Mary stayed calm and explained further. "I understand that, but their actions go beyond what is acceptable. Gerald publicly poured cold water on my head, and Derek intentionally made a mess to make me redo tasks multiple times. That's not strictness. That's bullying and degrading our dignity."
Karen sighed, glanced at her watch, and shrugged casually. "I understand how you feel, Janet, but you need to look at things realistically. This is a competitive business environment, and sometimes small hurts are inevitable. If you're feeling upset, I suggest you adapt instead of being overly sensitive to situations like this."
Mary stood silent, struck by Karen's cold and irresponsible response. She tried once more, hoping for a slim chance.
"Doesn't the HR department have any policies in place to protect lower-level employees like us?"
Karen frowned in irritation, her voice growing colder. "We are, of course, always ready to protect employees. But you need to understand your position and role. If everyone came here to complain about small issues, this company would never grow. You're a janitor. Your job is to do your tasks well, not to come up here and complain about the harshness of the work."
Mary stood motionless, her heart aching at Karen's dismissive and indifferent attitude. She realized that the person she had once hoped would be her final support had completely changed. Karen was no longer the passionate and fair HR manager Mary once knew, but had become part of the heartless machinery, indifferent to the injustice occurring right before her eyes.
Karen emphasized once more, her voice cold and blunt. "Janet, remember that this company hired you to clean, not to evaluate or comment on management's leadership methods. I hope you won't waste any more of our time."
Mary tried to remain composed, bowed her head, and left the office. In that moment, she understood how deeply rotten the company culture had become.
This crushing disappointment didn't just come from Gerald's or Derek's attitudes, but also from the Human Resources department, which should have been the last refuge for the most vulnerable employees. Mary silently walked toward the elevator, her heart heavy with the bitter feeling of betrayal.
But she also understood that Karen's coldness had only clarified her mission. She couldn't just rely on the internal system to change the situation. Mary knew that to restore the true values of Williams Innovations, she would have to expose people like Karen, Gerald, and Derek, those quietly destroying the very foundation she had worked so hard to build.
Mary walked out of the Human Resources office, her heart heavy with disappointment. The small hopes she had placed in Karen Mitchell and the department that was supposed to protect employees' rights had shattered completely. Now Mary understood that she was utterly alone in the fight to defend the values and soul of the company she had once devoted her life to building.
A few days had passed since the crushing disappointment with Karen, and Mary continued her work quietly. But the feeling of loneliness and exhaustion was becoming more and more evident on her face. Each night, as she walked into the company under the dim light of the hallway, Mary no longer felt at home here as she once did.
Instead, it felt like stepping into hostile territory where every gaze was filled with contempt and indifference.
One evening, Mary was tasked with cleaning the large conference room on the 44th floor, where senior leadership often held their end-of-day meetings. The room was spacious and luxurious, with exquisite wood furnishings and high-end leather chairs.