Swallowing the Fire in the Meeting Room and Tasting the Ash All Evening

Dear Delyara, My supervisor took credit for a project I’ve spent three weeks working on during the management meeting today, calmly presenting my data as his own while I sat right across the table from him. I didn't say a word. I just sat there with my hands flat on the desk, nodding and smiling like a good employee, while my blood was entirely boiling inside my veins. I’ve been trained my whole life to be polite, to avoid conflict, and to prioritize the harmony of the room over my own dignity. Now, sitting in my flat eight hours later, the anger is still stuck in my throat like a dry bone. I am furious at him for his arrogance, but I am infinitely more furious at myself for being too cowardly to stand up and claim my own labor.