My beloved wife, Emma, decided to start looking for a job in retail, thinking it would be the perfect fit for her interests. One day, while at the shopping center, she saw that a famous lingerie shop was hiring, as advertised on a poster outside the store.
Emma excitedly went into the store and tried to speak to the sales assistant. However, the assistant ignored her until she was practically right in her face. Emma asked how she could apply for the job, and the sales assistant looked her up and down with a sneer before delivering the blow: “Look, I don’t think you’re pretty enough for this job. NO CHANCE. Don’t even try.”
Emma came home in tears, absolutely devastated. My heart broke seeing her like that. But then, anger took over. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can treat my wife like that and get away with it. I decided I was going to teach that sales assistant a lesson she would never forget.
A few days later, I went to the same lingerie store, making sure that the same assistant was there. I dressed in my sharpest suit and walked in with an air of confidence. The assistant noticed me immediately and put on her most charming smile. Clearly, she thought I was a potential high-spending customer.
“Hello, sir! How can I assist you today?” she asked, oozing with faux charm.
I smiled back, masking my irritation. “I’m looking for a special gift for my wife. I want something elegant, something that would make her feel truly beautiful.”
The assistant’s eyes gleamed with the prospect of a big sale. She started showing me the most expensive pieces in the store, all the while continuing her over-the-top charm offensive. I pretended to be interested, nodding and asking questions.
After about twenty minutes of this, I told her, “You know, my wife actually came in here a few days ago. She was interested in working here.”
“Oh?” she responded, her smile faltering a bit.
“Yes,” I continued, “But she was told by someone that she wasn’t pretty enough for the job. Do you happen to know who that might have been?”
The assistant’s face went pale. “Umm, I-I don’t recall,” she stammered.
I leaned in, lowering my voice to a calm yet firm tone. “You see, my wife is the most beautiful woman I know, both inside and out. She didn’t deserve to be treated like that. No one does.”
The assistant’s eyes widened as she realized where this was going.
I straightened up and spoke loudly enough for other customers and the manager, who had just walked onto the floor, to hear. “I wanted to make sure that everyone knows how this store treats potential employees. Judging people by their looks and belittling them is not only unprofessional but downright cruel. I think it’s important that this kind of behavior is addressed and corrected.”
The manager hurried over, looking concerned. “Is there a problem here?”
“Yes,” I said, “There is. This assistant insulted my wife and told her she wasn’t pretty enough to work here. This kind of discrimination is unacceptable.”
The manager’s face turned a deep shade of red. “I am so sorry to hear that, sir. This will be dealt with immediately.”
I nodded. “I hope so. And for the record, I won’t be making any purchases here today. Nor will I ever again, unless I hear that this issue has been resolved properly.”
With that, I turned and walked out, feeling a sense of satisfaction. I knew I had made my point.
When I got home, I told Emma what happened. She hugged me tightly, tears in her eyes, but this time, they were tears of gratitude. “Thank you for standing up for me,” she whispered.
“No one treats my wife like that,” I replied. “No one.”
A week later, Emma received a call from the store manager, apologizing profusely for the behavior of the assistant, who had been let go. He offered Emma a job interview, saying they would be honored to have someone as dedicated and passionate as her on their team.
Emma declined the offer, having found another opportunity elsewhere, but she was deeply touched by the gesture. We both knew that standing up against such treatment was the right thing to do, and it brought us even closer together.
