OK, I wasn’t fired but this is how it went.

　　好吧，我不是被炒魷魚了，事情是這樣的。

　　Back in 2005, I had just started working and was almost at my peak of being a ladies man (or so i thought). Always spotted with a different girl (or so people perceived). I was an associate and kinda developed a crush on this manager. She seemed nice and the usual.

　　2005年的時候，我剛開始工作，當時是我作為大眾情人的巔峰時期(至少我是這么想的)。人們總是看見我和不同的女孩在一起(至少他們是這么想的)。我當時是個準合伙人，并且有點暗戀我的經理。她則表現得很友好、很正常。

　　Long story short I asked her out and it worked. (Story for another day).

　　長話短說，我約她出去了，而且成功了。(詳細故事改天講)

　　We seemed to be pretty fond of each other and hung out quite a lot. In and out of office. Later on, during one of her 1-on-1s with her manager, he suggested her to stop hanging out with me. You know ‘perception is reality’ kinda stuff. That hanging out with a younger and reckless guy like me would be a career liming move for her.

　　我們互相挺喜歡的，經常在一起，不管是在工作中還是工作外。后來，再一次她和她的經歷單獨面談的時候，她的經理暗示她不要在和我呆在一起了。你們懂的，“三人成虎”一類的事。和我這么一個愣頭青攪在一起，可能會把她的整個事業給攪黃了。

　　She didn’t listen and shared this with me right after her meeting. And of course I felt bad. But not hurt.

　　不過她沒聽，還在會議結束后把這件事告訴了我。

　　We dated for a while and eventually broke up. For some other reasons. Mostly petty.

　　我們還是繼續約會了一段時間，但是最后分手了。不過，是因為其他一些原因。挺遺憾的。

　　Fast forward 11 years, I join a new company as a Sr. Manager and word kinda spread about me. Mostly superficial- based on my looks and age.

　　11年過去之后，我以高級經理的角色加入了一家新公司，結果身邊出現了各種關于我的流言蜚語。主要就是些關于我外貌和年齡的話。

　　By the end of first week, a guy walks up to my cabin and greets me with a ‘bhai’ after my name. I look at him baffled. It’s the same manager who my ex reported to all those years ago. We shake hands and talk for a while.

　　第一周快結束的時候，一個人走進了我的辦公室，他叫我名字的時候還在后面加了個“伙計”(巴基斯坦話)。我不解地看了過去，發現他正式那好幾年前我前女友的上司。我們握了手，然后談了好一會兒。

　　He then said ‘You have now become my manager. You have come a long way.’

　　然后他說：“你現在已經變成我的經理了。你這進步夠大的。”

　　It was quite a moment. Mixed emotions. But I was proud of myself more than anything. Proud that I worked hard and earned my respect.

　　這真是神奇的一刻。百感交集。不過我挺為自己感到自豪的，因為我用自己的努力換來了尊重。