A young woman took to Reddit recently after a fight with her boyfriend. She called him childish when he made sexist jokes after she landed a big job. This is the full story.
They Took Different Paths
OP is an industry consultant who took an unusual path to her current role.
Her long-time boyfriend works in cybersecurity, and he has been in IT his entire career.
College Sweethearts
The two met in an English class at the liberal arts college they attended.
But while her boyfriend was more interested in technology, OP stuck with the humanities.
He Was the Breadwinner
Coming out of school, OP’s boyfriend landed a fairly traditional tech job that paid well, while OP herself went into nonprofit work.
He was clearly the breadwinner in the couple, and probably would be forever, given their career choices.
Hot Commodity
But, eventually, the broad views of her liberal arts education and her strong experience in the nonprofit sector gave her a skillset that few possessed.
She was a hot commodity in certain niches, and the corporate world started calling.
Too Much to Refuse
One company made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.
Amazing Money
When she became a consultant, OP didn’t tell her boyfriend much about it other than to say that the pay level was amazing compared to what she had been making before.
No Need to Tell Him
She didn’t want to say much more, because she was fairly sure she would be making more at her new gig than her tech-savvy boyfriend did in his job.
They kept their finances separate, so there was no need to tell him.
The Secret Was Out
But then, they decided to move to a new place, and the application required them both to disclose their income. Suddenly, they both could see that OP was making 30% more than her boyfriend.
It Wasn’t Funny
That’s when the troubles started. OP noticed that her boyfriend seemed defensive and maybe even hurt. And he started making jokes that she didn’t think were really jokes at all.
She Cheated the System
His big gripe is how, he says, she “cheated the system” to get where she is.
He doesn’t think any English major should be making the money she does, and especially not more than he does.
It Was Chump Change
OP admits that a sorority sister referred her for her first job out of college, but that was a nonprofit job with a meager salary of $22K per year.
She Volunteered to Do It
The boyfriend is also chafed about OP’s first big corporate promotion.
She volunteered to spearhead the company’s first stab at creating a diversity, equity, and inclusion program, and it turned out to be a success.
It Was a Wild Success
That earned her accolades and a bump up the corporate ladder.
Her boyfriend says that a white man would have never had the opportunity to become the face of a DEI program like she did.
She Earned It
While OP says that might be true, she also thinks it’s true that few people of any race or gender would have put in the work or had the skill to accomplish what she did.
The Resentment Was Deep
Her boyfriend even dug into their shared past. He said she got a big break in school because she attended college on a scholarship for a “promising female writer”, when there was no similar scholarship for males.
More Cheating
When the boyfriend’s team at work, he complained to OP that it was a diversity hire and just another example of a woman cheating the system.
They Stopped Speaking
Fed up, OP told him that he was being an insecure little boy.
He called her a Karen, and they stopped speaking for days.
Uncertain Future
Now, OP wonders what the future holds for the couple.
Most Redditors side with OP and say that she has not cheated the system in any way. In fact, they say, she has overcome many biases against women to succeed.
A lot of commenters say the boyfriend is toxic and sexist, and they advise OP to run.
Others say the couple needs some counseling if they hope to work through their problems.
What do you think of this story? Did OP cheat the system to get to where she is, or is her boyfriend just a jealous little boy?
And should she stay with him or move on from his negativity?
More From Career Step Up
A Reddit user recently revealed the elaborate means their best friend went to to get her own back on a cheating partner.
He Was Having an Affair But She Found Out, and So She Came Up With a Brilliant Plan For Revenge
He Was Laid Off By His Boss Just Before Christmas, But When He Gets Even, His Boss Has A Melt-Down
A recent thread on Reddit’s Petty Revenge subreddit saw a man get revenge on his employer by exposing his unfair wage practices when he laid him off right before Christmas.
He Was Laid Off By His Boss Just Before Christmas, But When He Gets Even, His Boss Has A Melt-Down
His Boss Lied To Him About A Promotion For Over Two Years, So He Hatched A Brilliant Plan
This guy’s tale of malicious compliance went viral! He posted on Reddit and told how he eventually got revenge on his boss, who had led him on about a promotion for over two years. Buckle up because this is a great tale!
His Boss Lied To Him About A Promotion For Over Two Years, So He Hatched A Brilliant Plan
Office Romance: She’s Definitely Flirting With You If These Things Happen
Office romances can be tricky, but sometimes it’s hard to tell if a colleague is actually interested in you or just being friendly. However, certain signs can indicate if someone is flirting with you.
Office Romance: She’s Definitely Flirting With You If These Things Happen
30 Gaslighting Phrases to Look Out For in The Workplace
Gaslighting is a type of manipulation where someone gives fake or incorrect information to make them doubt their memory, perception, and mental capacity or sanity.
Perpetrators of gaslighting can also use it as a tactic to control or exploit another person. Here are 30 phrases to look out for in the workplace.
30 Gaslighting Phrases to Look Out For in The Workplace
The post She Called Him a Little Boy When He Accused Her of Cheating the System! first appeared on Career Step Up.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Roman Samborskyi. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit