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Denied Paid Leave After 10 Years — How I Took Back Control From a Toxic Boss | True Story
Sep 15, 2025
#redditrelationship #aita #redditstories Denied Paid Leave After 10 Years — How I Took Back Control From a Toxic Boss | True Story After 10 years of loyalty, I was shocked when my new boss not only refused my paid leave request but treated me with cruelty and disrespect. From workplace harassment to a devastating personal loss, this story reveals how I stood up, fought back, and ultimately reclaimed my dignity and career. If you’ve ever faced toxic work environments or unfair treatment, you’re not alone. Join me as I share this journey of pain, resilience, and eventual triumph. 🔔 Subscribe for more real stories of strength and survival: [Your Channel Link] 💬 Have you experienced workplace injustice? Share your story below. #WorkplaceDrama #ToxicBoss #CareerResilience #WorkplaceHarassment #EmployeeRights
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0:00
I could hardly comprehend the words that
0:02
slipped so effortlessly from my
0:03
superior's lips. Her tone was firm,
0:07
almost dismissive, as she told me I
0:09
would not be granted any paid time off.
0:12
For a moment, the air seemed to drain
0:14
from the room. 10 years of loyalty, 10
0:18
years of service, and this was how she
0:20
chose to reward me. I had always prided
0:23
myself on being assertive, on knowing
0:25
when to speak up and defend myself, but
0:27
the finality in her voice went far
0:29
beyond my threshold of tolerance.
0:32
It almost felt as though she were
0:33
telling me that my place in this company
0:35
no longer mattered, that my return was
0:38
unnecessary.
0:40
I asked quietly, almost cautiously,
0:42
whether she was resolute in her
0:44
decision.
0:46
She looked startled, her eyes widening
0:48
as though the question had caught her
0:49
off guard. That moment of hesitation
0:52
gave me no comfort. I walked away
0:55
disheartened, whispering my name to
0:57
myself as though reminding my heart of
0:59
who I was. Nancy, 28 years old, a
1:03
decadel long employee of Candle
1:04
Corporation.
1:06
Despite my youth, my years of dedication
1:09
had seasoned me. I came from modest
1:12
beginnings.
1:13
My parents were not wealthy, yet they
1:15
filled my life with enough love to
1:17
outweigh every financial shortcoming.
1:20
As an only child, handme-downs were the
1:22
rhythm of my early years. But I wore
1:25
them with pride, treasuring the
1:27
affection with which they were given.
1:30
Neighbors and relatives wrapped me in
1:31
their warmth, their simple gestures of
1:34
kindness forming the threads of my
1:36
happiest childhood memories.
1:38
Family picnics on sunlit afternoons,
1:41
cousins who became lifelong companions,
1:43
and the laughter that filled our small
1:45
gatherings.
1:47
At school, my diligence was rewarded. In
1:50
my final year, I became president of the
1:52
student council, the pride of my
1:54
teachers.
1:56
College would have been the natural next
1:58
step. But I chose a different path. My
2:01
heart yearned to work, to earn, to ease
2:04
the burden on my parents.
2:06
Against their advice, I took a
2:08
government job, believing it the
2:09
quickest way to bring money home. But
2:12
fate was cruel. Before I could give my
2:15
father the life he deserved, illness
2:17
claimed him. He passed, leaving my
2:20
mother and me to navigate the world
2:22
together. Those years hardened me and
2:25
taught me discipline.
2:27
My work ethic did not go unnoticed, and
2:30
after 5 years, I had become
2:31
wellresected, often entrusted with
2:33
training new hires and handling tasks of
2:36
importance. My bonuses allowed me to
2:39
send my mother $600 every month. A small
2:42
gesture to repay her sacrifices.
2:45
Life balanced itself in quiet comfort. I
2:48
worked. I traveled with friends and
2:50
colleagues. I loved and was loved by a
2:52
man who made me laugh. But the winds
2:55
shifted when our leadership changed.
2:58
The new boss was the president's
2:59
daughter, a woman whose name preceded
3:01
her reputation.
3:03
Whispers filled the office. She was
3:06
wealthy, careless, and privileged,
3:09
handed authority not because of merit,
3:11
but because of her father's indulgence.
3:14
Few knew the truth, that the president
3:16
had given her this role deliberately,
3:18
hoping she would learn humility and
3:20
discipline through experience.
3:23
Only he and I were aware of that intent.
3:26
The rest of the company simmerred in
3:27
resentment, believing she had taken a
3:29
position she did not deserve. The
3:31
atmosphere darkened with her arrival,
3:33
suffocating like a room with too little
3:35
air. Trouble first touched me in the
3:38
smallest of moments. One morning, I
3:40
handed her a cup of coffee. "What is
3:43
this? Are you trying to insult me?" she
3:46
snapped, her voice sharp enough to slice
3:48
through the hum of the office. Before I
3:51
could explain, she flung the steaming
3:52
liquid toward me. The scalding coffee
3:55
splattered against my arm, searing my
3:57
skin.
3:58
Pain shot through me, but I bit back a
4:01
cry.
4:03
I asked for it warm with extra milk and
4:05
sugar. She sneered. Do you know nothing?
4:09
I forced composure. I'm sorry. I'll make
4:12
another immediately. Her eyes narrowed
4:15
with disdain. This is why I dislike
4:18
people who stopped at high school. So
4:20
ordinary. So unimpressive.
4:22
The burn throbbed, but her words stung
4:25
deeper. A coworker rose to help me, but
4:28
I waved them off, unwilling to provoke
4:30
her further.
4:32
Later, I treated the burn with medicine,
4:34
though the scar remained, a silent
4:36
reminder of her cruelty. From that day
4:39
forward, her harassment intensified. She
4:42
belittled my reports, accused me of
4:44
mistakes that did not exist, and marked
4:46
my work with childish red scrawls.
4:49
Whenever I attempted to guide her, to
4:51
teach her the way I had trained
4:53
countless others, she bristled.
4:56
Pride poisoned every interaction.
4:59
Don't argue with me, she would hiss. I
5:01
am the boss. You only have your mother
5:03
now, don't you? A sick father gone too
5:06
soon. What a pitiful life. Her taunts
5:09
about my family cut deeply, yet I
5:11
refused to respond in kind. I masked my
5:14
hurt, but inside I seethed. Then came
5:18
the day that unraveled everything.
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During a short rooftop break, my phone
5:22
rang. The voice on the other end was
5:25
grave. This is Savu Hospital. Your
5:28
mother has been admitted in critical
5:30
condition. Please come immediately.
5:33
The world tilted. My hands trembled as I
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rushed into a taxi. At the hospital, I
5:38
found her fragile, her breath shallow.
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The doctor explained her heart had
5:42
weakened, the weight of years of stress
5:44
pressing down on her. I clutched her
5:47
hand, whispered prayers, but within
5:49
hours she slipped away. My anchor was
5:52
gone. I buried my grief beneath tasks,
5:56
organizing the funeral, sending thank
5:58
you notes, holding myself together for
6:00
appearances.
6:01
When I called my manager, my voice was
6:03
steady, though my heart shattered.
6:06
My mother passed away. May I take a week
6:09
of paid leave to make arrangements? Her
6:11
reply was icy, denied. I could scarcely
6:14
believe it. In 10 years, I've never once
6:17
asked for paid time off. Not once do I
6:20
not deserve even this. You always
6:23
question me, she spat. You don't need to
6:26
return. Something broke inside me. Then
6:30
I won't, I said quietly and hung up.
6:33
Days passed in a blur of mourning. She
6:36
called me repeatedly, but I ignored her.
6:39
Eventually, the president summoned me.
6:41
His voice was heavy with regret as I
6:43
relayed the truth. I am sorry, he
6:46
admitted, his eyes downcast.
6:49
This is the result of my indulgence. I
6:51
spoiled her. I hoped this role would
6:53
teach her, but I see the damage it has
6:55
caused. To hear such honesty from him
6:58
was startling. He looked aged, his
7:00
burden heavy. "Since you left, the
7:03
department has collapsed," he confessed.
7:05
The team even staged a protest.
7:08
His sincerity stirred something within
7:10
me. Despite my pain, I agreed to help
7:14
him restore order.
7:16
When I returned to the office, the air
7:18
was eerily still. Desks were abandoned,
7:21
papers scattered. I heard the sound of
7:24
crashing objects and followed the noise
7:26
to find her raging alone. It's your
7:29
fault, she screamed, grabbing my arm.
7:32
Since you stopped coming, everyone
7:34
deserted me. I don't know what to do.
7:37
Her once perfect appearance was
7:38
disheveled. Her hair tangled, her nails
7:41
chipped, her voice cracked. For the
7:43
first time, she looked human,
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frightened, fragile.
7:47
I laughed softly, not from cruelty, but
7:50
from the absurdity.
7:52
What did you expect? People won't follow
7:54
someone who abuses them without offering
7:56
skill or respect. Her face reened.
8:00
Say that again. I'll fire you. I'll take
8:02
over this company.
8:04
I looked at her calmly. Then thank you
8:07
for everything. My time here ends today.
8:11
Shock flickered across her features.
8:13
Wait, you're really leaving? Yes, I said
8:17
simply. Desperation clouded her
8:20
arrogance. At least finish today's work,
8:22
she stammered as though clinging to
8:25
order. I tilted my head. Did you know
8:28
it's illegal to deny paid leave without
8:30
reason? You broke the law. You treated
8:34
me and others like dirt. You insulted my
8:37
parents. That is not leadership. Her
8:40
eyes widened with panic. You don't
8:43
understand. But before she could finish,
8:45
her father appeared in the doorway. The
8:48
president's gaze was steely. His
8:50
patience finally fractured. I've heard
8:52
enough, he said. She rushed to defend
8:55
herself, but he cut her off. I gave you
8:58
a chance. Instead of learning, you
9:01
dragged this company down. You mocked
9:03
loyal employees, drove them out and
9:05
brought losses. From this day forward,
9:08
you are relieved of your position. You
9:10
will start again in the countryside
9:12
under strict supervision. There perhaps
9:15
humility will find you. She crumbled,
9:18
pale and trembling, for once she had no
9:21
retort. Later that evening she departed
9:23
quietly, without farewell. The office,
9:26
free of her storm, bloomed with renewed
9:28
energy. Smiles returned. Laughter
9:31
echoed. The president called back those
9:33
who had left and performance soared
9:35
beyond expectation. In her absence, I
9:37
was promoted to manager. The
9:40
responsibility weighed heavily, but my
9:42
colleagues stood by me, their support a
9:44
bomb for the scars, both literal and
9:46
emotional, that remained.
9:49
The president's daughter, meanwhile,
9:50
began a new life in a rural town
9:52
stripped of luxuries. Under the guidance
9:55
of stern but fair co-workers, she slowly
9:57
began to change. Eventually, she even
10:00
apologized. Though I no longer answered
10:03
her calls, some lessons must be lived,
10:06
not forgiven too quickly.
10:08
As for me, my life unfolded with renewed
10:11
promise. My scars brought me
10:13
compensation. My efforts brought me
10:15
respect. And my resilience brought me
10:17
love. My boyfriend proposed, and with
10:20
joy overflowing, I said yes. Now, as I
10:24
prepare to welcome a child into the
10:26
world, I feel the weight of both loss
10:28
and hope. The journey was cruel, but it
10:31
taught me this.