I organized our office Secret Santa this year because HR said they “didn’t have time.” I put a lot of thought into my gift, getting a nice skincare set for a coworker I’m friendly with. When the exchange happened, she thanked me, and I felt good about it—until I opened the gift she gave me.
It was a bargain-bin pack of soap and deodorant. Before I could even process it, she laughed and said in front of everyone, “A practical gift for your body odor!” The whole room laughed. I sat there with a frozen, awkward smile, feeling my face burn with embarrassment. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to make it “weird,” but inside, I was fuming.
The next morning, I decided I wasn’t going to keep that insulting gift. I put the soap and deodorant set in the office donation box, but I couldn’t resist adding a little note in my own handwriting: “Free — Secret Santa gift, barely used!”
I thought it would just be quietly taken away. Instead, during the morning coffee break, someone pointed it out. The whispering started immediately. People were giving side-eyes and realizing exactly what had happened. My coworker went pale and started freaking out, acting shocked that anyone could be “so mean.” I just stood there, pretending to be as surprised as everyone else.
Now, half the office thinks she’s a bully for the “body odor” joke, and the other half is whispering about who could have left that savage note. Part of me feels like she got exactly what she deserved for humiliating me in public. But another part of me wonders if I should have just been the bigger person instead of turning a gift exchange into a scene from a high school drama.
I’m not a “bad” person, but I learned one thing: if you’re going to dish out insults wrapped in wrapping paper, don’t be surprised when the recipient returns them with a receipt.
