I Returned To The Headquarters After 10 Years. A New Elite Coworker Mocked Me But When I Did…
Escalating Disrespect
“You’re just sitting next to me collecting a paycheck, aren’t you? A little old to be doing that.”
That day, out of the blue, he dropped that comment, and I was taken aback. I had been diligently taking notes while watching James’s work, ensuring I understood the workflow. I made it a point to remember all our clients and contract details and was already strategizing about future dealings. But to him, it seemed like I was slacking off.
Before I could even explain the misunderstanding, James turned to chat with a passing female co-worker.
“Where’s that coffee going?”
“It’s for Harry’s office. He has a visitor.”
From the female co-worker who responded, James quickly took the tray from her without even glancing at her puzzled expression. He turned to me and said:
“You’re just hanging around today too, aren’t you? Do this simple task.”
I carefully took the tray, making sure not to spill the coffee.
“Um, but…”
“It’s okay. Let’s get the guy who’s been doing nothing all week to do some work.”
“All right.”
“Please take it to the reception room then.”
The female co-worker, looking troubled, gave a slight bow, and James said:
“No need for that. Now get moving.”
Pushing me along with those words, though I was confused, it was still a task I had been assigned. If I didn’t hurry, I’d end up making the guests wait.
“Understood.”
Saying that, I carried the coffee to the reception room. From then on, his arrogant attitude only got worse. He blatantly looked down on me, hurling insults my way. I wondered what I had done to upset him. I couldn’t recall doing anything to deserve such disdain, leaving me puzzled. Nevertheless, I’m currently in a position to learn under him at work. I had no choice but to endure it.
“Hey old man, copy this for me. We need it for the meeting, so make sure you get enough copies for all the members.”
A stack of papers was thrown carelessly at me. As I bent down to pick up the papers I had dropped, I could hear James’s mocking voice.
“Typical old man. So useless.”
With just those words, he returned to his desk without another glance in my direction. A sympathetic co-worker tried to help me, but after getting a sharp look from James, he just said sorry with a regretful look on his face.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s my job.”
I replied to the kind co-worker while gathering the documents. Afterward, I made copies for everyone, secured them with paper clips, and made my way to the conference room.
Barred from the Meeting
“You’re late!”
The moment I entered, I was met with a shout. I thought there was still time before the meeting began. Confused, I distributed the documents to the co-workers.
“The meeting time was moved up,” a female co-worker whispered to me.
It seemed I hadn’t been informed of the change in schedule. Feeling like a small act of malice had pierced my heart, I took my seat.
“Why are you sitting? You’re not part of this meeting, old man.”
James’s sharp voice echoed throughout the conference room.
“I’d like to understand about the new product,” I responded, feeling the situation was completely unfair.
At that, James visibly scowled.
“We’re telling you to leave because even if you listen, it won’t be of any use.”
His disgruntled voice drew the attention of everyone in the room. Some looked annoyed, some pitied me. Their glances hurt, and I decided that staying would only be a nuisance.
“I understand. Excuse me.”
I quietly said that and left the conference room. Behind the door I had softly closed, I bit my lip with sadness and frustration. I had returned to the NY headquarters to work, yet they wouldn’t let me do anything. Still, I’m not in a position to defy James right now. Harry told me to learn from him. I don’t want to let him down.
If I can’t attend the meetings, all I can do is dive deep into the documents, research the details, and understand them.
The Flawed Contract
Throughout the hours-long meeting, I did what I could in my own way. The new product discussed in the meeting was set to be pitched to a major international company. James is at the center of this project. He’s running around various places as if he’s forgotten about my existence.
Right now, I’m left behind in the office sorting and processing the expense documents he told me to handle. Occasionally, there are receipts mixed in that shouldn’t be processed as expenses, so I discreetly set them aside for later clarification. I plan to ask about the details later.
However, for such a big project, I think James is making too many unilateral decisions. Each time he returns, he gives instructions to the co-workers, but he seems to be the only one who knows the detailed status of things. This way, things that need to be done or networking when he’s not around can’t be done.
I believe the product is being manufactured in a factory, but has he checked on its operation status? Looking around, many co-workers seem unsure about what to do next, their hands idle. What should I do? While I’m pondering this, James returns. His face is flushed, filled with elation. Walking back with great pride, he approaches me with a smug look on his face.
“Hey old Dropout, translate this in an hour.”
I glanced at the documents handed to me with a mocking laughter. It appeared to be a contract written in French.
“It might be too hard for you without a college degree, but get it done in less than an hour.”
I called out to James as he was about to walk away.
“Hold on. This is a contract for a new product, right?”
“Yeah, so what?”
I responded to a scoffing remark.
“I’ve skimmed through it, and this contract is just absurd.”
“What? No way you read that so quickly!”
Facing his raised, angry voice, I calmly pointed out the errors in the documents.
“First, the amount listed here is off.”
The contract itself is simple enough that anyone could read it in a few seconds. I began by reading out the contract quickly. Not just James, but the other co-workers also looked at me in surprise.
“The wording seems fine, but this is in Euro notation.”
“What? What are you talking about? That can’t be right.”
James snatched the contract from me and took another hard look at it. He was visibly shaken by the amount listed. The fact that the amount was sneakily written in small, messy handwriting suggests that the other company is definitely shady. Still, if one were to carefully check, it would be obvious. To begin with, it’s clear they’re taking us lightly if they think they can pull something like this. Thankfully, the contract hasn’t been finalized yet. There’s still a chance to fix things.
“Can someone please call Harry as soon as possible?”
“Whoa, old man, don’t go making decisions on your own!”
