Dear MX24,
My name is Tessa. I’m 26, and today I learned that heartbreak doesn’t only come from relationships. It can come from the very place you pour your time, talent, and soul into: your workplace.
I’ve been working at my company for almost five years. I came in as the youngest on my team, the one everyone called “little girl.” But I worked. I mean really, really worked. Late nights, early mornings, extra tasks, fixing mistakes I didn’t make, and showing up even when life was beating me from other angles. I kept telling myself, hard work never hides.
Apparently… it does.
We’ve been expecting a team lead position to open for months because one of our team leads had hinted he was going to request a transfer to be close to his family.
Everyone knew I was next in line because my work showed I deserved it. My supervisor encouraged me, coworkers said things like “Tess, it’s yours” and “You deserve it more than anyone.” I believed them. For once, I believed that my hard work had been seen and would be rewarded. Then last Friday, during a staff meeting, HR announced the new team lead. It wasn’t me. It was someone who joined just six months ago! Someone I trained! Someone who literally asks me how to do half the tasks they are now supposed to lead!
I felt my heart break. Not instantly, but slowly—like a rope snapping thread by thread. I clapped. I smiled. I even congratulated them because professionalism is the dress code in my office. But when I got home, the smile broke. My chest felt tight, my eyes burned, and I kept asking myself if I was invisible or simply not good enough. What didn’t I do right? I kept asking myself.
People keep telling me, “your time will come.” But what if never does? Am I going to become the platform that other people use to rise to greatness?
What hurts most is that no one has given me a reason. Not HR, not my boss, not even the colleague who got the role. Not that they are expected to, but at least something to give me closure—if I can even call it that.
It feels like the whole system expects me to swallow the pain quietly, show up on Monday, and continue working like nothing happened.
But something did happen. Something shifted.
I’m second-guessing myself, doubting my abilities, and questioning whether loyalty in the workplace is even worth it. I feel betrayed, overlooked, and emotionally exhausted. As a result of that, I’ve started making mistakes with the simplest of tasks and can’t seem to concentrate. What really broke me further was hearing one of my colleagues whisper behind my back that maybe this is why I wasn’t chosen.
I can’t do it anymore and I definitely can’t hide the pain in me for an extra second. I don’t know if I should confront management, stay, leave, or simply pretend I’m okay just so that I can keep the job and earn my salary.
This is my workplace heartbreak.
This is my broken pen.
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