The Woman He Mocked Was His Final Interviewer

Over the holiday weekend, I took the high-speed train to another city to serve as an interviewer for the civil service exam.

I'd barely sat down when a girl leaned over. "Hey, can we swap seats? I want to sit next to my boyfriend."

I pressed a hand to my stomach and shook my head. "Sorry, my stomach's acting up. I'd rather not move."

Her expression soured instantly. "Wait, are you into my boyfriend? Is that why you won't switch? So you can sit next to him?"

"My boyfriend is going to be a government official! I've seen plenty of women like you, trying to latch onto a man with a secure career."

The boyfriend chimed in right on cue. "Hey, miss, don't be like that. I already have a girlfriend."

I almost laughed. I was about to tell them my kid was already in high school.

Before the words left my mouth, the guy grabbed my arm and yanked me out of my seat.

The girl dropped into it, crossed her legs, and smirked. "See? Would've been so much easier if you'd just cooperated from the start."

They settled in side by side, chatting away like nothing had happened.

She scrolled through her phone, voice bright with excitement. "Your interview's tomorrow, babe. You've totally got this!"

I looked at her, my voice flat and cold. "Don't worry. Your boyfriend definitely won't pass."

——

"What did you just say?"

Her voice shot up about three octaves.

I held her gaze and repeated myself, word by word. "I said, someone like him will never pass."

Before the last syllable faded, she shot to her feet, jabbed a finger at me, and addressed the entire train car.

"Everybody, look at this! This woman wanted to sit next to my boyfriend Glen James, and when I wouldn't let her, she cursed him and said he'd fail his exam!"

A dozen pairs of eyes swiveled toward us all at once.

I frowned. "I never wanted to sit next to him. Get your story straight."

"Oh, you didn't? Then why wouldn't you swap seats when we asked?"

Her logic was so absurd it almost made me laugh. "Why should I swap just because you want me to?"

Her voice climbed even higher. "I don't care! If you won't swap, you're deliberately keeping us apart. You did it on purpose!"

"Your seating arrangement isn't my problem," I said. "My stomach hurts and I didn't want to move. Is that so hard to understand?"

"You're just doing this to mess with us!" Her face flushed a deep red. "You refuse to swap seats, then you curse my boyfriend's exam results. You're sick in the head!"

I opened my mouth to respond, but she steamrolled right over me.

"Look at you, riding the train dressed like that. Skirt that short? You're obviously trying to seduce men."

"What I wear is my business."

"Your business?" She let out a sharp laugh. "Please. You're trying to get your hooks into my boyfriend. He's about to become a government official. I've seen your type a hundred times, always sniffing around men with stable careers!"

A middle-aged woman in the next row spoke up. "Honey, cursing someone's exam results is a bit much."

"Exactly." A man across the aisle nodded along.

I blinked. "I didn't—"

"Didn't what?" The girl's voice turned shrill. "You said it to his face, that he wouldn't pass. The whole car heard you!"

The boyfriend finally spoke, unhurried, chin tilted up just slightly. "How could I possibly not pass? General management position at the Ashford City Health Bureau. I placed first on the written exam, thirteen points above second place."

Something clicked. The general management position at the Health Bureau. That was the exact position I'd been assigned to interview for.

I studied him more carefully. I hadn't cursed him. But after years of conducting these interviews, I could spot the type. He couldn't keep his composure. Candidates like that rarely made it through.

I kept my mouth shut.

The girl kept gloating, her voice piercing enough to cut glass. "Did you hear that? Thirteen points above second place! He's practically already got the job!"

She took a step closer. "Meanwhile, you're out here all dolled up, prancing around in public. You're just looking for some man to be your meal ticket, aren't you?"