Makes You Want To Never Buy A Hairbrush Again

(I usually have good intuition. I have gotten a promotion at work, one that I’ve been working towards for three years, which is to start after I get back from a couple of weeks off. I get back and am welcomed to my new role by the store manager.)

Me: “So, who had the dummy spit about me getting this job?”

Store Manager: *looks at me in shock* “That’s weird for you to ask. [Coworker #1] threw a tantrum because she was expecting to go straight into it, because [Coworker #2] told her she would.”

Me: “But how is it [Coworker #2]’s role to decide? They’ve both only been here for three months.”

Store Manager: “I know, right? Anyway, just watch your back around her; I don’t trust her one bit. She’s got it in for you now.”

(I try to be extra nice to the coworker even though my intuition is telling me she’s a nasty piece of work. She’s joking with me one day, showing me some glasses that were left at the register. I try them on and ask how they look before putting them back. One day, I have the feeling that she’s going to try to report me for stealing. I mention the feeling I have to my department manager. She gets a bit upset telling me that she doesn’t think the coworker would do that. I apologise but tell her it’s just a feeling. But then, a week later.)

Department Manager: “[My Name], I need to talk to you about something that [Coworker] accused you of in front of [District Manager] and [Store Manager].”

Me: “What was it?”

Department Manager: “She accused you of stealing and I remembered what you told me.”

Me: “What? What was it I was supposed to have stolen?”

Department Manager: “The other day I saw her rushing to get out to a date or something and she picked up a hairbrush off the shelf, brushed her hair, and then dumped it back with the rest of the brushes. I hit the roof and yelled at her that she can’t just use stock whenever she feels like it because it’s stealing and it’s a hygiene issue. So, she reported me to [District Manager]. So, I also brought up the fact that she was taking reading glasses out of their packets for her own use at the counter. I kept taking them away, only to find she’d replaced them with another pair. I had 10 pairs put away, $150 worth.”

Me: “I thought she bought them.”

Department Manager: “No, she didn’t, but she told [District Manager] that it was you who took some of them.”

Me: *worried* “I tried on a pair once; I thought they were hers. What’s going to happen?”

Department Manager: “I know and [Store Manager] knows, too, that you didn’t take any. When [District Manager] started demanding to get you in, [Store Manager] told her that she trusts you implicitly and you would never do anything like this. Thankfully, she believed her; I’d hate to see you go through this. You will be glad to know that you don’t have to work with [Coworker] in this section anymore; she’s been moved to [other section].”

Me: “Oh, great!”

Department Manager: “Yeah, but I’m so angry because [District Manager] didn’t do anything to punish her. Instead, I got the punishment, much to [Coworker]’s delight. I have to go to counselling because I got angry at her and told her that using stock for her own use was stealing.”