When My Wish for Truth Wrecked His Ambition

The moment I stepped into the office, my coworker, Nicole, sidled up to my desk. “Well, look at you,” she said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “All dressed up. Who are you trying to hook today?” I met her gaze calmly and fired back. “I haven’t decided yet. Who’s your usual target?” A ripple of stifled laughter went through the nearby cubicles. Nicole’s face flushed crimson. “It was just a joke,” she stammered. “You know me, I’m just brutally honest. I tell it like it is. Don’t be so sensitive.” Later, my husband, who also happened to be our department manager, pulled me aside to scold me for being immature. “Nicole is just blunt, Stella. When you embarrass her like that in front of everyone, it makes them think you’re using my position to bully your coworkers.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Besides, why does she only pick on you? You should really take a look at yourself and figure out what you’re doing to provoke her.” To “avoid any appearance of favoritism,” he later gave this year’s “Employee of the Year” award to Nicole. I had to laugh. To protect his reputation, I had been the top performer in this department for three straight years, yet I had never once been recognized for it. But what they didn’t know was that I was a Transmigrator. After completing my last world’s mission, the System had promised me one wish. Fine. If people loved to claim they were “just being honest,” then let them. From now on, they would be able to speak nothing but the truth.

1 “Wow, that outfit must have cost a pretty penny,” Nicole drawled, leaning against the partition of my cubicle. She took a slow sip from her mug, her eyes raking over my new dress. “A married woman needs to look the part, you know,” she continued, her voice loud enough for half the office to hear. “Dressing like you’re on the prowl every day… what do you think people are saying?” She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Who knows what kind of… under-the-table deals you had to make to land those contracts.” Just then, my husband, David, walked out of his manager’s office. He heard every word. Our eyes met for a fraction of a second. There wasn’t a hint of support in his gaze, not an ounce of the defense a husband should offer his wife. He simply turned and walked into the breakroom. David’s deliberate indifference was all the encouragement Nicole needed. “You have a husband, Stella. A husband who happens to be the head of our department. Your every move doesn’t just reflect on you; it reflects on him. It’s his reputation on the line!” “If someone didn’t know better,” she added with a smug little laugh, “they might think our dear manager only got his position because his wife is so… accommodating.” She covered her mouth, her face a mixture of triumph and provocation. Then she leaned in again, raising her voice. “So, come on, tell your big sister. Who are you trying to hook today?” My eyes traveled from the thick layer of foundation and bright red lipstick on her face down to the ridiculously tight pencil skirt she wore. She noticed my gaze and her body tensed. “What are you looking at me for? I’m not like you. I’m single. I can dress however I want, and no one can say a thing about it.” I looked at her for a long, silent moment, then smiled as I settled into my chair. “I haven’t decided yet. You dress like this every day, Nicole. Who’s your usual target?” The choked laughter from the surrounding desks was audible. Nicole’s face went from pink to a furious, blotchy red, like a boiled lobster. “You—you… What are you talking about!” She opened her mouth, searching for a comeback, but all that came out was a hissed, “It was just a joke! You know me, I’m brutally honest. I tell it like it is. Don’t be so sensitive.” She spun on her three-inch stilettos and stomped back to her desk, the screech of her chair being yanked out echoing through the quiet office. A moment later, a message from David popped up on my screen. Nicole is a team lead. It was inappropriate for you to speak to her like that. People will think you’re using my position to bully her. I stared at the words, my finger hovering over the keyboard. I didn’t reply. During the morning meeting, David made a surprise announcement. The department’s official recommendation for the annual “Employee of the Year” award was Nicole. After the meeting, I cornered him. “Why?” I held up my tablet, the screen showing a side-by-side comparison of my performance metrics and Nicole’s for the entire year. “My sales figures are 42% higher than hers. My client retention rate is 28% higher. My average payment collection cycle is 15 days shorter.” “On what possible grounds does she deserve that award?” David glanced around nervously and pulled me into the fire escape stairwell. “Stella, listen. Nicole is a team lead. She manages a team of six. If you get the award, it could create resentment and unbalance the team dynamic.” “So my hard work means nothing? Or is it because I’m your wife, and we have to ‘avoid the appearance of favoritism’ again?”

2 “That’s a separate issue.” His brow furrowed in annoyance. “Why have you become so petty? It’s just a meaningless title. I promise, next year I’ll—” “That’s what you said last year,” I cut him off. “And the year before that.” We stood in silence, the green glow of the emergency exit sign casting shadows across his face. He sighed and reached out to pat my shoulder, but I stepped away. “Stella, the corporate world isn’t black and white. When you act like this, you put me in a very difficult position.” I looked into his eyes and saw a stranger. This man was not the same one who had proposed to me three years ago, promising he would always have my back. “David,” I said, my own voice frighteningly calm. “If someone else were number one every single year, and not me, would you be doing this?” He was silent for a long time. “Stella, you know I’m up for a director position next year. I can’t afford any gossip.” In that moment, I understood completely. My success was a weight on him. My brilliance cast a shadow he couldn’t escape. First, he needed to secure his manager position. Now, he wanted to ride my coattails to his next promotion, while simultaneously terrified that people would say he only got there because of me. When I returned to my desk, Nicole was laughing loudly with a few other colleagues. Seeing me, she deliberately raised her voice. “That’s why I always say, married women should just stay home and be housewives. Why bother trying to have a career?” “What’s the point of having good numbers? If you have zero social skills and can’t handle office politics, even your own husband won’t stand up for you!” Someone coughed awkwardly. Others suddenly became very busy with their work. This time, I ignored her. I sat down, opened my laptop, and started writing my resignation letter. A headhunter from a rival company had approached me last month. They were offering a senior position with a base salary of $250,000, plus commissions. It was time to make a decision. I typed the final sentence and hit print. I picked up the single sheet of paper and walked directly to the manager’s office. David looked up, his brow instinctively creasing when he saw it was me. “What is it? I’m busy.” I placed the letter on his desk. “I need your signature.” He glanced at the heading and his head snapped up. “Why are you resigning?” “I’m being treated unfairly here,” I stated calmly. “So I no longer wish to work here.” His face flushed with anger. “Stella, have you lost your mind?!” “All because of that stupid incident this morning? So Nicole said a few things you didn’t like? Is that any reason to threaten me with quitting?” He shot to his feet, leaning over the desk on his knuckles, trying to intimidate me with his posture. “Someone says a few words and you just throw a tantrum and walk out? Can’t you be a little more mature? This is a workplace, not your home! Not everyone is going to coddle you! Nicole is just one of those brutally honest people who says whatever is on her mind. Why are you letting it get to you?” Hearing those words again, I didn’t feel angry. I felt… amused. “She spreads slutty rumors about me in front of the entire office, implying I slept my way to the top, and you call that being ‘brutally honest’? You call that ‘saying what’s on her mind’?” “And you, my husband, not only refuse to defend me, but you sacrifice my interests to appease her?” David sank back into his chair. “So this is still about the award. I told you, it’s a meaningless title. You’ll still get all your commissions.” “Alright, stop making a scene over nothing. We’ll talk about this at home. This is the office, leave your personal emotions out of it.” He still thought I was just throwing a fit. I pushed the letter closer to him. “Mr. Martin, I am discussing a professional matter with you right now. Please sign this.” Seeing the resolve on my face, his irritation flared again. “So you’re determined to fight me on this, aren’t you? You know perfectly well that our General Manager recommended Nicole for her position. I’m on track to be a director next year. Can’t you just suck it up for a little while?” His voice rose, thick with self-righteous accusation. “And have you ever stopped to think why she only targets you? It takes two to tango! If you weren’t giving her ammunition, she’d have nothing to attack you with! Are you telling me she’s completely wrong?” His eyes scanned me from head to toe, cold and sharp as a knife. “You’re a married woman. Who are you dressing up like this for every day? You wear these tight clothes, making sure everyone knows what a great body you have?!” “And every time you go out for a client meeting, you’re dressed to the nines. Sometimes you don’t come back until the middle of the night, reeking of alcohol. Who knows if you were really talking business, or doing something else you wouldn’t want people to know about…”

3 His words were a sledgehammer, shattering the last fragile illusion of affection I held for him. I slapped him. Hard. The crack echoed in the office, interrupting his tirade. The air went still. The only sound was the ragged sound of our breathing. Three years. I had been married to David for three years. I had endured this department for three years. The first year, I had just transferred to the sales department, full of ambition. I worked myself to the bone, chasing clients, crafting proposals. At the end of the year, my performance was in a league of its own, 50% higher than the person in second place. Everyone assumed the “Employee of the Year” award was mine. In the car on the way home, David turned to me. “Stella,” he said. “About the award… let’s pass on it this year.” I was stunned. “Why? What did I do wrong?” “Nothing. You were too good.” He sighed, his voice full of a reluctant, manufactured difficulty. “I was just promoted to assistant manager. My position isn’t stable yet. You’re my wife. If the first major award goes to you, what will people think? They’ll say I’m playing favorites, that you got it because of me, not because of your talent. We need to avoid any hint of nepotism.” I looked at his tired profile and my heart softened. There’s always next year, I thought. I should be understanding. The second year. That was the year Nicole joined. To help him secure a promotion to full manager, I practically lived at the office. I pulled all-nighters perfecting proposals that clients called “textbook examples of excellence.” I landed a long-term contract with our most notoriously difficult client. On the sales chart, my name was still at the very top, my numbers even more impressive than the year before. Before the annual review, David had another “chat” with me. “There’s a supervisor position opening up this year, and Nicole is in the running,” he began. “She was recommended by the General Manager. It won’t do us any good to compete with her directly. Let’s let the award go one more time. I promise, next year I’ll find a way to get you something even better.” He held my hand, his eyes sincere, almost pleading. I gave in again. We’re a team, I reasoned. His career is our career. That year, Nicole got the award. And David got his promotion to department manager. At the annual company party, Nicole stood on stage, flushed and beaming, thanking the leadership. When her eyes swept over me, they were filled with undisguised scorn. Later, in the restroom, she touched up her makeup and spoke to my reflection in the mirror. “You’re still so naive, Stella. Sometimes, being aggressive isn’t enough. You have to learn to use a woman’s… advantages.” I just stood there, washing my hands, the water running cold as I dug my nails into my palms. The third year. I single-handedly landed a strategic, multi-million dollar project that would impact the entire company’s annual revenue. And Nicole? She lost several of her key accounts and failed to meet her targets for two consecutive quarters. In the past, when she would snipe at me or steal a minor client, David would say, “Let it go, she’s a colleague.” When she sabotaged my work or saddled me with menial tasks, he’d say, “The capable do more. Think of the big picture.” I endured it all. And what did I get in return? I got her escalating her attacks, spreading the most vicious, slut-shaming rumors about my integrity and my abilities. I got my own husband, who not only turned a blind eye but, after I finally fought back, was the first to message me and tell me to back down. And I got the final, crushing revelation that deep down, he believed the same filthy, untrustworthy things about me that Nicole did. Thinking about it all, I couldn’t stop the tears from welling in my eyes. “You’re a monster, David.” My tears seemed to scald him, shocking him back to reality. “Honey… I…” “I didn’t mean it like that! I was just stressed out, I wasn’t thinking!” “You know this is a critical time for me, with the director position on the line. Any little thing could—” “Enough,” I cut him off. “Three strikes, David. You’re out.” His critical time. His difficult position. His big picture. I had listened to it for three years. I had endured for three years. I was done. I pointed to the resignation letter on his desk. “If you don’t sign it, I’m filing a police report for slander against Nicole. I’m sure you don’t want a departmental dispute on your record while you’re being considered for a promotion, do you?”