After Manager Spreads Rumors About Lovechild, Employee Sparks Mass Exodus

Ashley Hunte
Man with paper bag on head. Angry face drawn on bag. Holds card saying "I quit"
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Unfortunately, most of us will encounter a pretty terrible manager or two in our working lives. For most of us, it means making our lives a little bit more inconvenient.

But for the person who posted this Reddit story, it means getting a satisfying (albeit accidental) revenge.

The whole dramatic saga was posted on Reddit.

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User r/taecody shared the story about how they'd worked at a big box hardware store for nearly a decade, transferring to a different location, and then being targeted by the manager there. The whole thing is wild and worth a read, but I'll give you the highlights here.

"I have worked at a certain home improvement store for close to a decade now, about eight years roughly."

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"The first seven was in NC, before I moved up further north to be with my best friend and her husband, who I learned was pregnant with my first godchild. As such, I transferred up to a store in the area, and put my nose to the grindstone."

"My old HR had dropped the ball, and this store believed I wanted part time."

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"Having already moved, I grabbed a part time overnight job at a gym to make ends meet, and continued to work, all the while asking repeatedly for full time at the main job, and never getting a definitive word back or change."

That's probably a feeling many of us relate to. At some point, a longtime employee reasonably expects the chance to move up and it's irritating to continually be brushed off.

OP then talks about how he began taking care of his godchild in between his shifts.

A man smiling and holding a small child outdoors.
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"I would take time off (that I was allotted) to help look after her, and there was little problem."

He sounds like a great guy, doesn't he? It's awesome when godparents really embrace their role.

"Enter a new assistant manager."

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"The ASM was abrasive to staff, and used to getting her way."

And apparently, the manager she'd replaced was just as bad. But it only gets worse, as OP moved to full-time under a new department manager. And this new supervisor had different expectations.

"My supervisor was upset that I could not work overtime to help him (as we were the only two in Receiving for the store) because of either my second job, or babysitting."

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That's when the rumors started around the store: "that the child was in fact my own daughter, that I had fathered outside of my friend's husband's knowledge."

OP couldn't figure it out at the time, but realized later that the ASM must've been the one who started the rumor.

After too many problems, OP finally quit his job, handing in a letter to HR.

Pink flowers surrounding the words "sorry for your loss... (it's me. I'm quitting.)" on a pink background.
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"Several hours later, I received the gift that would ignite my semi-accidental revenge. A single text from my ASM- 'We will see how long you can take care of your lovechild without us.'"

WOW.

So he collected as much evidence as he could against her.

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The ASM in a later meeting, got caught lying that OP had been fired (even though he'd quit voluntarily) and ended up getting fired herself.

"The store's HR rep, having earlier gotten my printed termination letter on his desk, made it known that I had indeed not been fired, but left on my own. And the ASM attempted to fire him as well, in front of the staff."

I'll give her this: she's got some serious balls to double-down like that.

"And from there, it spiraled."

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No kidding.

Several employees across all departments quit on the spot, leaving the whole store understaffed. All because of this one manager's poor decisions and even poorer attitude.

And it isn't over.

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"My source's last report of the ASM was seeing her sprinting to her car, after having heard that the district staff was inbound, and the store manager was forced to shut the store down for the next two days, last I've heard."

Apparently, it looks like a lawsuit might be on the way too. I bet she's regretting her power trip now.

But don't worry about OP.

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"I have a full time position at the gym upcoming, and I've been enjoying the extra sleep and time I get with my family."

All in all, I'd say this story has a happy ending.