When the company owner barged in and abruptly fired me for wearing second-hand clothes, my world imploded. Little did I know, my co-workers were planning an act that would turn everything around and emphasize the true strength of our workplace community.
Never did I think that buying clothes from a thrift store would cost me my job. But life’s full of surprises, especially when you’re a single mother struggling to make ends meet.
It began like any other Tuesday morning. I was at my desk, taking calls and welcoming clients with my usual cheer. The office buzzed with its routine hustle — keys clacking, printers working, and the aroma of fresh coffee in the air.
Kate from HR peeked around the corner. “Hey Claire, how are the kids?”
“Oh, you know,” I chuckled. “Sophie’s engrossed in her science project, and Noah’s set on memorizing every dinosaur name.”
Kate smiled. “Sounds like you have your hands full.”
“Always,” I said. “But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Just then, the elevator chimed. The doors opened to reveal a familiar face I hadn’t seen in over a year — Victor, the company owner.
Panic surged through me. I quickly stood, smoothing my thrift store blouse. “Good morning, Mr. Harrison! Welcome back!”
Victor’s eyes narrowed at me, his expression hardening. “What are you wearing?”
I glanced at my outfit, puzzled. “I — ”
“Is this how you present yourself to our clients?” he demanded loudly. “In these… these rags?”
The office fell silent, every eye on us.
“Mr. Harrison, I — ”
“No excuses,” he interrupted. “A receptionist’s attire should reflect our brand. You’re terminated. Leave immediately.”
My world spun. “But sir, I’m a single mom. I can’t — ”
“Out!” he shouted. “Now!”
Tears stung as I gathered my belongings. Kate tried to intervene, but Victor silenced her with a glare.
The drive home was a blur. How would I explain this to Sophie and Noah? How would we survive? I unlocked our apartment door, and there they were — my little warriors.
Sophie instantly knew something was wrong. “Mom, what happened?”
I hugged them close, the smell of grape juice and play-doh soothing me. “I lost my job today, sweethearts.”
Noah hugged me tighter. “It’s okay, Mommy. We still love you.”
I stifled a sob. “I love you too, munchkins. So much.”
Horrifying moment Eddie Hall passed out doing brutal strongman challenge that most people wouldn’t dare to attempt
When it comes to Strongmen, Eddie Hall just has to be one of the most famous in Britain.
The bloke’s a legend and has delivered us with all sorts of memorable moments from knocking out two brothers in one round during his MMA debut to that time he leg pressed 1,000kg.
But the former UK’s Strongest Man doesn’t half put himself through it, that’s for sure. Like during a previous competition, when footage captured the horrifying moment Hall passed out during a brutal Strongman challenge that most people wouldn’t dare to even attempt.
The now 36-year-old was participating in the Conan’s Wheel event, titled after the famed character of ‘muscle and might’ – Conan the Barbarian.
Conan’s Wheel is tipped by Strongman as a ‘test of unrivalled endurance and strength’ that demands ‘not just muscle power but mental stamina’.
Basically, it’s a yards-long bar, fitted onto a pivot and at the end of ‘Conan’s Bar’ are typically weights that the athlete must then lift and carry around.
The dreaded challenge is now a vital component in premier strength competitions around the world but certainly isn’t for the faint hearted.
And when Hall was competing to become Britain’s Strongest Man in 2014, the video shows just what it put him through.
The commentator can be heard saying: “This is mind over matter and his mind says the pain does not matter,” as The Beast carries the bar.
As he completes full circles of the wheel, it’s noted that Hall is going slower than his competitor as they explain that with ‘his body shape, you wouldn’t expect him to do particularly well here’.
He appears to be starting to struggle as his arms start to ‘sink down to his waist’ and he’s ‘barely able to move’.
As he gets slower, Hall then drops the bar, falling to his knees and onto his back as he appears to pass out after doing 720 degrees of ‘Conan’s Circle’.
Hall collapsed to the floor. ( Giants Live STRONGMAN/YouTube)
Crew then rush over to the Strongman as he soon comes round and gets back to his feet ‘covered in paint and covered in glory’.
You certainly can’t knock Hall’s determination, it still worked out for him, as he ended up winning his first Britain’s Strongest Man title that year.
That started off an impressive run for him, as he won his fifth straight Britain’s Strongest Man competition in 2018 before retiring from the competitions shortly after. What a legend.
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