Role A: Jerome
Jerome is very angry these days, because he finds out that his girlfriend Sharon is going out for dinner three times with Harry who is a colleague of hers. Heard this story from her friends, Jerome is very sure that Harry must be chasing 
her. What makes him more pissed is that she never rejects Harry’s invitation, and when he called her asking what she was doing, she said calmly as nothing ever happened, ‘having dinner with a friend.’ Sharon’s reactions are really driving Jerome crazy. He cannot stand any more his girlfriend going out with the same guy many times. He decides to have a serious conversation with her. So one day after Sharon gets off work, Jerome stops her outside the office and talks to her in a sharp and snappy tone.
Role B: Sharon
Sharon is very busy these days. Her company is launching a big project, and her partner is Harry. Harry invited her to dinner three times to discuss some problems they met in work. Sharon feels he might get a crush on her and he is taking the opportunity to get close to her. But who knows, he have never said anything, Sharon really does not care. 
Her mind is all about work now. Jerome is Sharon’s boyfriend. Recently Sharon finds out that Jerome is very easy to lose temper, and he keeps asking questions about what she is doing right now. Sharon does not like Jerome tracking her every day. She is tired of answering these calls. One day after work, she finds Jerome waiting outside her office, and he says to her sharply and snappily ‘what are you doing these days? Can you explain to me what is going on with you and Harry?’
What should Sharon say to Jerome? Why?
6 comments:
Sharon should explain the situation to Jerome stating that Harry is just her project partner. Also, her actions should reassure Jerome that nothing is going on between her and Harry.
As Sharon's boyfriend, Jerome ought to place some trust in her instead of being suspicious of her every move. During this time now, Jerome should also be supportive of Sharon as she is handling a big project important to her.
I agree with En Lin that Sharon should explain the situation and also that Jerome should have placed more trust in Sharon. However, the situation could escalate out of proportion by the way that Jerome initiated the conversation when he went to meet her outside her workplace. His tone and attitude were mentioned to be " sharply and snappily" and this could increase the tendency of Sharon reacting with agitation which may end up creating an unpleasant situation.
However, a similar situation and uneasiness in Jerome but with him having a more controlled and calm approach could more likely see the situation ending amiably instead. Thus I feel that our mode and form of communication can determine the outcome of a situation.
Of course Sharon should explain the whole situation to Jerome to seek for his understanding and trust. However, how Sharon is going to answer Jerome's question is very depend on how he asked the question. There are some mistakes done by Jerome. First of all, he stops her and asks her using a sharp and snappy tone. Since she is so stressed up with her work already, she might not have the patience to answer his question calmly and nicely. Second, when he asks "Can you explain to me what is going on with you and Harry?", this sentence is showing that he is doubting her and is losing trust with her. This might lead her feeling very disappointed and angry. As a result, in this situation, she might answer his question with an unfriendly tone.
For Jerome, he should ask her girlfriend in a more proper way which can make her feels better. For example, he can ask her for a dinner and discuss with her calmly and patiently, talk to her his feelings and offer help when necessary. This can not only protect their relationship, but also improve each other understanding and trust.
As Sharon
Sharon should explain the real situation between Harry and her to Jerome. As they are colleagues, sometimes they have to work together. Without explaination, Jerome can be minunderstanding to her.
As Jerome,
Jerome should keep his temper. He should not talk to her in a sharp and snappy tone. Sharon is very busy during those days, and his anger can create more unstable situations. He should ask and discuss her with a calm and soft converstation. This can give their relationship become longer and they will understand each other better
In my opinion, Sharon should explain to Jerome, what is going on with her and Harry. She should be frank and honest to her boyfriend that she could feel Harry had a crush on her.
Besides, Sharon must understand her role as a girlfriend. Although there might be obstacles in their project, they should discuss it during the office hour. She should try to avoid outing with another guy as her boyfriend might misunderstand or even feel jealous.
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