Apologizing was the hardest, yet best part.

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There was a time I acted recklessly- I yelled at my boss.

I’ve always hated being falsely accused, especially when the person won’t even hear my side. That’s exactly what happened with my boss.

I worked in a small local restaurant as the service girl. He was the cook. It was just the two of us. After each day, any leftover food was stored in the fridge, and he would count every piece of meat before storing it because of trust issues with past workers.

I never touched the meat without his consent, not even when I was hungry. But for three times, I noticed his mood change after recounting the next morning. He wouldn’t talk much or smile. I had a feeling he suspected me but never said anything.

One morning, he voiced out
"Rita! This meat was 15, now it’s 13. Where are the remaining two?"

I was shocked. I told him I had nothing to do with it, but he wouldn’t listen. He kept demanding I return the meat. That was my breaking point. I raised my voice. I reminded him how forgetful he could be, how that same forgetfulness had even cost him customers. I told him I’d never steal two pieces of meat. I didn’t insult him, but I spoke harshly and loud- too loud.

Afterward, I felt terrible. Though I felt wronged, I knew I had let my emotions take over. The words echoed in my head. I couldn’t shake the guilt.

Later that day, I walked up to him and apologized. I told him I was hurt and angry but admitted I shouldn’t have shouted. To my surprise, he apologized too. He said he was wrong for accusing me and let his past experiences cloud his judgment.

That apology brought such relief. It felt like a heavy burden had been lifted. From that day, our working relationship improved. We began to trust and respect each other more.

Even after I left the job, we stayed in touch. He still checks in from time to time, and we laugh about that moment now.

That experience taught me something important: being right doesn’t excuse the wrong way of reacting. I’ve learned to pause, breathe, and speak calmly, even when I feel wrongly accused.

Thanks for reading
@ritaetim