A Christmas Family Nightmare
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The Christmas family gathering was in full swing when my aunt Karen started mocking
me as I reviewed some work documents on my laptop:
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“Stop pretending to be so busy. We all know you only make $3,000 a month! My daughter Rachel is a real high–earner – she’s such an important designer that she couldn’t even make
it home for Christmas!”
Seeing that I wasn’t responding, she encouraged her spoiled son Peter to delete all my
files while I was in the bathroom.
I was shaking with anger when I returned. “That proposal was due in 10 minutes! If I don’t
submit it, I’m done for!”
Aunt Karen shrugged nonchalantly. “He’s just a child, how could he know any better? Your job can’t be that important anyway. So what if you get fired? Maybe then you’ll finally settle down and get married so your parents can stop worrying.”
I couldn’t help but smirk silently.
If only she knew that the proposal was actually her precious daughter Rachel’s work – the
one that would determine whether Rachel kept her job or not.
And I was the client who would be making that decision!
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On the second day of the Christmas break, our family of three returned to my grandmother’s house for the annual gathering.
I had barely sat down when I received a text from my cousin Rachel:
“Brynn, I just emailed you my proposal. Please, I’m begging you to review it ASAP. My whole career is riding on this!”
Rachel currently works as an advertising designer. Her company isn’t doing well financially and is planning layoffs. They’re using this collaboration with my company as an opportunity to have employees compete against each other – whoever’s proposal gets
selected gets to keep their job.
18:54 Thu Dec 26, G1
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Before Christmas, all of Rachel’s coworkers had already submitted their proposals. Only Rachel hadn’t finished hers yet. She said she needed to come up with a perfect proposal to outshine everyone else, so she’d been pulling all–nighters for over a month, sleeping only
two hours a day.
However, my business partner had already seen a proposal he liked and didn’t want to consider any more. It was only after I pleaded with him repeatedly that he agreed to give
Rachel one last chance.
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My partner made it clear that meeting deadlines was also part of evaluating capability. To be fair, he said we must receive the proposal by 8 PM tonight – no exceptions!
I reminded Rachel multiple times to submit as soon as possible. But after waiting all day,
she only just sent it to me now.
It was already 7:45 PM.
In our group chat, my other two partners were getting impatient. They said if it weren’t for my sake, they wouldn’t be wasting their Christmas working overtime.
I quickly forwarded Rachel’s proposal to the group chat. At least this way, I could say I did
my part for her.
Just when I thought the crisis had been averted, a red exclamation mark popped up.
No internet connection. Sending failed!
I looked up to see my 10–year–old cousin Peter waving the unplugged network cable at me and making faces.
sighed and said gently, “Peter, don’t mess around. Please plug it back in!”
Before I could finish speaking, Aunt Karen’s shrill voice rang out: “Brynn! How dare you yell at a child?”
The whole family turned to stare at me.
I was baffled. I forced a smile and said, “I wasn’t yelling. I just asked him to plug the cable
back in.”
18:54 Thu, Dec 26 G.
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Morita ovie onder vrutnya viunua unu ivvnew tie up und MUTTLE TIME
disdain. “Working on Christmas Day? You must be SO busy! Even your Uncle John who runs a supermarket isn’t as busy as you! Who are you trying to impress?”
–
I glanced at the time only 12 minutes left. I didn’t have time to argue with her, so I decided to use my phone to send the email instead.
But Aunt Karen snatched my phone away before I could.
“Your elder is speaking to you! How dare you look at your phone? I hate you millennials always glued to your screens! It’s a family gathering and you can’t even be bothered to talk to your relatives. You’re just pretending to be busy to avoid us! Who do you think you’re fooling? We all know you only make $3,000 a month, you wage slave!”
With that, she turned off my phone right in front of everyone.
couldn’t help but laugh. “Aunt Karen, this is about your daughter’s future!”
Aunt Karen burst out laughing. “My daughter is a top designer! Her future has nothing to do with a bottom–feeder like you! You never tell us what you actually do for work. I bet you’re just too ashamed of your pathetic salary to say anything!”
“We all know you’re just a regular office drone making $3,000 a month. Stop pretending to be so busy – it only makes you look ridiculous!”
My mom could see I was getting upset. She quickly tried to mediate: “Karen, don’t say that. Brynn wouldn’t be working on Christmas unless it was really urgent. Please give her phone back. And Peter, hurry up and plug the network cable back in – we all need to use the internet!”
My mom spoke very gently, but somehow it was enough to make Peter burst into tears.
He pointed angrily at me and my mom, then stomped his feet and started wailing.
Aunt Karen rushed to comfort her son and turned to berate my mom for bullying a child.
My grandma, worried about her grandson, grabbed a pair of scissors and threatened to cut the network cable.
18:55 Thu, Dec 26
The scene descended into chaos.
I checked the time only 8 minutes left.
Rachel, your job might be ruined by your own mother and brother!
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Dec 26
Kacnel, your joD might be ruined by your own mother and protner!
