Blindsided at Work: A Day of Confusion, Disrespect, and Frustration

No Peace, Just Exhaustion

I wasn’t sure if I should even write this. I’ve been going back and forth in my head, like a tennis ball match, trying to decide. But my heart is heavy, and I need to let this out.

Today started like any other. I walked into the office, headed to my desk, and started unpacking. Before I could even settle in, my manager was standing over me.

“Where’s the rest of the team?” he asked.

I told him, I don’t know.

“Why was your phone off?”

I explained that it died on my way to work—I usually listen to podcasts while I drive.

But that wasn’t enough. He kept going. “I can’t have people missing. Between the two guys, one must be here at 7:30. Core hours this, core hours that.”

I told him I had already talked to the team about core hours—but for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why this was an issue. Core hours are 9 AM to 5 PM. So what was the problem?

Then, without another word, he just turned and walked away. And I sat there, confused as hell.

At 9:05 AM, the guys walked in, and we got to work.

Then came the meeting at noon. Or at least, that’s what my calendar said. But there was no boardroom location, only a virtual link. So I joined. No one else did. I waited a while, then left and continued working.

And then—out of nowhere—I hear my name screamed across the office.

Apparently, the meeting was happening near my manager’s desk. Instead of just sending me a message or giving me a quick heads-up, he embarrassed me in front of everyone.

“Don’t you have a meeting in your calendar?”

Dumbstruck, I said, “I do.”

The meeting went on, but I could barely focus. I was getting angrier and angrier. What the actual fuck just happened? Why was I being called out like this?

I’m still upset. It’s not sitting right with my soul. I don’t like being disrespected.

I don’t expect people to like me, but I do expect basic decency. I keep to myself, do my work, and don’t bother anyone.

I feel like a punching bag, taking hits for no reason.

If I had a choice, I wouldn’t be here. But I have a family to feed. And because of that, I have to put up with this.

I pray that God fights the silent battles I don’t even see. Because this? This is exhausting.