing my last chance to see her because you cant manage without me for a week.”
He leaned back in his chair, his face reddening. ”This is ridiculous. Youre throwing away a good job over sentimentality?”
”No! Im choosing my family over a job that treats me like a machine. Theres a difference.”
A smiling woman with her arms crossed | Source: Midjourney
As I turned to leave, he called out, ”Youll regret this, Mindy. Good luck finding another job that pays as well as this one!”
I paused at the door, looking back over my shoulder. ”Some things are worth more than money, sir. Maybe someday youll understand that.”
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The next two weeks were a blur of tying up loose ends and enduring Mean Bosss alternating attempts to guilt-trip me and bribe me into staying. But I held firm, counting down the days until I could leave.
A furious man | Source: Midjourney
On my last day, I was cleaning out my desk when Jen approached, her eyes wide.
”Is it true? Youre really leaving?”
”Yep. Todays my last day.”
”I heard Mean Boss talking on the phone earlier. Hes freaking out because he cant find anyone to cover your work next week.”
I couldnt help the small smile that tugged at my lips. ”Really?”
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”Oh yeah. Apparently, hes gonna have to do it himself. Karmas a real b****!”
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
”Mindy!” Mean Bosss voice boomed across the office. We both jumped.
”Guess thats my cue,” I muttered. ”Wish me luck.”
I knocked on Mean Bosss door one last time, my box of personal items tucked under my arm.
”Come in,” he grumbled.
I stepped inside, taking in the sight of him hunched over his desk, surrounded by stacks of papers. He looked... tired.
A woman holding a doorknob | Source: Midjourney
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”Im heading out, Mr. West. Just wanted to say goodbye.”
He looked up, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. Regret? Worry? But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
”Right,” he said gruffly. ”Well, I suppose this is it then.”
I nodded. ”I guess so.”
A worried man with his brows furrowed | Source: Midjourney
He sighed, rubbing his temples. ”Look, Mindy. I know you think Im the bad guy here, but you have to understand. This business doesnt run itself. Someone has to make the tough decisions.”
I set my box down, crossing my arms. ”And those tough decisions always have to come at the expense of your employees personal lives?”
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Close-up of a smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
He bristled. ”Now, thats not fair—”
”Isnt it?” I interrupted. ”In five years, how many important events have your employees missed because you wouldnt approve time off? How many people have burned out trying to meet your impossible standards?”
He opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again, looking deflated.
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An agitated man in his office | Source: Midjourney
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”I get it, Mr. West. Running a business is hard. But treating your employees like theyre disposable isnt the answer. Were people, with lives and families and needs outside of work. Recognizing that doesnt make you weak. It makes you a good leader.”
For a long moment, he just stared at me. Then, slowly, he nodded. ”I... Ill think about what youve said.”
I picked up my box, heading for the door. ”Thats all I can ask. Goodbye, sir.”
A woman holding a box of office supplies | Source: Pexels
As I walked out of the office for the last time, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Whatever came next, I knew Id made the right choice.
A week later, I was sitting on a beach, watching the sunset with my grandma Daisy. Her frail hand was clasped in mine, and despite the oxygen tube in her nose, she was smiling.
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”Im so glad youre here, sweetheart,” she said, her voice weak but warm.
I squeezed her hand gently. ”Me too, Grandma. Theres nowhere else Id rather be.”
A young woman holding her grandmas hands | Source: Pixabay
As we sat there, surrounded by family and the sound of waves, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Jen:
”OMG, you wont believe this. Mean Boss has been pulling 16-hour days trying to cover your work. He looks like a zombie. Guess he finally realized how much you did around here!”
I chuckled, shaking my head.
”Whats so funny?” Grandma Daisy asked.
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I tucked my phone away, turning back to her with a smile. ”Oh, nothing important. Just a little reminder that sometimes, doing the right thing pays off in unexpected ways!”
A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney
Grandma patted my hand, her eyes twinkling. ”Thats my girl. Always standing up for what matters.”
As the golden rays of sunset warmed my skin, a deep sense of peace settled within me. Sometimes, karma doesnt have to be a grand gesture. Its as simple as letting someone else take responsibility for what they refused to deal with.
And me? I was exactly where I needed to be. As for Mean Boss? Well, lets just say karma might have a few more surprises in store for him.
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Portrait of a young woman | Source: Midjourney
Heres another story: When an entitled customer thought she could get away with throwing her drink at my face, I decided to teach her an unforgettable lesson.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided ”as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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