Dear Mathira & Rose, I am a 32-year-old girl working in a corporate office. I’ve slowly and steadily made my place and my career and I’m very proud of myself. The thing is, one of my colleagues who’s a little senior than me is a tattle tale, more like a boss’s pet. He has a habit of turning our boss against those employees who he himself doesn’t like. Of late, I’ve noticed he’s doing the same to me. He poisons my boss against me, who is otherwise a very nice person. The following morning after work, I sense my boss is aggravated and negative towards me. I once even told my boss that I don’t get the right vibes from this person but he said I should be mature about it and learn to co-exist. Please help. I don’t want my boss to get more brainwashed against me and ultimately fire me. Regards, Corporate Worker Mathira’s Advice: Politics run everywhere. You just need to learn how to survive. You can always be direct with your boss and connect and bond with him in a professional manner. Office might not be the place to do that so you can always take him out for a nice dinner. If he’s married, you can buy a nice gift for them or bring a cake for his household. Try to show this side of you in that way. I’ve been judged all my life by some people calling me rude or calling me names, etc. But perceptions do change. People who hated me before now like me. I make them laugh. So when you connect with someone in a different way, their judgement does change. These same people now stand up for me every time people spread any nonsense. Also, remember that being friendly and being slutty are two different things. You need to keep that boundary. It’s good to be friendly. Also, in a work environment, one shouldn’t be gender biased. Who knows, after you bond with your boss, you might end up gaining a friend in him. If you want sisterly advice on any issue, DM me @real_mathira Rose’s Advice: I don’t know much about the corporate world but from this angle, I can sense that this person is your boss’s pet because he probably has been with your boss for a really long time and has gained his trust. It’s not a domestic issue that you can sit your boss down and talk to him. The best way is to stay out of this person’s way and avoid indulging in anything that might piss him off and end with him reporting you. You can always try and be friendly towards this person so he would stop backbiting against you. You can surely deal with this situation in a diplomatic way. Do it for your own peace. It’s not like you’re hurting anybody in the process. Your main focus right now should be to avoid pissing this person off. The more you tell your boss what this person is trying to do, the more your boss will believe all the lies he tells about you. Just get him off your back by pretending to like him on his face. If you want sisterly advice on any issue, DM me @rosemohammed777