The Case of the Matching Outfits chapter 1

The horizon of life broadens with the sparks of wisdom that burst forth from the soul…

I’m a secretary in the company. I’m female, and I work diligently. I’m highly regarded by the boss, and I also have a good relationship with my colleagues. However, when the boss’s wife returned from abroad, the situation in the company suddenly became tense…

During the Mid – Autumn Festival, the company gave each employee two large boxes of cantaloupes. I was happy, but I couldn’t carry them! Just as I was worried, the boss, named Jack, walked over with a smile and said, “What, can’t carry them? Well, we’re on the same way. After work, I’ll give you a ride in my car. Just ask your husband to come down and carry the melons upstairs.”

Jack usually has a good relationship with me, so I wasn’t being overly polite. I smiled and said, “You really care about the employees, boss.”

After work, Jack drove to my apartment building. I got out of the car and said to him, “I’ll go upstairs and call my husband down. He must be listening to rock music again and won’t hear the phone. Please wait a moment!” I live on the sixth floor. I ran up the stairs “thud, thud, thud” and was sweating profusely by the time I reached my door. When I opened the door, I found that my husband, Tom, wasn’t at home! I was too lazy to go downstairs again. Even if I did, I’d still have to trouble Jack to carry the melons upstairs. So I opened the window and shouted at the top of my voice to the person downstairs, “Jack, my husband isn’t at home. Please come upstairs!”

Afraid that Jack downstairs couldn’t hear clearly, I shouted again. At this moment, many heads poked out of the windows of our building and the opposite building, looking at me. I was stunned and suddenly wanted to slap myself: Asking the boss to come upstairs when my husband isn’t at home—what kind of thing is that to shout!

Jack helped me carry the two boxes of melons upstairs. But somehow, this incident later reached the ears of Jack’s wife, Lisa. Although Jack said he had clarified the matter to her, I still felt it was necessary to explain it to her in person. However, Lisa’s condescending attitude made me very depressed. I found it difficult to find a way to communicate with her.

One day, the company held a celebration dinner at a big hotel. In the afternoon, everyone was talking about the dinner. The female colleagues were mostly discussing what to wear to the dinner. Someone reminded us, “This dinner is very important. Remember not to wear the same clothes as others, especially not to wear the same clothes as Lisa.” The so – called “dressing the same” originated from the entertainment industry in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It means that when a celebrity attends an event and wears the same clothes as someone else, it’s very embarrassing. Next, the topic of discussion was what kind of clothes Lisa would wear. Several female colleagues were chattering like a flock of ducks.

Someone saw me sitting quietly aside and walked over to ask me, “You’re the boss’s favorite. Do you have any insider information?” When everyone heard this, they all gathered around and started asking me for the “inside information” about what clothes Lisa would wear. I immediately complained, “You all know how tough Lisa is. How dare I talk to Jack about such unimportant things?” When everyone heard this, they had to give up.

Finally, the dinner began. The colleagues arrived one after another in their beautiful clothes. Of course, the most important people arrived last—Jack, his wife Lisa, and the company’s major clients. When Lisa entered the venue, everyone was dazzled. The gorgeous dress she was wearing emitted a charming glow. Soon, something unexpected happened to everyone present: The colleagues all focused their eyes on me…