I’ve always been career-focused. While my college peers partied, I juggled part-time jobs and internships. After graduation, I landed a marketing assistant role at a Dallas real estate firm. It wasn’t glamorous, but I liked the work—until Linda arrived.
She was polished, confident, drove a Tesla, and loved calling herself a “girlboss.” At first, she praised me constantly. “Shannon, you’re so organized!” she’d say. But soon, the boundaries blurred.
She overshared details about her messy divorce, vented in Zoom meetings, and even CC’d me on emails to her attorney. Then came personal errands—dropping clothes at her tailor, booking appointments, even picking up coffee for her custody meetings.
Eventually, she demanded I babysit her daughters—or not come in Monday.
What she didn’t know? That same morning, I’d accepted a new job. Better pay, better hours, and a respectful manager.
So I played along. I arrived to babysit, waited until she left, then sent a text that changed everything:
“Thanks for tonight’s motivation. I won’t be returning Monday—or ever. HR will receive my official resignation first thing.”
And just like that, I walked away.
