Why is such a low-spec man so attractive? The handsome manager, as my boss is known in the office, said this with an unusually youthful grin. Since the day he transferred, he has denigrated me, an older regular employee with a high school education.
The same thing happened at my wedding; his demeanor lacked even the faintest trace of blessing. "You have such unique taste, despite your stunning appearance. A woman with your level of expertise may find a far better spouse.
" The staff members surrounding us became paler. "Manager, what have you done? " is what they would say if they were speaking out loud.
Putting me down is one thing, but this time he even made my wife feel awful. I had so much I wanted to say to my employer, but I said nothing. Since our wedding is a significant life event, I didn't want to spoil the atmosphere.
My wife was the one who criticized the boss's comments: "Having you as a boss, I really feel sorry for all your employees. " When I visited the floor of the HR department the following day, I was unable to locate the manager. He had unintentionally said something inappropriate to someone he most obviously shouldn't have—and with good reason.
I'm a rank-and-file worker named John Hart, and I'm 35 years old. I work for a company that makes sporting goods in the human resources division. People seem to expect that I'd have some responsibility at 35, but I'm just a rank-and-file employee doing a variety of odd jobs for the company.
Even in such a role, it is typically assumed that if you work for the corporation, you have at least a college degree, but I only have a high school diploma. I worked part-time, and for some reason, had no plans after high school. I was rescued from that state of aimlessness by this company.
I returned the favor by putting in a lot of effort behind the scenes every day to make sure that the workers' performance was at its peak. Seeing workers my age advance through the ranks irritates me, to be honest. Nevertheless, I was so worn out from competing with everyone at the time that I never pursued promotions, certificates, boss sucks, or self-promotion.
In fact, I refused the director's offer of a promotion, saying it was too soon for me. "John, you've worked for the company for more than 10 years, correct? You are well respected by the employees and know how the HR department operates.
Perhaps it's time for you to demonstrate your actual managerial ability. " Robert, the director, has always taken care of me. He is the perfect boss since he is aware of the additional work I do without anybody else noticing.
Although I wanted to return the director's generosity, I was undecided. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm not comfortable providing direct directions or leading others. I'd like to continue doing what I'm doing now, if that's okay.
" "I won't force you if you persist, but before you have children, you should consider it. Both parents may not be able to work after having children. Although it's not much, having a managerial role does come with other benefits, such as housing and educational costs.
If you maintain this attitude, you may find yourself in a difficult situation. " I was the only person in the HR department who fulfilled the requirements to be promoted to manager. The HR department had to start over because I declined the promotion; consequently, a decision was made to move from another department.
Thomas Wilson was selected as the new manager. At 30, he is 5 years younger than me. Despite his height and slim build, his muscular arms are easily seen.
You may describe him as muscular and slender. The attractive new hire made quite a sensation among the HR department's female employees. It was only for a second, though; the room went silent as soon as Thomas started his introduction.
"Hello everyone, I've been appointed as the new manager of the HR department: Thomas Wilson. I studied Business Administration in college and have obtained national certifications as a certified public accountant and a financial planner. My mission is to improve the operational efficiency of the HR department and enhance the capabilities of our staff.
I encourage you all not to be constrained by past norms, but to fully embrace my instructions and guidance. " Thomas was a highly ambitious individual. Being appointed a manager at 30 seemed like a significant achievement to me, but he was still in a hurry, feeling it was not enough.
What I learned later was that although Thomas often boasted about his academic credentials, he had failed to get into his first choice college and ended up attending one ranked lower. While he appeared confident, he secretly harbored a serious inferiority complex about his educational background. It was intended that I would be promoted to manager, but he must have heard that I turned down the offer.
Knowing that a high school graduate had declined his current position left Thomas somewhat unsettled. He might have been trying to maintain his self-esteem by bullying me, assuming I was only a high school graduate. "You're a high school graduate, aren't you?
Can't study, can't go to college, and can barely manage the bare minimum in human relations? Someone who can't take responsible actions surely can't lead a team in an organization, though I doubt anyone would follow you in the first place. " "Maybe you're right.
I'll handle any menial task. " I didn't want to sour the atmosphere in the HR department, so I decided to fully go along with Thomas. However, a gloomy air started to envelop the HR department.
The director, noticing this and worried, commented, "Thomas originally tended to emphasize educational background too much when he was in the sales department. He wouldn't listen to those with lower education and even judged. .
. " Clients based on their academic credentials, I thought moving to the HR department and gaining some career experience might help him build confidence and become more relaxed, even though it meant promoting him to a manager in a different department. From my perspective, the manager seemed well-educated enough; his envy is too strong, and he's letting his complexes get the better of him.
There will be unpleasant moments, but please look after him for a while. Given these circumstances, the director discreetly assigned me to be Thomas' support. This turned out to be an incredibly difficult task.
Thomas, with his quick wit and eloquence, did have the makings of an excellent salesman; however, he utterly lacked the ability to care for, respect, and develop others. Within less than a week, the HR department staff had distanced themselves from him. Even though Thomas was the issue, we couldn't let this disrupt our work, so I went around speaking to each person individually, asking them to be patient.
"The manager is still getting used to his position, so please bear with us for a while. " I had a reason for wanting to quietly settle the turmoil in the HR department. In fact, one month after Thomas started, I was going to have my wedding.
I had to invite Thomas as my boss. Obviously, the truth is I didn't want to worsen our relationship with the department any more than it already was. The wedding was coming up soon; my dad, mom, and even Grandpa were really looking forward to it.
It's a shame Grandma passed away a few years ago; I wish she could have seen me in my wedding dress. I'm sure she's watching over me from somewhere. How about we bring her photo?
That way, we can show your bridal look to Grandma too. Let's make sure to reserve a special seat for her. Hearing my suggestion, Ashley seemed to have an epiphany.
"That's a brilliant idea! I have a photo from when we went on a trip abroad. She really loved that picture, so I'll bring it to the venue.
" Ashley is my fiancée; she quit her job to prepare for the wedding, but until recently, she was working as an office worker at a certain company. She's kind, serious, and a great cook. My parents think she's too good for me, but they're happy nonetheless.
I'm just a high school graduate and a regular employee, so I don't make a lot of money. We can't afford a lavish wedding, but Ashley is grateful and happy with my intentions. I can't help but feel saved by Ashley's subtle kindness.
Now, I'd like to talk about how I met Ashley. Ashley was an employee at a client company of the place I work. We met when she had just joined her company as a new employee.
Ordering necessary supplies is an important task in the HR department, and Ashley's company deals with office supplies; therefore, our transactions took place throughout the year. Now, Ashley can take care of various things, but she was very clumsy when she first joined. There were notable mistakes in ordering supplies and issuing documents; however, through our interactions, I came to know she was a hardworking, serious, and sincere person.
Eventually, I found myself having feelings for her, but since she was a client employee, I kept my special feelings to myself. We got closer not through work but in our private lives. I work at a sports equipment manufacturer, but I was originally a die-hard baseball kid.
I batted second and played shortstop. There was a time when I aimed for the National High School Baseball Championship or the professional baseball world, spending every day thinking about baseball. Due to my job, I had only been watching baseball for about 10 years, but then I started playing again.
My chance, John, your play is always really good to watch. You're not a home run hitter, but you rack up hits that lead to scores, and the success rate of your batting is impressive. There was a pro baseball player known as the "Bunt Master" back in the day, and John, you have that vibe.
No, that's definitely an overstatement. When I was younger, I thought I could become a baseball player, but the results honestly show it's not such an easy world. No world goes exactly as you wish, but having played baseball, you must have developed the ability to look around you—especially playing shortstop.
You need to keep an eye not just on the area between second and third base, but also from the shortstop's position to the second-base gap. The man who said this, while narrowing his eyes, was Paul Smith. He's an 80-year-old who had demonstrated his abilities as the president of a company for many years.
Recently, he handed over his position to his son and stepped back, now acting more as a chairman. Nowadays, he's more passionate about managing a community-based team than running the company. "Playing shortstop, you sometimes have to run towards center field or left field.
Indeed, I'm not sure how much awareness I have, but it might indeed use a lot of stamina. Maybe it's because you're looking around that you use so much stamina; otherwise, you couldn't cover bases for steals or pickoffs. It's also the key to initiating double plays and relay plays.
" Being praised by the organizer of the community baseball team, I felt a bit embarrassed, and my face turned red. It had been years since someone praised me like this; the last time I was praised was back in middle school. Of course, I must have been praised as an adult too, but strangely, my childhood memories are still vivid.
"What's wrong? You're blushing so much. " "I just spoke the truth.
Why are you getting embarrassed? " When I noticed Ashley was behind me, it was actually quite coincidental, but while working at the company, Ashley was also active. As the manager of our amateur baseball team, there were a few baseball enthusiasts among the employees at Ashley's company.
Through our business exchanges, it became known that I used to play baseball seriously, and the suggestion to join the amateur baseball team came through another employee from a different company we were doing business with. Of course, I was also aware that Ashley was the manager. Although I had sworn never to play baseball again, I also wanted to get closer to Ashley, so I ended up joining the team impulsively.
That's the whole story of how I started playing amateur baseball. While our favorite pro baseball teams were different, Ashley had enjoyed watching baseball since she was a kid, especially in the hot summer. Ashley took on all sorts of chores, from making cold drinks to setting up tents.
If Ashley was in trouble, I would help her without hesitation. Gradually, when Ashley had a problem, she would turn to me for help. As we continued like this, we became close and started to see each other as special.
“Ashley, please marry me. ” I’d only have a high school diploma, and my options for departments to join or teams to advance in are limited, so I can't expect much in terms of career advancement in the future. But I'll do my best for your happiness.
At that moment, I also had the feeling that I would do things I wasn't good at for Ashley's happiness. Perhaps she saw through my heart because Ashley smiled and said, “You don't have to force yourself. I was drawn to your kind personality that cares for everyone, playing so that everyone can shine.
That's the position you excel in the most. ” Ashley didn't care at all that I only had a high school diploma and became my lifelong partner. Meeting such a wonderful woman and being able to marry her was something I never imagined.
That's why I am truly grateful to Ashley from the bottom of my heart. Now, let's return to the present. But that's why I didn't want to worry and let my relationship with Thomas dampen the joyful atmosphere of the wedding.
On the day of the wedding, relatives, friends, colleagues, and bosses from our respective companies rushed to the venue to celebrate our marriage. It was a small wedding, but it was filled with the warm hearts of people. During the reception, everyone came to pour beer along with words of congratulations.
I thought the happy time would continue peacefully like this until the end, but reality wasn't that sweet. Just as the reception was about to end, the situation took a turn. Thomas, who had just joined the company, came to pour beer for me.
Honestly, I didn't think he would behave as usual in front of my colleagues and bosses, including me and Ashley. However, Thomas handed me a beer bottle and instructed me to pour it into his glass. “I came all the way here, even though I just transferred, and we haven't had much interaction.
Besides, it'd be weird if I, with a higher education, poured beer for you while you bow down to me, right? ” “Well, yeah, that might be true. ” I was so surprised by Thomas's attitude that I fumbled in my response.
Thomas had a habit of bringing up educational backgrounds whenever he didn't like something. He mentioned low-level colleges, high school diplomas, vocational school graduations, and so on. Even though he was like that, he was still my boss in this company, so reluctantly I decided to invite him to the wedding.
Other department heads and managers who appreciated me also came to the ceremony; therefore, I also hoped that attending the wedding would be a good opportunity for Thomas, who was isolated in the HR department. However, the result was completely the opposite. What was good about someone as laid-back as him with his refreshing looks?
Thomas was also known as the “handsome manager. ” There were also troublesome behaviors due to his education-oriented mindset, so of course, it's not a 100% complimentary nickname. However, Thomas seemed to be aware of his own handsomeness.
With an unnaturally bright smile, he looked at me and Ashley and said, “For someone as beautiful as you, you have quite peculiar tastes. A woman like you could surely find a more high-spec partner. ” There was no tint of congratulations in his tone.
In my mind, I thought, just as I expected. In fact, when I handed him the invitation, there were some concerning signs in Thomas's behavior. I personally handed out wedding invitations to the employees in the HR department.
It's a fact that their precious day off would be wasted just because we had happened to work in the same department. I handed out the invitations myself to show my sincerity, since we had talked about getting engaged. Everyone genuinely congratulated us with heartfelt wishes; however, Thomas's reaction was completely different.
He glanced at the invitation but never made eye contact with me. Without even looking at the contents, he casually placed the invitation on the desk. His indifference left me speechless.
"Why did you choose this week for the wedding? This time of year coincides with the budget deadline, so the whole company is in chaos. If you're going to drag employees out, you should consider not only your own happiness but also the situation of those around you.
" "Oh, what a mess! What a mess! " Thomas began to complain about the wedding date, although it wasn't clear what exactly was bothering him.
Glancing around, the other employees seemed unsure of how to intervene, wearing more troubled expressions. Looking down and continuing the discussion about the wedding at this point would only inconvenience the other employees. Reluctantly, I surrendered completely.
"I apologize for not considering your schedule. If you're busy, it's perfectly fine if you can't attend. " "What are you talking about in this kind—" Of the situation, it's the boss who should give a congratulatory speech.
Are you implying that you don't care about me due to my position? I have to give a wedding gift. I find it wasteful to give you a gift, but I have to do it anyway, so I've included it in my schedule.
No, I didn't expect you to attend, so please don't worry about the gift; it's really okay. Feeling the urge to escape from this situation as soon as possible, Thomas seemed satisfied with my response, but there was clearly an awkward atmosphere lingering in the department. At that moment, it was clear from his actions and words, since he took off from the office up until today, that he was naturally a tough person to deal with.
I hadn't expected him to make snide remarks in front of the employees. I went home and vented to Ashley about what had happened today. I was really surprised.
I had thought for sure that at least my wedding would be properly celebrated, but I guess I was foolish to even hope a little. Thomas is 30, right? I bet he's just feeling the pressure because everyone around him is getting married.
Don't worry so much; everything will be fine on the day, Ashley offered me some encouraging words. At that time, Ashley hadn't yet realized the true horror of what Thomas was capable of. Spending time with Ashley was very comforting; even though the issue with Thomas lingered in the back of my mind, my spirits were completely lifted.
However, even on the day of the wedding, Thomas's attitude was the same as always. I regretted inviting him, realizing it was a mistake. Suddenly overcome with frustration, I couldn't stop shaking.
Without noticing anything was amiss with me, Thomas loudly proclaimed for the whole venue to hear, "Oh, someone with your lack of education is doomed to be a low-level employee forever. Your salary won't increase, and your wife will surely struggle. I don't mean to be rude, but you should start looking for part-time work now.
" Thomas was in his own world, completely oblivious to the shocked expressions of the colleagues around him. Everyone must have been thinking, "Thomas, what have you done? " However, Thomas, perhaps feeling exhilarated from speaking his mind, tried to leave with a brighter smile than usual.
I had never seen anything so ridiculous in my life. Thomas's cheerfulness was just a manifestation of his shallowness. I felt pity for him.
Then someone called out to stop Thomas. It was Ashley, who had become my wife. She had heard stories about Thomas but seemed not to have expected this much.
Ashley was angry. "To think you're a supervisor! I truly feel sorry for your employees," she said.
Thomas, surprised, turned around and asked, "What do you mean? " Despite her usually kind nature, Ashley could be quite formidable when angry. I prepared myself for what was to come.
"Why can't you celebrate your employees' happiness? How can you possibly foster growth in your team with that attitude? You've been smiling this whole time, but what are the smiles really about?
Your smiles lack sincerity. If you think attending a wedding is meaningless, you shouldn't have come at all. It would have been more respectable and genuine.
" When Ashley unleashed what she had been holding inside, Thomas's expression changed. "I get this uncomfortable feeling when I see others happy! " he retorted loudly.
Just then, our managers and directors seemed to enter his field of view. The executives were taken aback by Thomas's distraught appearance. Thomas was probably panicked by their reaction; he turned his back on us again and left the venue.
He seemed quite disturbed; he left clutching a beer bottle, his smile as refreshingly misplaced as ever, but ultimately ridiculous. The next day, when I arrived at work as usual, the normally quiet office was unusually abuzz. After a wedding, it would have been normal to exchange greetings and share thoughts on the event, but everyone seemed tense and whispered among themselves.
"What's going on? " I asked by way of greeting. One of the employees whispered back, "We can't find the manager.
It seems he's been called to the president's office. " "I see. Do you know something?
" I reacted impulsively, though none of the employees were aware of the situation. Pretending to make copies, I made my way to the president's office. As expected, I could hear several voices from inside as I approached.
When I lightly knocked on the door, the secretary peeked out. "You've come at just the right time; please come in. " Inside, I found Thomas, our company's president, a client's chairman, and my beloved wife, Ashley, all sitting at the table with solemn expressions.
"Thank you for attending our wedding yesterday. It was a wonderful wedding," Ashley said, looking truly happy. "Yes, indeed," ignoring Thomas, the chairman.
Ashley and I engaged in conversation. Then the president looked at me and apologized to me in front of Thomas. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding yesterday.
I had a business trip planned six months ago. I really wanted to celebrate your new beginning. " "No, your thoughts alone are enough.
" I glanced at Thomas briefly. Thomas was usually a confident manager, but he was clearly at a loss for words, his eyes darting around. Seeing Thomas so out of his element, I couldn't help but say, "Thank you for taking the time to come yesterday despite being so busy.
I understand it's a busy time for the company, and I apologize for any inconvenience to the HR department. I'm willing to do whatever is needed, so please feel free to direct me. " "No, about yesterday, I just.
. . " Despite being in front of the president, he couldn't manage to respond properly; his mind must have been in turmoil.
Then the client's chairman started to get to the point. "Right, right. We have an important matter to discuss.
You're Thomas. . .
" Are you? I saw you at Ashley's wedding yesterday, even if just for a moment. Thank you for coming despite it being the weekend.
Oh yes, as John's manager, I wanted to celebrate my employee's new beginning, so I attended. Thomas tried to act as if the harsh words he had said to me during the wedding didn't happen, especially in front of the executives, suddenly regaining his cheerful demeanor, pretending to be the ideal boss. He must have thought he could deceive everyone, but it was a futile effort.
I was truly shocked. I'm over 80 years old now; my wife passed away from illness a few years ago. I don't know when my time will come, so being able to see my granddaughter Ashley's wedding with my own eyes made me incredibly happy.
Moreover, her partner is John, who plays diligently on my amateur baseball team. When I was about to express my feelings to the two of you, you came over. I thought you were going to offer your congratulations, but what did you say?
The client's chairman calling Ashley his granddaughter was Paul Smith, the man who sponsors the amateur baseball team I belong to, meaning Ashley is the granddaughter of the client's chairman and the daughter of our company's president. To such a woman, Thomas had said disrespectful things, suggesting she had no eye for choosing a partner and should look for part-time work. When I got engaged to Ashley, considering the future, I had informed the employees of the HR department; however, that was just before Thomas took over as manager.
I should have informed Thomas too, but his derogatory attitude towards me was so severe that I missed the chance to tell them about my engagement to Ashley. I'm sorry, Thomas; I didn't mean to hide it. However, you seem to dislike me so much that I never found the right moment to bring up personal matters.
I said before I knew it, the day had arrived when I made an apologetic face. Ashley lightly restrained me. "Let's stop apologizing; it seems he's unaware of everything.
It would be cruel to let him dig his own grave further, so it's better to clarify things now. If relationships sour, it affects the company too. Your strength lies in your ability to look around and understand your surroundings, but perhaps because you see too much, you tend to overthink and worry about others too much.
Given the situation, it's better to be direct and discuss your career plans moving forward," she said. Encouraged by Chairman Paul, I slowly stood in front of Thomas and clearly conveyed my future career plans as much as I knew. I met Ashley through my work in the HR department; I didn't know she was the president's daughter when I developed feelings for her.
However, our relationship rapidly progressed through our connection in amateur baseball, and we started dating with marriage in mind. That was when I first became fully aware of Ashley's position. The client's company is globally recognized for its high-performance product development and office equipment.
Though not very large, it operates as a family-owned business, and Ashley is the granddaughter of the company's founder, making her a potential successor. As for me, I had no ambition to climb the corporate ladder, but I understood that to be with Ashley, I needed to change. To repeat, I was a former high school baseball player aspiring for baseball championships and professional leagues.
However, an injury during practice ended my baseball dreams, and I lost my goal in baseball. I was exposed to fierce competition, so I was completely burned out. I took the initiative to distance myself from the competition—the company that took me in allowed me to lead a peaceful life as an ordinary employee.
But meeting Ashley made me realize I couldn't stay the same. I decided to prepare myself to grow as a future successor. I can say my experience and skills are sufficient; that's why I've been committed to learning the basics of HR work up to this day.
I took on every task asked of me. The department had offered me a promotion to manager, but I planned to resign in a year, so I declined. And then you were brought in as the replacement.
"Resigning, you say? " Thomas asked. "I'll be joining Paul's company initially to learn the job.
I'll start as a regular employee without any position. When our marriage was decided, I was offered the role of executive vice president to be involved in the management of the company. The chairman believed I could make a significant contribution based on my style of play in baseball.
However, I felt that becoming an executive vice president without any track record would not sit well with the employees. Thinking this, I requested to start as a regular employee to learn the work first. " That's the situation.
Thomas had reached a point of no return. Despite being my wife, he had repeatedly made disrespectful comments to the daughter of one of our clients' presidents. No one was there to offer him a helping hand at this moment.
The president spoke to Thomas in a low voice, "Please go home for today. There are other concerning matters besides this incident. We will conduct a thorough internal investigation and inform you of your future with the company afterward.
" In fact, not just within the company, but extending to clients, there had been employees harassed for their educational background. Though the severity varied, the total number exceeded 50 people. The company was trying to broaden its business scope by valuing various abilities, not just educational background.
Thus, alongside former high school athletes like me, there were super elites who had graduated from universities abroad. Thomas's actions were completely against the company's policy. People who use sports equipment polish themselves in a dimension separate from academic background every day with the products we deal with.
"Belong to a world unrelated to educational attainment. We didn't hire you because of your academic background; you were hired because you diligently played soccer until high school, even though you were a substitute. If you had been a regular player, we probably wouldn't have hired you.
I still remember how your eyes shone when you talked about soccer during the interview. Please bring back the person you were back then," the president said. It was later revealed that Thomas, like me, had also experienced failure in sports.
He had practiced morning and evening, rain or shine, but never managed to secure a regular spot on the team. He tried hard to get into college in order to look back at the regular soccer team; however, he didn't get into his first-choice college. While it was a prestigious college from my perspective, for Thomas it was another experience of failure, just like soccer.
"I'm sorry. I'll wash my face and start afresh," Thomas muttered. Two weeks later, following the results of the internal investigation, Thomas was terminated from his position.
A dismissal could have adversely affected his future job search, so out of consideration, thanks to the president's kindness, he officially resigned for his own convenience. In the interim, I took over the manager's role until a successor was trained. When a junior showed promise, I transitioned to the client's company as a future successor.
There had been no word from Thomas, and I was secretly worried about him. Years later, I heard a rumor about Thomas' whereabouts in the amateur baseball community. After wandering abroad for a while, Thomas returned home, seemingly in better spirits.
He began job hunting and was hired as an administrative staff member for a local soccer team. His salary was less than half of what he made as an employee. Thomas also cleaned toilets himself because there were few staff members.
He must have chosen to chase his dreams by letting go of his pride. By accepting his past as a benchwarmer in soccer, he found value in nurturing young talent. Being on the bench allowed him to see a world others couldn't.
I believed there was a place for Thomas—a job that was meant for him to do.
