If you, like me, love sitcoms, then you most likely know that one of the favorite scripting techniques in such shows is to create that very awkward situation when the words intended for the ears of one person are recognized by another – who did not expect it at all.

But it’s one thing to crack up at such plot twists while sitting at the TV, and quite another thing to find yourself in a similar situation. This, for example, happened with the user u/Particular-Virus-734, the author of the story that we’ll tell you today. So please scroll down, the story begins there.

More info: Reddit

The author of the post and her colleague recently had a demo of the software they use at work

Image credits: Mikhail Nilov (not the actual photo)

The speaker was one of the developers, and the product manager was also present there

Image credits: Particular-Virus-734

The author prepared many questions on the software, so the developer answered them in detail

Image credits: Mizuno K (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Particular-Virus-734

He shared his screen – and then an insulting text from his colleague about the author suddenly popped up

Image credits: Anna Shvets (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Particular-Virus-734

It turned out that the product manager was ‘annoyed’ by the author’s numerous questions – so she eventually reported this insult to her own boss

So, the Original Poster (OP) is a dark-haired woman (just remember this, it’s important for the plot development), and she and her colleague recently took part in a demo of the software they use for work. The presentation was given by the developer “Adam” (the author suggests calling him that, so let’s not change anything) and his newly minted manager, “Susan.”

It’s important to note here that our heroine has been using the product that was demonstrated only as of relatively recently, so she prepared in advance a whole list of questions for Adam, which he answered in detail. At some point, the developer shared his screen with the OP in order to better explain to her some of the nuances of how the product works.

And this is where everything happened! At some point, a pop-up message from Susan appeared on Adam’s desktop that read: “that brown haired girl is really starting to annoy me.” Confused, Adam immediately clicked the x button, but the OP managed to read it.

The thing is that she was the only brunette in the room, so the message was clearly directed at her. Of course, the author was upset – however, to her credit, she did not sort things out and allowed Adam to finish the three-hour meeting. However, the OP’s mood, of course, was ruined…

Well, when the meeting was over, the author, after discussing with her colleagues, decided that this couldn’t be allowed to happen, and reported Susan to her own manager. They were also indignant and, having contacted the management of the company where the insulter works, soon told the original poster that Susan apologized, and in the near future she would convey her apology personally.

Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)

“I myself have had the opportunity to take part in various demos more than once, and questions to the speaker are a common thing. In fact, this is largely why demos are held,” says Nick Pruchkovsky, a QA engineer at SeaRates.com, with whom Bored Panda got in touch for a comment here. “Developers talk about new functions and features of the software, and users ask their questions. It’s obvious, after all.”

“Furthermore, I would actually be surprised if the employees of the company for which the presentation is being given didn’t ask a single question – because this would probably indicate either that the presentation is not that good, or that the audience doesn’t care. So the product manager simply cannot be annoyed by the user’s questions regarding their product. This is from a professional point of view, but from an etiquette point of view it’s simply offensive. I would also be upset if I saw such a message,” Nick summarizes.

Well, despite the fact that this story, although it was published in the Petty Revenge community on Reddit, is not actually petty revenge, people in the comments still massively sided with the original poster. “If they get annoyed by a few questions in demo, how are they going to provide customer support later on?” one commenter wondered.

Moreover, some users in the comments suspect that the OP still took revenge on her unwitting offender – after all, if this story reached Susan’s higher-ups, it generally calls into question her professionalism. “That account manager needs to be pulled off this project,” another commenter claimed. “You came prepared with questions, as you should, if they can’t adequately demonstrate their product without insulting their clients, they have to go.”

So, who knows, maybe in the end this story will turn out to be a true example of petty revenge. All that remains is to wait for the outcome of the plot. In the meantime, our dear readers, please share your opinion about this story’s characters’ behavior, and maybe tell us in the comments if you’ve ever faced or witnessed something similar at work or school.

People in the comments sided with the author, claiming that such remarks do undermine the account manager’s professionalism

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