48-year-old coworker mocks employee for reading a children's book, employee cries on cue to get him in trouble: 'Maybe keep your opinions to yourself sometimes'

Tension between younger and more seasoned employees can often erupt in surprising ways in the office.

Usually, this manifests in passive-aggressive remarks before and after meetings or behind one another's backs. But every so often, generational differences manifest themselves, and neither party can control their emotions. In this instance, we have a 48-year-old male coworker who, in fairness to him, was not fully aware that the younger employee who worked on his team was going through family struggles. 

She had recently picked up a children's book that she used to read with her mother when she was a kid. Re-reading said book provided her with some comfort during this challenging time, so she brought it to work to read during her breaks in order to make herself feel better. Her nosy coworker already seemed to have trouble keeping his thoughts to himself and maintaining a level of professionalism, particularly when it came to discussing personal matters. 

One day, he came across the children's book and immediately decided to mock the author for being so childish that she would read this during her free time. Many other employees on their team were already taken aback, given that they knew all too well about the author's family situation. The author then decided to let her older coworker know he crossed a line by making him feel as guilty as possible for it.

How did she manage to pull this off? Well, it just so happens that she can cry on cue. So she did. In fact, she wept and wept until the older coworker was forced to apologize for overstepping and was reprimanded by their manager. Honestly, if this author were that convincing with her tears, perhaps she should consider ditching this office environment and pursuing a career in acting. It sounds like she is a far more believable crier than most performers out there.