Since she started disguising herself as Janet, Mary knew she would have to face difficulties, but she never expected them to be so merciless and direct, especially from Gerald Hayes, the operations manager who was becoming increasingly aggressive and oppressive.
From their first encounter, Gerald left a lasting impression on Mary with his cruelty hidden behind a polite exterior. However, the initial actions were just the beginning of the tense days to come. Gerald was like someone obsessed with perfection, but the perfection he demanded was not based on objective standards. It was based purely on the power he held in his hands.
To Gerald, lower-level employees, especially janitors, were nothing more than small pieces on his personal power chessboard.
One Wednesday evening, as Mary was finishing up cleaning the hallway on the 38th floor, Gerald suddenly appeared from behind. The hallway lights reflected off his face, casting a chilling, menacing look. When he spoke, his voice was so cold it made Mary shiver slightly.
"Are you done, Janet?"
Mary calmly replied, "Yes, Mr. Hayes. Everything has been cleaned according to procedure."
Gerald glanced around, his eyes seeming to scrutinize every corner of the hallway Mary had just carefully cleaned. Unexpectedly, he stepped forward, pulled a small white cloth from his jacket pocket, and bent down to wipe a corner of the wall. Mary silently watched, waiting for the outcome of this surprise inspection.
Gerald raised his head, holding the cloth high, and looked at Mary with a challenging gaze. "Is this what you call clean, Janet? I thought by your age you should know what clean looks like."
Mary looked at the white cloth. It had no trace of dirt at all, but Gerald still acted as if it were the clearest proof of her laziness and irresponsibility. Gerald deliberately dropped the cloth onto the floor, then spoke again with a mocking tone.
"Clean this entire hallway again. And remember, if you want to keep your job, I don't want to see a single mistake, no matter how small."
Mary silently lowered her head, patiently picked up the cloth, and continued her work. Gerald walked away with a small, satisfied laugh, leaving her alone in the silent hallway with the weight of the moment pressing on her.
But that wasn't the last time Gerald deliberately made things difficult for Mary. Just a few days later, when Mary was carefully cleaning the windows in the large conference room on the 40th floor, Gerald appeared again. This time, he brought a freshly brewed cup of hot coffee.
Without saying a word, Gerald stepped over and stood next to Mary, looked out the window, and casually said, "Janet, do you know why people like you will always just be janitors?"
Mary stopped her work and turned to face him, her gaze calm but with a storm brewing inside. "No, sir."