When Matt’s wife, Lily, begins to lose a part of herself due to feeling invisible at work, he begins to worry. Soon, Lily gets dragged deeper into her thoughts, and it affects her health. Unable to stand by any longer, Matt gets involved and teaches Lily to stand up for herself.
When it comes to my wife, nobody is allowed to mess with her. So, when I discovered what was really going on, I had to take action.
It all started when Lily, my wife, came home one evening, looking more drained than usual. She’s brilliant at her job as a marketing analyst at a mid-sized tech company. But over the past few months, she had developed some game-changing strategies that significantly boosted the company’s sales.
“They said that the numbers are looking really good, honey,” she told me excitedly one evening when we were making pizza for dinner.
“Then, this calls for a celebration!” I said, pouring our wine.
“No, honey,” she said. “There’s more to the story.”
But there was one problem: her boss, Ms. Robinson, kept taking credit for all of Lily’s hard work.
Every time Lily pitched an idea, Ms. Robinson would give a vague compliment to the “team” and then, during presentations to upper management, claim those wonderful ideas as her own.
“It’s been going on for so long,” Lily said. “I don’t think that anything is going to change.”
I could see that it was taking a toll on Lily, especially because our evenings, once filled with laughter and shared stories, had turned into quiet dinners with music on to add some noise.
Lily was withdrawn, her usual cheerfulness replaced by anxiety and frustration. I was worried that she was getting depressed. It was heartbreaking to see her like this, especially as it began affecting her health, causing sleepless nights and stress-induced headaches.
“I’m worried about you,” I said to Lily one day when we were gardening together. It wasn’t a usual couple’s activity, but it was something that we adored doing together.
“Don’t be, Matt,” she said. “I don’t know what else to tell you, but I’ll be fine.”
I wanted to believe her, but I just couldn’t. There was something wrong, and it wouldn’t get any better without help. But I also knew my wife. Lily wouldn’t let me do anything until she really needed me.
And then, things changed again.
One night, after yet another incident where Ms. Robinson took credit for Lily’s work, we decided something had to change.
“I can’t keep doing this,” Lily said, tears in her eyes. “It’s like I’m invisible, Matt. Is this how it’s always going to be?”
“Why don’t you confront her?” I suggested.
“I can’t,” she sighed. “It might jeopardize my job. Anne has all the connections. She could make it really difficult for me in the industry. And you know what? She’s so horrible that she may just force me out altogether.”
Seeing her so defeated, I proposed a risky plan.
“What if we give her a taste of her own medicine, Lil?” I asked her, dishing out two bowls of ice cream. “Let’s create a fake marketing plan that looks impressive but has hidden flaws. If she claims it as her own, it will backfire, and she’ll have to fix it. But she won’t know how.”
Lily hesitated and savored her ice cream, eventually agreeing.
“It can’t hurt, right?” she said. “I mean, I’ll have all the answers, and I’ll be able to step in when I need to.”
“Exactly, Lil,” I said. “And then, you’ll finally get the recognition you deserve.”
We spent the next few days crafting a presentation that appeared sophisticated, complete with graphs and statistics, but it was subtly flawed.
The day of the pitch arrived, and Lily spent an hour choosing what to wear.
“Can you tell I’m nervous?” she asked, picking up a blue pantsuit.
“Yes,” I laughed. “But everything is going to be just fine, I promise you. Anne Robinson is going to be taught a lesson.”
It turned out that Ms. Robinson loved the idea and scheduled a meeting with the CEO and senior management.
“She said that she’s eager to showcase her latest strategy for the new project,” Lily told me on the phone. “It’s all going to unravel now. And I’ll be in the boardroom, too. She summoned me to say that she wants me to handle the tech side of the presentation and to take notes.”
“Well, it’s almost showtime,” I said. “Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. Save the day, darling. Show them who you are. Make them remember your name.”
During the presentation, senior management’s questions revealed Ms. Robinson’s lack of understanding of the plan’s intricacies. The CEO, Adam Greene, known for his sharp eye for detail, quickly spotted the flaws.
“Anne, this plan doesn’t seem feasible. Can you explain these discrepancies?” he asked, looking through the presentation.
Ms. Robinson stammered, unable to provide satisfactory answers.
“Lily, do you have any insights on this?” Adam asked her.
And do you know what my wife did?
Lily calmly pointed out the issues and explained why the plan wouldn’t work, emphasizing the importance of thorough analysis.
The CEO nodded, his eyebrows raised, clearly impressed by her expertise.
After the meeting, Ms. Robinson received a formal reprimand.
“Matt!” Lily said on the phone. “Anne has been given a warning. She’s currently on probation. Adam wanted to know why she would overlook such careless errors in the strategy plan. He told her that the company couldn’t afford such fundamental mistakes.”
“Well, it can’t,” I said. “And especially someone at her level.”
“She was not happy at all!” Lily chuckled. “I think a part of her knew that it was me. But at the same time, she had no proof.”
“Exactly, she cannot blame you because there’s no proof. And either way, it was her job to go through the presentation.”
Lily returned to her desk, her mind still buzzing with adrenaline. It was a feeling that she had forgotten. She couldn’t believe how well everything had gone. As she started to pack her things, Ms. Robinson approached her, looking unusually subdued.
“Lily, can we talk for a minute?” Anne asked, her voice lacking its usual confidence.
“Sure,” Lily replied.
Anne led Lily into her office and closed the door behind them. She took a deep breath before speaking.
“I wanted to… apologize,” Anne said. “I know what happened in there was… unexpected. And I realize that I haven’t been giving you the credit you deserve.”
Lily was surprised by the admission but remained silent.
“I made a mistake today,” she said, her voice trembling. “And not just today, but for the past few months. I’ve been under a lot of pressure to deliver results, and in my eagerness to show progress, I took shortcuts, including taking credit for your ideas.”
There was a pause as Anne seemed to struggle with her next words.
“I understand if you’re upset. You have every right to be. But I want you to know that this is a wake-up call for me. I intend to make things right and ensure that your contributions are properly acknowledged from now on.”
Lily sat across from me at our dining table, sipping her wine in glee, telling me everything that had transpired.
“It’s just good to know that she learned a lesson,” Lily said. “Even if her hand was forced to learn the lesson.”
“So, you feel good?” I asked her carefully.
“Yes,” she said. “I feel like I can actually sleep tonight.”
With the stress lifted, I watched as my wife blossomed into herself again. Her mood and health improved drastically. She returned to her cheerful self, and our evenings were once again filled with laughter.
“Dance with me, Matt,” she said, taking out her phone and playing our wedding song.
And like that, Lily returned to normal.
What would you have done?
