The treatment was simple but painful. At dinner one night with his boss, I convinced him to help my classmate move up the career ladder. The success- and prosperity-hungry boss gladly agreed to do so in exchange for my financial assistance to his declining office. I made a gratuitous cash infusion into his firm, after which a manager who was unremarkable at work became noteworthy for everyone in a single day. My former classmate went from a simple sales manager to the head of the wholesale department.
The patient could not believe that this was happening to him. At first, he was afraid that it was a prank or a misunderstanding. Fear of failure prevented him from accepting the fact that he could get the post so easily. However, when at the general meeting the owner of the company himself congratulated him on his new position, Sick's doubts finally dissipated. I was curious to see whether, having gotten what he wanted, he had been cured of his unfortunate habit of envying everyone. And my actions produced results. The patient really stopped envying and maliciously... but not for long. However paradoxical it may sound, but the relapse of the disease was caused by a new position, which greatly expanded his circle of acquaintances. These were no longer ordinary managers. Now the former unremarkable employee was surrounded by department heads, managers, deputy directors. Young colleagues, standing several steps higher on the career ladder, did not give Sick a rest. He could not accept the fact that they were much younger than him and already occupied such leading positions. The patient again wanted to restore justice. And, after a short time of thinking, he went back to his old ways. Only now his antics were more sophisticated. First bad luck for the head of the advertising department. My patient thought the guy was too young and cocky for the job. He put drugs in the poor guy's desk, then called the police and anonymously denounced him. Not an hour later, the law enforcement officers burst into the office with a search. It was a real raid, during which drugs were seized from the unsuspecting victim Sick. The bewildered guy was not only detained, but also fired the same day.
The second victim was driven to a mental breakdown by a hallucinogenic drug slipped into his coffee every morning. I wanted to stop the experiment and give the asshole what he deserved. But in memory of my teacher, I decided to give him a second chance. This time, however, I decided to fight the patient's illness with his own methods.....
***
In order to implement the next plan, a new player had to be brought into the game. I couldn't get one of my assistants to work in his office. My classmate was bitter and jealous, but far from stupid. A person unfamiliar to him would have immediately aroused his suspicions and he would have guessed what was going on. He had to use someone who had been with the company for a long time. That person was the janitor Vitya. He had three advantages. One, he had access to all the offices. Two, he was inconspicuous. The third was that he loved money. For a generous reward, Vitya began to diligently carry out my every assignment.
And so the patient began to have a series of small problems. He would get his new car scratched, his quarterly report would disappear from his desk, or his favorite souvenir would be broken. The patient resented it, and I hoped that he would realize what it meant to be the object of envy. However, as much as I hate to admit it, my new treatment had the opposite effect... The subject began to believe that the whole office was involved in his troubles. So he was angry that he could not catch the evil-doer, and with fierce aggression he rushed to take out his anger. Now Sick was doing bad things to all employees indiscriminately. Everyone from security guards to directors fell under his hot hand. In their personalities Sick saw vile conspirators who were jealous of his success and therefore mocked him. I realized that it could not go on like this, because innocent people were suffering. Vitya, the janitor, was paid for his services, and I made a last attempt to find out whether my teacher could theoretically be cured if he had survived.
For my next financial "gratitude" to the owner of a firm selling security and fire alarm systems, Sick was appointed deputy general director. My former classmate rejoiced like a child at this unexpected promotion. He walked on a white streak in his life smooth and confident gait. Immersed in work, he had no time for destructive thoughts, so he stopped taking out his complexes on everyone. However, envy, like a cancer, was not going to give up.
One day, one of the company's directors invited Sick to his birthday party. In the evening, stylishly dressed, he drove his new car to a luxurious castle-style mansion. The house showed the owner's wealth in every way. Looking at this palace, Sick's breath caught and something prickled in his chest - it was envy releasing its claws to claw at his soul again.
The family of the birthday boy, whom my former classmate met, was truly prosperous. But despite his education and high position, the owner of the house lacked prudence. The headmaster was too unrestrained in talking about his own happiness. He proudly boasted of his beautiful wife and seven-year-old son, showed guests photos of his travels. In their photo gallery there was a paradise corner with lush landscapes of the Dominican Republic, and the vast continent of contrasts South America, and elite Caribbean islands with "golden" beaches, and comfortable European countries with a rich history. Also, the birthday boy did not miss the opportunity to openly boast about the excellent relationship with his wife. Said that their mutual understanding and harmony can be envied by everyone. And envy did not make himself long to wait. On this festive evening it came to their house in the person of my Sick. Listening to the rapturous speeches of the director, he began to compare their marital happiness with his own unsuccessful experience of marriage. Seeing their happy son, Sick was reminded of his own, whom he had not seen for many years. A choking lump of resentment came up to his throat. Envy, having released its long claws, now clung tightly to his soul. Unable to withstand the influx of mental torment, my classmate was forced to refer to ill health and leave the party in the middle of the party. Not an hour later, he was already home. The empty one-room apartment, to which the Sick returned, intensified the attack of envy and the feeling of loneliness. A series of comparisons began. His gray dwelling and the birthday boy's big cozy house. His former perpetually nagging wife and the beautiful, affable wife of the director. His brain, like a computer, analyzed what he saw. Everything was compared: circle of friends, financial opportunities, cars, clothes. The patient was tormented by the question: why did the boss have everything that he himself dreamed of having so much.
Several days passed. Unable to fight the depression that had set in after the director's birthday, the patient lost his appetite and sleep. Work wasn't going well. Everything was falling apart. He couldn't concentrate on anything. Thoughts of how to harm the director's family happiness kept him busy day and night. The sick man was frantically searching for his weak point to strike a devastating blow. I thought about intervening, but decided that it was the director's own fault for being in the envious man's crosshairs. He shouldn't have been so obvious about his happiness. And you should have been more discerning about who you let into your home. Unfortunately for the director, it was too late to think about it.