A coworker has been taking off his shoes at work, and the smell is so bad that it makes me want to vomit. At first, I attempted to ignore it or cover it up with perfume, but as time went, the strong foot odor grew impossible to ignore. Because we shared the same desk, I could sense that others were also uncomfortable—but no one said anything.

I attempted to drop subtle hints. “Wow, the air conditioning is really strong today! “Perfect weather to wear warm shoes,” I joked. But she didn’t get the hint. I struggled for days before deciding it was enough. During a calm period, I asked her, “Hey, would you mind keeping your shoes on while working?” I understand that heels can be painful, which is why I wear flats in the office.” She glanced at me, puzzled, “Why does it matter?”

I tried to keep it light, saying, “It just makes me uncomfortable to see bare feet at work.” She rolled her eyes and instructed me not to stare. I paused before continuing, “It’s not only that… there’s a bit of an odor. It could assist if you kept your shoes on.”

That’s when everything changed for the worst. When I kindly requested her to keep them on, she grew indignant, stating that she would notice if her feet smelled. She accused me of pestering her and threatened to inform HR. The next day, I headed into work, thinking the problem had been resolved—but I was incorrect. She went directly to our supervisor and reported me. Before I knew it, I was being called out in front of the whole office. My supervisor chastised me for being impolite, implying that I had gone too far. I felt very humiliated.

I ignored it, but a week later I was terrified to get an email from HR—someone wrote this remark on our social media anonymously: “Ban barefoot behavior in the office, it stinks.” I was afraid I would be held accountable for it, and it turns out I was right.

My colleague, certain that I was behind it, confronted me aggressively, asking why I was attempting to embarrass her. I insisted I had nothing to do with it, but she didn’t believe me. Whoever posted the comment eventually erased it, but everyone seemed to believe it was me.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, I was summoned to a final meeting with HR. They informed me that they had received several “anonymous” complaints about my behavior and that I had created a hostile work environment by “making unprofessional remarks and harassing female coworkers.” So, as an intern, they opted to terminate my contract early. They refused to hear me. I got sacked for just suggesting someone to wear shoes.