u/Young_Hond1

I logged into my team meeting this morning like any other day. I usually just throw on a decent shirt since it's just from the waist up. Today was different though. Our manager started the meeting by announcing a new company-wide policy. Apparently, HR decided that to foster a more professional environment, we need a 'business casual' dress code for all virtual meetings.

So now I need to wear button-downs or blouses and slacks or skirts while sitting in my home office. For a job I've been doing remotely for three years. I literally haven't worn anything but sweats or shorts since early 2023. I'm honestly flabbergasted. Do they think this will magically make us more productive? Or is it just another way to assert control?

I just don't get it. We're all hitting our targets and working hard. This feels like such a strange, unnecessary micromanagement move. Anyone else experienced anything like this? I'm debating whether to push back or just start looking for a new job.

For years I only focused on the big stuff. The project for work. The gym routine. Learning that new skill. I put all my energy into those huge goals. And honestly I failed at them a lot. It felt like I was constantly battling myself.

Then I started doing something really dumb. I started finishing tiny irrelevant things. Like organizing my spice rack. Or finally tossing out that one chipped mug I never used. Or folding all the laundry the same day it came out of the dryer. Stuff that has zero impact on my life really.

But a strange thing happened. Every time I completed one of these silly small tasks I got a little jolt. A tiny hit of accomplishment. It built up. It was like I was training my brain to enjoy finishing things. Any things.

It sounds crazy but this weird practice started spilling over into the bigger stuff. The daunting tasks at work didnt feel as impossible. The gym didnt feel like such a chore. It was like my brain had rewired itself to say Oh yeah we finish things around here. It just expects completion now.

I think we get too hung up on the importance of the task. We think only big important things count as discipline. But discipline is a muscle. You can train it with light weights too. You dont have to lift a car on day one. Start by putting away your shoes every time you take them off. Or clearing your plate immediately after eating. See what happens.

Its not about the task itself. Its about the habit of completion. It builds momentum. And momentum is everything.

I've lived in this apartment for three years now. It's a decent place small but cozy. The rent is affordable and it's close to my job. I never had any real complaints until a few months ago. That's when I started hearing her.

It began subtly a faint scratching sound at night. I figured it was mice or maybe the old building settling. I bought some traps but caught nothing. The scratching continued sometimes louder sometimes softer. It always seemed to come from the wall behind my bed.

Then the whispers started. They were barely audible like someone murmuring just outside a closed door. I couldn't make out any words. It was just a soft unintelligible drone. I thought I was losing my mind. I even went to a doctor thinking it might be tinnitus or something. He said I was fine.

One night the whispering was particularly clear. I pressed my ear against the wall trying to discern anything. And then I heard it. A name. My name. Whispered in a voice that was ancient and raspy. My blood ran cold. I pulled away from the wall immediately. I spent the rest of that night on the couch bundled in blankets.

The next day I called my landlord. I told him there was something in my walls. He chuckled and said it was probably just the pipes. I insisted. He sent over an exterminator who found no evidence of pests. He sent over a plumber who said the pipes were perfectly fine.

I started sleeping with the lights on. It didn't stop the whispers but it made me feel a little safer. I even tried playing music or podcasts to drown her out. It worked for a while but then she adapted. The whispers would weave themselves into the background noise getting louder until they were all I could hear.

I tried talking to her through the wall. I asked who she was and what she wanted. There was no direct answer just more whispers. Sometimes they sounded like weeping. Other times like soft laughter. It was unnerving.

Last week things escalated. I was in my living room watching TV when I heard a distinct thump from the wall. It wasn't loud but it was definitely there. I paused the TV and listened. There was a shuffling sound then a soft groan. It sounded like someone shifting their weight.

I went to the wall and cautiously knocked. The sounds stopped. I waited. Nothing. I knocked again a little harder. This time there was a faint tap back. Three taps. Almost a reply. I felt a knot form in my stomach.

I started noticing other things. Small items in my apartment would move. My keys would be on the table when I swore I left them on the hook. A book would be open to a random page. I tried to rationalize it as forgetfulness but deep down I knew. She was getting bolder.

Two nights ago I woke up to a chill in my room. The window was slightly ajar even though I always lock it. I got up to close it and as I turned back to my bed I saw it. A faint impression on my pillow. Like someone had been lying there. I knew it wasn't me. I sleep on my side. This was a head shaped indent right in the middle of the pillow.

I didn't sleep in my apartment that night. I went to a friend's place. I haven't been back since. I'm staying in a motel now. I've been trying to find a new place but it's hard on short notice.

Yesterday I got a call from my landlord. He said my neighbors complained about a strange smell coming from my apartment. He went in to check and said he found something odd. He wouldn't tell me over the phone. He just said I needed to come see it.

I'm scared to go back. I have this terrible feeling that she's finally showing herself. I don't know what to expect. What if she's not just in the walls anymore? What if she's waiting for me? I just want this to be over. I want to feel safe in my own home again. But I dont think I ever will.

It's the little things really isn't it. Made my morning.

Throwaway because my friends follow my main.

I (30M) have been with my girlfriend 'Chloe' (29F) for four years. We live together in a small but cozy apartment. I work a decent job and she was supposedly working from home as a 'freelance graphic designer'.

My passion is collecting rare comic books. I've spent years building a collection that's worth a significant amount of money. We're talking six figures easily. I have a special, secured cabinet for them and Chloe knows how much they mean to me. She's always been supportive or at least pretended to be.

About a month ago I noticed some of my most valuable books seemed a little off. Like someone had handled them without care or maybe even moved them around. I brushed it off thinking I was being paranoid.

Then I got an email from a prominent comic book auction house. They recognized my name from some past dealings. The email said they had received a submission from a 'Chloe M' offering several high-value books from my collection for auction. They asked if I was aware of this and if I had given my consent.

My heart sank. I knew immediately what was happening. I called the auction house pretending to be incredibly confused and asked for more details. They told me she had set up an account under a fake last name and was trying to sell my most prized possessions. They also mentioned she had been pushing for a quick sale saying she needed the money urgently for a 'family emergency'.

I confronted her that night. She initially denied everything. Said it was a misunderstanding or a scam. But I had the email. I showed her the detailed list of books she tried to sell. She broke down eventually.

Turns out she wasn't really a freelance graphic designer. She had maxed out several credit cards living a lavish secret life. Fancy dinners trips shopping sprees that I knew nothing about. She was trying to sell my comics to pay off her massive debt and keep up appearances.

I kicked her out that night. She begged and pleaded. Said she was desperate and that she loved me. But how do you come back from someone trying to steal your life's passion to fund their lies?

I'm still reeling from this. It's not just the attempted theft it's the sheer betrayal. The thought that she was capable of such a cold calculated act behind my back. My trust is shattered. I'm just glad the auction house caught it. I could have lost everything.

Just noticed my usual weekly shop at Woolies had a 9 dollar delivery fee pop up this morning. Went to check Coles and theirs is up too. Seems like another sneaky increase right before the holiday rush.