An autistic woman who arrived at a work away day with a “quirky but fashionable handbag” actually attended with a deeply embarrassing lunchbox, according to witnesses.
Ellie Mulligan, 34, was assumed by work colleagues to have taken advantage of the relaxed dress code afforded by the away day to accessorise with a trendy accoutrement sporting a motif of neon-pink graffiti-style hearts, only to open it and reveal snacks and a sandwich cut into four squares and wrapped in clingfilm.
Colleague Mary Walker, 47, commented: “I saw Ellie had a new bag when she walked in, and I thought it was really sweet. Then she opened it and it turns out she had her lunch in there, even though the emails all said lunch was provided! It was fine when it was a fashion statement, but what she’s actually brought in is a deceptively jolly reasonable adjustment.”
Receptionist Anand Trivedi, 26, agreed: “Ellie’s gone to her car to ‘spend time with her handbag’. Well, more chowder for the rest of us, I suppose.”
Mulligan responded: “I just like my cheese and pickle sandwich.”
Mulligan’s coworkers were unavailable for further comment due to a mass outbreak of food poisoning that largely confined them to the conference centre’s three functioning toilet cubicles and led to the cancellation of the remaining afternoon workshops.
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