I Chose My Sick Son Over a Client Meeting—Now I’m Under Review

Building a career while having kids isn’t easy. Sometimes you have to decide what comes first, your love for your family or the need to keep peace in the workplace. One of our readers reached out to share the recent experience they had.

This is Penny’s story.

Dear Bright Side,

Shortly after my son was born, my career skyrocketed, and I quickly found myself in a very fast-paced position that demanded a lot of my time and attention. And up until recently, that was fine. My son was in daycare, and my husband always took care of any emergencies.

But last week I was in a €2M client meeting when I got a call from the daycare. They said that my son had a seizure, and they had called my husband first, but they couldn’t reach him. My mind was whirling, and I did the only thing I could think of.

I walked out mid-presentation, not caring about the consequences. My son and his well-being came first. We rushed to the hospital, and they ran a range of tests on him. Turns out he has epilepsy and needs constant care.

When I got back to work a few days later, I found out that we lost the deal. Later on in the day, my boss called me and said, “You destroyed us!” A few minutes later, I received a written warning memo, and I was basically just waiting to get fired.

But at the time I was unfazed. One of us needed to be home to look after my son, and even though I earned more, I was willing to give my job up for him. And at that point I was really wondering if that might not be the best thing for me to do.

But everything changed the next day when the client showed up. My boss froze when she turned to me and said, “I watched you leave. I have kids too; one of them also suffers from a serious condition, and I would’ve done exactly the same if I got that call.”

She added, “Any company that punishes a mother for looking after her child doesn’t deserve the contract I have to offer.” She revealed that she pulled the contract after what my boss said to her when I left. But she didn’t stop there.

She came by the office to offer me a job at her company as the Director of Operations. She was willing to double my salary, give me unlimited sick days for family emergencies, and allow me to spend half my time working from home so I could look after my son. I accepted the offer immediately.

After I left, I found out that my old boss got fired for losing the contract, and he still blames me for it. But I’m in a better position now because my priorities matter, and he is where he is because his were in the wrong place.

Yet I can’t help but feel guilty for the man. So Bright Side, what is your opinion on this? Should I be happy that things ended up the way they did? Or should I feel bad about it?

Regards,
Penny K.

Some advice from our Editorial team.

Dear Penny,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your story with us.

You don’t need to feel guilty here, because the consequences your former boss faced were not caused by you leaving that meeting. They were caused by how he responded to a medical emergency involving a child.

You didn’t abandon a responsibility. You were unreachable-proof in that moment because your husband couldn’t be contacted, and your son was actively seizing. Any workplace that hinges a €2M deal on a parent ignoring a hospital call is already operating on a fragile, unethical foundation.

The fact that the client herself, who understood exactly what was at stake, saw your choice and rejected your boss’s reaction. And then trusted you enough to double your salary and hand you operational control is the clearest validation you’ll ever get that you acted correctly.

Your guilt is coming from empathy, not accountability, and those are not the same thing. You didn’t “win” at his expense. You were recognized by someone who values leadership that doesn’t collapse in a crisis.

Be grateful, not guilty, because the outcome reflects your priorities aligning with the right environment, not someone else being wronged.

Penny took a big risk and came out on top. But things don’t always work out that way. She isn’t the only one with workplace struggles, though.

Another one of our readers reached out to share their experience. Read the full story here: I Refuse to Let My Boss Control Every Minute While He Disappears for Hours.