A Malaysian intern was left in tears after a coworker allegedly insulted the home cooked meal her mother had prepared for her, saying that it smelled like rubbish and even comparing the odour to a toilet.
The young woman shared on Threads that she had been looking forward to eating her packed lunch as it contained one of her favourite dishes, crab cooked in sambal with egg.
However, what was supposed to be an enjoyable lunch quickly turned sour.
Coworker allegedly complained about the smell
According to the intern, she had not eaten anything since morning and was already hungry when she brought her food into the office pantry.
Just as she was about to start eating, one of her coworkers allegedly complained about the smell.
I was already hungry because I hadn’t eaten since morning. I was stunned and completely lost my appetite when my coworker said my food smelled like it came from the toilet,” she wrote.
The coworker then allegedly opened the windows, switched on a diffuser and even lit a scented candle, claiming that the food smelled like rubbish.
Do you think I eat rubbish?” the intern questioned.
Hid in her car and cried
Feeling humiliated by the remarks, the young woman said she packed away the meal prepared by her mother and went to hide inside her car, where she eventually broke down in tears.
She questioned why her coworker could not have simply spoken to her politely if the smell was bothering them.
Why is it so difficult for some people to be considerate or just tell someone nicely?
“Is it because I’m an intern? Is that why you treat me like I don’t have feelings? Does being an intern mean I just have to keep putting up with things that hurt me?” she wrote.
The incident was particularly upsetting to her as she had initially been excited to enjoy the food prepared by her mother.
Says she will no longer eat in the office pantry
Following the incident, the intern said she had decided to stop having her meals in the office pantry.
Instead, she plans to either eat outside, return home for lunch, or simply eat inside her car.
From now on, I’ll just go out during lunch. If not, I’ll go home to eat or eat at a shop. Otherwise, I’ll just sit in my car,” she said.
She added that the experience made her realise that no matter how careful a person tries to be, it is impossible to please everyone.“
