One Joke Too Many

With eyes all around me–some pitying, some just there for the drama–I headed to the janitor's closet and suited up for battle with the mop and bucket.

I was about to dive into the trenches, the bathrooms, when a voice stopped me.

"Janice, hold up!"

…

It was Seth.

He had always played the stranger card with me at work, but this was a first, calling me out in front of everyone.

He came at me with this icy look, towering over me like he owned the place.

"Why didn't you show up at the office when I called you?"

I did not bother with excuses and just hit him with his own favorite brush-off. "Swamped with work. No time for calls."

That line, his go-to move to blow me off, coming from me? Well, it kind of knocked the wind out of him.

"Is this really worth getting all worked up over?" he asked.

He checked to make sure we were alone before letting out a sigh and dialing back the frost in his voice. "Look, I get it. You're upset about the reward Lily gave you, and you're also mad at me for not backing you up in front of everyone.

"However, she's the sales director I just put in charge of, and she's actually been boosting our numbers big time. I couldn't just sing your praises and knock her hustle in front of the whole crew. You've gotta see where I'm coming from, right?"

"You know as well as I do that it's not a reward. It's just plain bullying and humiliation!" I cut him off before he could finish, my voice icy. "Do you really think our sales numbers are up because Lily lounges in the office all day, sipping bubble tea and chilling in the AC?

"Without me hustling through storms, racing to meet clients, so slammed I skip meals, do you think we'd have closed even one deal in this tough market?"

Seth's face fell at my fierce questioning.

"Janice, don't get too cocky, acting like you're the sole hero of Hoffman Real Estate!

"Without Lily's cozy winter promos, do you think we'd have this crowd of house hunters? You're just riding on her coattails. Don't play the saint with me. It's pathetic!"

He dropped that bomb and strutted off before I could fire back.

I could hardly believe my ears that such boneheaded words came from the man I have loved for years.

His so-called 'cozy winter promos' were just a table with free cups of cheap black coffee and some giveaway gloves out front. The coffee often went cold, untouched, and those gloves ended up in the street bin.

However, Seth, of course, thought they were pure gold. Somehow, I was the one cashing in on Lily's ideas!

All those years, I have kept quiet about my own sweat just to spare his pride.

I thought anyone with a heart could see my grind, my dedication. I just never imagined he could be so blind, so heartless, to just erase all I have done like that!

At that moment, any last bit of hesitation I felt about leaving Seth vanished.

I tossed the mop and gloves aside with a flick of my wrist and said with an icy edge, "Alright. If you really think Lily's the only one holding this place together, then I quit. We're done. Let's just call it quits and move on!"

…

In all the years we had been together, I had never once raised my voice to Seth, much less talked about breaking up.