Teaching Jake now wouldn’t be generous. It would quietly erase the contrast that protected you and rewarded you.
Your boss didn’t mistrust you because of your performance.
He mistrusted you because he decided to. That doesn’t change because you become helpful. If you step in, you don’t become a mentor.
You become the safety net that keeps a broken dynamic alive.
The smarter move isn’t revenge or rescue. It’s controlled visibility.
Keep documenting, keep outperforming, and let leadership continue to see the gap without you smoothing it over.
If Jake improves, let it be because he earned it under scrutiny, not because you fixed what your boss refused to see. Sometimes speaking up isn’t brave, it’s premature.
Jenny’s work proved her worth, but that probably won’t have any effect on her boss’ behavior, so she needs to decide what she will do next.
She isn’t the only one with workplace struggles, though.
Another one of our readers reached out to share their story. You can read it here: I Reported My Boss—HR Ignored Me Until I Did One Simple Thing.
