“Work comes first!” my mean boss said, rejecting my vacation request to see my dying grandmother. That’s when I decided to show him why denying my leave was the biggest mistake he ever made.
I’d been working for this guy, let’s call him “Mean Boss” for nearly five years. Over time, I realized something about him: the man didn’t believe in vacations. Period.
A woman in her office | Source: Unsplash
“Vacations?” he’d scoff during our team meetings. “Unnecessary luxury. You get weekends off, don’t you? That’s your personal time right there.”
It didn’t 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 else’s 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 you’re dead, you’re working. The company doesn’t stop for sniffles.”
An annoyed businessman | Source: Midjourney
Jake ended up passing out at his desk that afternoon. Mean Boss’s response? He told us to prop Jake up in his chair so clients wouldn’t notice if they walked by. I’m 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 wasn’t about timing. It was about CONTROL.
Mean Boss thrived on the idea that the company couldn’t run without him micromanaging every second of our day.
A man in suit pointing a finger | Source: Pexels
He’d even make these awful jokes about how vacations were “luxuries” for people who didn’t have important jobs. It was exhausting just thinking about it.
I’d 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 couldn’t miss it.
This wasn’t just some random vacation. My grandma Daisy’s 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!
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 he’d grumble about it, sure, but surely he wouldn’t 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 can’t 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. It’s a family reunion. I haven’t seen some of these relatives in over a decade, and my grandmother… she’s not in good health. This might be my last chance to—”
He cut me off with a wave of his hand. “Family reunions can be rescheduled. Work comes first! You’re 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. That’s 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 can’t be happening,” I muttered, storming out of his office.
A sad woman with her eyes downcast | Source: Midjourney
My coworker, Jen, poked her head around the corner. “Mindy? You okay?”
I forced a smile. “Yeah, just peachy. Mean Boss strikes again.”
Jen’s face fell. “Oh no. He didn’t…”
“Yep. Denied my time off to see my dying grandma. Said ‘work comes first,'” my voice cracking on the last word.
“That’s messed up. What are you gonna do?”
I smoothed out my shirt sleeve, my jaw clenched. “I don’t know yet. But I’m not missing that reunion. I can’t.”
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 wasn’t really watching.
With dwindling hopes, I texted Mean Boss that night, hoping he’d reconsider. At least now. But he just repeated the same nonsense. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.
I dialed my mom’s number, each ring making my stomach twist tighter.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“Hello? Mindy?”
“Hey, Mom. How’s Grandma Daisy doing?”
There was a pause. “She’s… hanging in there, sweetie. Some good days, some bad. She keeps asking when you’re coming.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back tears. “About that… Mom, I… I might not be able to make it.”
“What? Why not?”
A worried senior woman on a phone call | Source: Midjourney
“My boss, he… he won’t approve my time off. Says it’s too busy at work and—”
“Too busy? This is your grandmother we’re talking about! Doesn’t he understand?”
“Apparently not. He just kept saying work comes first. That family stuff can be rescheduled.”
“Oh, honey. That’s terrible. There has to be something we can do.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “I’m not giving up, Mom. I promise. I’ll figure something out. I’ll be there… for Grandma. I promise.”
As I hung up, I stared at the phone, Mom’s words echoing in my head. There has to be something we can do. And suddenly, I knew exactly what that SOMETHING was.
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. I’d stayed up half the night writing it, pouring five years of frustration onto the page.
I knocked on Mean Boss’s 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 didn’t even look up from his computer.
“What is it, Mindy? I’m busy.”
A frustrated businessman in his office | Source: Midjourney
I took a deep breath. “I need to talk to you about my vacation request.”
“We’ve been over this. The answer is no.”
“I understand that, Mr. West. But I’m not here to argue. I’m here to give you this.” I pulled out the letter and placed it on his desk.
He glanced at it, his brow furrowing. “What’s 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 can’t be serious. You’re quitting? Over a vacation?”
“I’m quitting because I refuse to work for someone who DOESN’T value his employees’ lives outside of work. My grandmother is dying, and I’m not missing my last chance to see her because you can’t manage without me for a week.”
He leaned back in his chair, his face reddening. “This is ridiculous. You’re throwing away a good job over sentimentality?”
“No! I’m choosing my family over a job that treats me like a machine. There’s a difference.”
A smiling woman with her arms crossed | Source: Midjourney
As I turned to leave, he called out, “You’ll 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 you’ll understand that.”
The next two weeks were a blur of tying up loose ends and enduring Mean Boss’s 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? You’re really leaving?”
“Yep. Today’s my last day.”
“I heard Mean Boss talking on the phone earlier. He’s freaking out because he can’t find anyone to cover your work next week.”
I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. “Really?”
“Oh yeah. Apparently, he’s gonna have to do it himself. Karma’s a real b****!”
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
“Mindy!” Mean Boss’s voice boomed across the office. We both jumped.
“Guess that’s my cue,” I muttered. “Wish me luck.”
I knocked on Mean Boss’s 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
“I’m 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 I’m the bad guy here, but you have to understand. This business doesn’t 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?”
Close-up of a smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
He bristled. “Now, that’s not fair—”
“Isn’t it?” I interrupted. “In five years, how many important events have your employees missed because you wouldn’t 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.
An agitated man in his office | Source: Midjourney
“I get it, Mr. West. Running a business is hard. But treating your employees like they’re disposable isn’t the answer. We’re people, with lives and families and needs outside of work. Recognizing that doesn’t make you weak. It makes you a good leader.”
For a long moment, he just stared at me. Then, slowly, he nodded. “I… I’ll think about what you’ve said.”
I picked up my box, heading for the door. “That’s 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 I’d 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.
“I’m so glad you’re here, sweetheart,” she said, her voice weak but warm.
I squeezed her hand gently. “Me too, Grandma. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
A young woman holding her grandma’s 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 won’t 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.
“What’s so funny?” Grandma Daisy asked.
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. “That’s 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 doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. It’s 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, let’s just say karma might have a few more surprises in store for him.
Portrait of a young woman | Source: Midjourney
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