She Shamed Me Nursing, I Ruined Her Reputation

Chapter 3

Right then, she suddenly pulled a beautifully wrapped gift box from behind her back.

"Charlotte, this was all my fault. I picked this gift out specially for you as an apology. Don't be mad at me anymore, okay?"

With Vice President Damien Volkszki watching right there, she held the gift box out to me.

The box bore the logo of a well-known maternal and baby brand. Through the semi-transparent wrapping paper, I could clearly make out a clunky electric breast pump inside.

"I figured you'd definitely need this for pumping milk at work. This brand is the best there is." Her eyes looked sincere, her tone warm and concerned.

"Honestly, Charlotte, you just had a baby not long ago. Your body and energy aren't what they used to be, everyone gets that you’re having a hard time keeping up with your work these days.

"But the workplace is just that cutthroat. If you blow this tiny 'little misunderstanding' out of proportion and end up getting fired over it... The job market is so competitive right now. What company would want to hire a mom with a baby that young?"

She paused, lowering her voice even further. "What are you gonna do about your baby's expenses then? What about your mortgage and car payments?"

Vice President Volkszki nodded along beside her, speaking in a serious, earnest tone. "Charlotte, look at how thoughtful Naomi is, looking out for you like this. Her words might be blunt, but she's got a point. You're going through a special time right now, you need to prioritize keeping things stable."

I stared at that jarring gift in her hand, listening to her so-called thoughtful advice that was actually laced with venom with every word. The last fraying thread of my self-control snapped clean in two.

'In my past life, it was exactly this kind of degradation and exploitation of my identity as a mother that drove me straight to a dead end, bit by bit.'

I lifted my hand.

Instead of taking the gift box, I slammed my hand into it full force.

Thwack!

The box went crashing to the floor. Parts of the breast pump tumbled out of the ripped packaging and skittered across the floor.

She yelped and stumbled back half a step, her eyes instantly reddening and welling with tears.

"Charlotte, how could you do that? I was just trying to apologize..."

Vice President Volkszki's face turned purple with rage instantly, and he slammed his fist down on the table. "Charlotte! You've gone too far! Naomi went out of her way to apologize and give you a gift, and this is how you react?

"You've clearly got post-partum mood swings or something, you don't know a good turn when you see one!"

He pointed his finger right in my face, seething with anger. "You will give her a formal apology today, or don't bother showing up for work tomorrow! This company has no place for an employee like you who undermines team harmony and assaults coworkers!"