I am 28 low level accountant, work for a 40 year old, first time pregnant, woman who wears the trousers. Also work very closely with 32 year old recently divorced childless maniac. Both are widely renowned in the office for being "difficult", which isn't to say they aren't good at heir jobs, both are highly qualified and have significantly more experience than I do.

Since I know they can be "difficult" and that I work in very close proximity with both, I have consciously taken the role of a beta, yeah fuck it, at work I'm kind of a beta. I don't want to piss these two off and I need them a lot more than they need me.

Yesterday, I don't know how it came about, we're having a conversation, and it swings in my direction, before I know it, they're berating me for my apparent lack of ambition and not trying hard enough. My work is good, they can't deny that, but that's not what they attack me for, they say things like "you need to own it", "you're not young anymore" "get out of your comfort zone" - all of which have an amount of truth in them. I'm sitting there like a pathetic beta getting destroyed, then TRP kicks in;

After I've heard enough, I start manning up, and say something like "I've been working hard, I feel like I have improved a lot in the last two years (they try to agree - I cut them off and carry on) Thank you for input though I really appreciate it, and I'll take it on board. I went on to say some work related details that I thought would benefit from some change" - at the point in time when I started talking back to them like a man, both seemed much happier, and let the whole thing go, and then start praising me for my work. wtf???

Afterwards, I'll admit, I was a bit shaken up, it came out of absolutely nowhere, and, if I'd have handled it differently would have left everyone feeling like I was useless. What I am actually capable of at work, is almost completely irrelevant I realised for the purpose of this conversation. The two of them tag teamed me in an ultimate work shit test - when I was quiet and beta in response, it got worse, when I spoke back and behaved like a man, it turned to praise.

I hope I got the message across ok and you were able to understand what happened.