Du had always prided herself on her professional capabilities, consistently delivering high-quality work at her office. Yet, she often felt invisible in the predominantly male environment, where her ideas seemed to echo without being heard, and her efforts were routinely overshadowed by her male colleagues who seemed to effortlessly garner recognition and praise.
As the weeks rolled into a particularly tough quarter, the weight of being consistently overlooked began to take its toll, leaving Du feeling deflated and unappreciated. By the weekend, she was mentally exhausted and emotionally drained. Searching for a change, she decided on a different approach. Come Monday, Du chose to wear a more revealing outfit than her usual conservative office attire, opting for a blouse that showed her cleavage and a skirt that revealed her midriff.
To her astonishment, the change had an immediate effect. Her presence suddenly seemed magnified; her bosses and male colleagues paid more attention to her ideas, and assistance was more readily offered. However, the new-found attention was not without its significant downsides. Du quickly became uncomfortably aware of the male gaze; colleagues would find excuses to peer down her blouse or comment under the guise of light-hearted jokes. What felt empowering initially soon felt like a trap.
Later that week, she was invited to an informal drinking session with her colleagues. The atmosphere was jovially unprofessional, with her colleagues and bosses encouraging her to "loosen up" and drink more. Du stayed alert, aware of the dynamics at play. During the evening, her boss, Mr. Franklin, made a deliberate move to sit uncomfortably close to her, his arm nonchalantly resting over the back of her chair. As he leaned in, his gaze not so subtly shifted to her exposed cleavage. Despite this, he began speaking about her potential promotion, praising her as a "valuable and hardworking team member."
In that moment, with the laughter and clinking of glasses around her, Du felt a pang of internal conflict. The attention and potential career advancement came at the cost of personal comfort and respect. She contemplated deeply if this was the way she wanted to advance in her career. The evening wore on, but her mind was back in her bedroom, considering whether to end this charade, to go home, and to never compromise herself like this again.
