I met my partner, Greg, when I started work as a secretary at a large shopping centre. He was one of the shopping centre handymen, responsible for fixing anything that went wrong and helping out when the different shops had new fit-outs done. He was great at his job and a happy, genuine guy. As soon as we met it was instant attraction and it didn’t take long for us to realise it was love. He moved in with me three months later.
Our relationship was fantastic and I loved my job. The only problem was that Greg wasn’t happy at work. He dreamt of opening his own handyman business and working for himself, but he didn’t believe in himself enough to actually do it. With his friendly personality and the way he could fix anything, I knew his business would be successful.
I tried to convince Greg to give notice and start his business at every opportunity but Greg wasn’t convinced. Although he really wanted to work for himself, he just didn’t have the confidence in himself.
It didn’t help that the other shopping centre handyman, Terry, was lazy and always made sure Greg was blamed for anything that went wrong. Greg regularly came home and told me he’d been told off for some sloppy work that Terry had done. Greg was getting more and more upset with his job, but he still didn’t believe he could make his own business work. It got me so upset seeing my wonderful partner so unhappy and losing confidence by the day.
Then, Greg came home and told me the Operations Manager position was vacant and both he and Terry were applying. When I found out at work that Terry had got the promotion, I snapped. Terry was rude to work with, mean and such a terrible tradesman. I just couldn’t believe he had been promoted ahead of Greg.
Still, Greg wouldn’t quit. So I finally took things into my own hands. I knew the only way Greg was going to leave his job was if he was sacked, so I decided I’d make sure it happened.
Greg and Terry had been helping with a shop fit-out and had gone home for the day. I was doing some overtime in the office late one night. I snuck out of the office when the centre manager was on the phone and went to where the guys had been doing their work. I grabbed some of their expensive tools and equipment and dragged them to the outside of the shopping centre so it looked like the tools hadn’t been put away.
I had half of them out, when the centre manager came up behind me unexpectedly. He was furious and I thought in that instant that the only person being fired would be me! I was so lucky. The centre manager immediately assumed I’d been trying to drag the tools back inside the shopping centre and that I was trying to cover up the fact that Greg or Terry hadn’t locked their work tools away so they couldn’t be stolen. The manager was furious and gave me a real telling-off for trying to protect the men.
The next morning, the manager called Greg and Terry into his office to ask them to explain their carelessness. Terry immediately put all the blame on Greg and said he knew nothing about the tools being left outside. It was finally too much for Greg. He was so furious that, once again, he was going to take the blame for something he didn’t do. So he quit on the spot and walked out.
As soon as I got home from work that day, I found Greg at home on the phone organising business cards and a leaflet drop in our community to advertise his new handyman business.
It’s now been six months and Greg’s business has taken off and he’s doing really well. The customers have been really pleased with the quality of his work and love having him around for a bit of a chat too! Greg is the happiest I’ve ever known him and he’s so successful now that I’ve quit my job at the shopping centre as well and I now work for Greg.
Although I’d never tell him the truth, I know getting Greg sacked was the best thing I have ever done for him. He’s happy, confident and it’s done no harm to his bank account either!
Picture: Getty Images. Posed by model.
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