Memoir | Meeting with Mr. Bernstein | Part IV of VI

The following day, after standing up to my overbearing boss, Shelly, I was back at the communications center, preparing to meet with Deputy Branch Chief Mr. Bernstein. I needed to explain my insubordination towards my harsh supervisor.

Anxiety gripped me as I contemplated the possible repercussions of losing my job.

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My mind was filled with questions like,

“Will I lose my job?”

“Will I face a lawsuit?”

“What will happen to me?”

I was a bundle of nerves!

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I struggled to grasp how someone in a respected federal government position could exhibit such unprofessional and oppressive conduct towards those they oversee.

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I worked in the same corridor as Mr. Bernstein, so his office was conveniently close. When I arrived, I noticed his door was slightly open, and although he was on a phone call, he gave me a nod of recognition. I patiently waited for him to finish his call, and when he did, he stood up from his desk to greet me. He motioned for me to take a seat before shutting the door to his office.

I didn’t have to give an elaborate account of my interaction with the tyrant Shelly since Mr. Bernstein was already briefed on the intense exchange that happened between us.

It turned out that my coworkers were more than eager to share all the specifics with him!

The details Mr. Bernstein revealed were incredibly unexpected!!

He said,

“Mia, we are all aware of Shelly’s terrible treatment of her staff. We fear that documenting her behavior might lead to a racial discrimination lawsuit. We need to protect our jobs too.”

“Now, we have to be concerned about the possibility of you pursuing legal action against us for failing to address Shelly’s unprofessional behavior, including her inquiry about your ethnicity.”

“My supervisor has been informed about her inappropriate questions regarding your race, which is completely unacceptable at the Department of Prominence.”

Mr. Bernstein informed me that tyrant Shelly’s supervisor is required to begin documenting, specifically, her malicious behavior. My coworkers will be responsible for recording any instances of her unruly conduct towards them and reporting those incidents to both Bernstein and Shelly’s supervisor!

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At last! Tyrant Shelly’s unprofessional conduct will no longer be ignored; it will be officially documented, and upper management will ensure that it is addressed!

This was good news, indeed!

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It felt like a massive burden had been lifted off my shoulders.

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Mr. Bernstein proposed that I meet with a woman in the Department’s Human Resources Office to discuss a job reassignment.

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I was excited to learn that I would be transferred to a different position within the telecommunications center, hopefully under the guidance of a new supervisor.

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I thought to myself,

“Thank goodness!”

“I’m not fired, and I don’t have to work with that wicked woman anymore!”

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As I left Mr. Bernstein’s office, I ran into Alfred Love in the corridor. He approached me and said,

“Thank you, Mia, for rescuing us from Shelly. The Branch Chief, the big boss, heard about the incident and had a meeting with Shelly’s supervisor. As her staff, we must meticulously document her unreasonable behavior so that it can be included in her annual performance review.

“Again, thank you, Mia!”

I put on an act of surprise when Alfred shared the news despite already knowing from Bernstein that Shelly was under investigation for her unprofessional behavior!

I thanked Alfred for updating me about the fate of our tyrant boss, Shelly, and walked to the Human Resources Office.

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I was surprised to find that confronting the tyrant Shelly led to her work habits being scrutinized, which turned out to be beneficial since she had been bullying us unchecked.

Like everyone else, I had avoided challenging her out of fear of jeopardizing my job.

Unfortunately, taking a stand against her led to my demotion.

What a nightmare!

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(Copyright © 2025 by Mia Z. Edwards. All rights reserved.)