He Waited Nearly a Decade to Use the Same Cruel Line on His Coworker

Years ago, a new sales rep was trying to close a deal when he hit a wall of product knowledge. He turned to the top sales rep sitting next to him for a quick, simple answer.

Her response was chillingly cold: “Sorry. It’s not in my job description to help you.” The new rep lost the sale and soon left the company, carrying that resentment with him.

Fast forward nearly a decade. That cold-hearted rep just joined his current team, and she came asking him for help. He didn’t hesitate to deliver the perfect, long-awaited dose of karma.

Now, read the full story:

This is the kind of office revenge story that proves karma has excellent timing. The original coworker, who we’ll call “Debra,” demonstrated a toxic, cutthroat approach to the workplace. She prioritized her individual performance over basic teamwork, a trait that often characterizes highly competitive, low-empathy environments.

The OP carried that sting for years, and now, he got to deliver the exact punishment she inflicted. The fact that she lost a sale for the exact same reason is a poetic, flawless victory.

While the OP might face a talking-to from his boss, the lesson delivered to Debra is far more valuable: in the corporate world, the people you step on during your climb might be the same people you need help from on your way down.

Debra’s original refusal to help, despite sitting right next to the new employee, is a prime example of toxic individualism, a mindset that views colleagues as competition rather than collaborators. This behavior is detrimental to overall company performance.

A study by Harvard Business Review found that avoiding a toxic employee is worth more than twice the salary of a highly productive one. Toxic behavior, like refusing to share knowledge, reduces morale, increases turnover, and hinders the training of new employees.

The OP’s initial company clearly failed by not making mentorship or knowledge-sharing part of their top employees’ responsibilities. However, Debra’s personal cruelty was unnecessary.

The OP’s revenge, while petty, serves a psychological purpose. It is a form of “restorative justice,” where the victim is allowed to correct the imbalance of power. As one expert on workplace dynamics, Dr. Ben Dattner, noted, “When people feel they have been wronged, they often seek to re-establish fairness. Delivering a consequence that mirrors the original offense is a powerful way to achieve that psychological balance.”  

The OP didn’t just get revenge; he gave Debra a taste of the isolation she forced upon him years ago.

Check out how the community responded:

The community overwhelmingly celebrated the OP’s revenge, declaring it a perfect moment of karma.

Several users shared similar stories of unhelpful coworkers getting their comeuppance.

Redditors encouraged the OP to use the situation to expose his coworker’s poor attitude to management.

The OP’s revenge was petty, perfect, and deeply satisfying. He proved that kindness and collaboration are long-term investments, while toxic individualism eventually comes back to bite you. Debra learned the hard way that the sales floor is a small world.

If you were the boss, what would you do after hearing this story? Would you punish the OP, or use the story to teach the new rep a lesson?