Allergic to Cheer

A couple of days before Christmas, our department head surprised us in the work chat with a holiday reward.

Then came the follow-up message.

[Team, you've all been amazing! With Christmas right around the corner, the company wants to show its gratitude with two special gifts.

[Choose between an $800-holiday bonus or an exclusive company-branded Christmas gift box for chocolate.

[Vote within the department. The majority rules, and the department head will report our decision.]

The chat went wild.

[Wow, our team lead is the best! Totally in love with this!]

[That Christmas gift box sounds so luxe! I'm all for the gift box!]

[Come on, who wouldn't want the $800? Think of all the stuff you could get!]

I stared at my phone and did not think twice before voting for the cash.

I could not help but think, who in their right mind would skip the cash for some company swag?

However, no sooner had I cast my vote than Yvette Sullivan, the intern tallying the votes, pinged me in the group.

[Ella, looks like you're the lone wolf who went for the cash. Might you have voted by mistake?]

I scrunched my eyebrows, but before I could type a response, she sent another message.

[Isn't Christmas all about the vibe? The company's gift box is meant to be a heartfelt token. Going straight for the cash, doesn't that seem a tad materialistic?]

The lively banter in the chat came to an abrupt halt, and the mood shifted subtly.

I inhaled deeply and responded, [I just voted based on what I personally need, that's all.]

Right after my message went out, Keith Johnson, our department head, joined the conversation, tagging me.

[Ella, Yvette's making sense here.]

[We youngsters should look at the bigger picture, not just the quick buck.]

[The company was all about team spirit and sticking together, and that fancy gift box? It was like the department's collective face.]

Keith had a way of steering the crowd. Once he chimed in, the whole mood shifted. Those who had been hollering for cash bonuses did an about-face.

[Mr. Johnson's got a point! I was thinking too small!]

[All for the gift box! Nothing beats team spirit!]

[Yvette is such a gem, always keeping us on track with the team vibe!]

Right on cue, Yvette dropped a cutesy emoji in the chat.

[Thanks for the praise, but really, I just believe we've got to stick together. Can't let personal choices mess with our department's groove.]

Watching the back-and-forth in the chat, with everyone rallying behind the gift box, I felt queasy.

I was the one who had dared to vote for what we all truly wanted, and I suddenly became the bad guy, labeled as selfish and short-sighted.

The vote was a foregone conclusion. Everyone but me went for the gift box.

Keith was all smiles in the chat. [Excellent, this shows our department's rock-solid unity!]

[I've sent off the results, so get pumped for the company's Christmas gift box!]

The chat lit up with cheers and a parade of brown-nosing: Keith was a genius, the department unbeatable.

Yvette even slid into my DMs with a smiley face. [Ella, don't be mad, okay? I'm just thinking of the team.]

I forced a smile, left her on 'Read', and shut the chat. I had had enough.