Article Surfing Archive

My name is Mike Sands and I have been working at Harwicks Ltd for nearly fifteen years. Recently, I applied for a promotion and was sure I would get it, so you can imagine my puzzlement and disappointment when I was passed over for a much younger member of staff. Never mind my years of hard work for Harwicks, my brilliant attendance record and the fact that I was the best suited for the post.

'Sorry, Mike,' my boss informed me, when I went into his office for an informal chat, 'Claire was the best person for the job and we are happy with our decision. Feel free to apply for another post if anything else comes up that you like the sound of.'

He nodded and turned away to let me know that I was dismissed! The cheek of the man! He knew I was the best person for the job and there was something strange going on. Claire had only been with Harwicks for a couple of months and I did not think she was particularly good at what she did.

I mulled things over and realized that stress over my job was interfering with my health. I had to do something. I bought spy phone software. I had to get to the bottom of this!

I worked late one night and sneaked into my boss's office. I planted a mobile phone behind some books. I was going to find out exactly what was going on!

The very next day I got my answer. Claire went in to a meeting with him to discuss her new role. The conversation turned out to be mostly about me.

'Mike is totally useless. He never gives me any help and slows everything down. Plus, you know he messed up the bi-annual report, don't you?'

Me? It was Claire who had taken over the responsibility for the report, refused any assistance from me and ruined the whole thing. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! The traitorous little madam. She came out of the office, meeting my icy glare with a fake smile. I would have to catch her out, now I knew what she was up to. I got my chance the very next day.

'I brought you some coffee, Mike,' she smiled, placing a steaming mug on my desk, 'and I was wondering if you could help me with something.'

'Absolutely,' I replied, an idea forming in my mind, 'what do you need?'

Claire gave me some work she had to do for the chairman of the company but has absolutely no idea how to do it. It was simple. So I did the work for her and she was very grateful. Little did she know that I had done to her work what she had done to my chances of promotion. I had made twenty mistakes on the chairman's work and it was all Claire's! The chairman was not going to be impressed with her efforts. Maybe that promotion would be mine after all.