I was working late into the night.
The stay-at-home mom upstairs suddenly fired off a string of messages to me in the neighborhood group chat.
"Hey, you down below. I know you own a company, so I've decided I want a job from you. But there are a few conditions I need to lay out first."
【My hours are nine to four, because I have to pick up my kid.】
【No working overtime in the evenings, because I have to put my kid to bed.】
【I get to take time off whenever I need it, because I have to take care of my kid.】
【Holidays off, because I have to spend time with my kid.】
【Salary no lower than fifteen grand a month, because I have to support my kid.】
【And most important of all, no giving me any grief, because right now I'm pregnant!】
I was exhausted, half-asleep, and completely out of words.
But I still replied politely that the company had no hiring plans, then tossed my phone aside and went to wash up.
When I came out of the shower, though, there was wailing and shouting outside my front door.
"If I don't have a job, I won't get maternity benefits when I give birth!"
"And I spent seven years as a stay-at-home mom and finally worked up the nerve to look for a job. What gives you the right to turn me down?"
——
I looked up at the time.
It was already two in the morning. In six hours I had to head out to go over the partnership details with a supplier, so I didn't want to waste time on her. I just stood there quietly, hoping she'd assume I was asleep and back off once she realized it was hopeless.
But after I'd stood there for a while.
The voice outside only got louder.
"Open the door."
"What gives you the right to look down on me just because I'm a stay-at-home mom? You haven't even looked at my résumé or my profile and you're already saying you don't need anyone!"
"This is discrimination. You're a misogynist."
The knocking grew louder and louder, and then other people in the hallway started cursing too, while one owner after another in the group chat began messaging me to open up.
I had no choice but to open the door.
The mom outside, May Acevedo, was sprawled on the floor, sobbing her heart out. The only place I'd ever seen anyone carry on like that was at a funeral when I was a child.
I sighed, rubbing my temples, swallowing my anger as I explained.
"Hello, Ms. Acevedo. I do have a company, but it's a small one, only a handful of employees. Every position is filled. We really don't need anyone."
"Someone with your drive, your persistence, your ability could easily land a job at a much better company!"
May listened but didn't get up. Instead she flailed her arms and legs a few times.
"Who do you think you're fooling!"
"I've done my homework. Your unit is the biggest in the whole complex, and you bought it outright at the market peak. Your car's worth close to a million too. There's no way a small company makes that kind of money!"
"This is just what you ought to be doing. You're this old and still single, while I have a child to raise and educate. That's not fair. You haven't had kids, you haven't contributed to the country, so you should be grateful to people like me who have!"
"Besides, we're both women."
"Everyone online says it: women have to help women."
"So I have to have this job, and you have to meet those conditions too."
Listening to May talk.
My head ached worse.
When I bought this place, I'd liked that it was close to the office, in a big complex with nice landscaping. But I never imagined I'd end up stuck with a neighbor this insufferable.
She wasn't wrong.
My company was small, but it had ridden the right wave and made a good amount of money.
That money, though, had been earned by me and my employees working practically around the clock. There was no room for someone like May.
In fact, my company had plenty of women, including stay-at-home moms, even one with three kids. But they were all perfectly normal. None of them were anywhere near as insufferable as May.
