And then I got a call from the boss. “Why did you go behind my back and get the previous employee’s phone number?”

I was in the market for a new job when I saw an advertisement offering a position with hours that fit my schedule perfectly, in an office exactly a seven-minute walk from my home. I eagerly applied.

A beloved employee had decided to go back to school — at least that’s what the boss told me at my job interview — and I was perfectly suited to fill her shoes.

I’d heard that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But that’s not really right, is it? Isn’t every newborn baby too good to be true? And every sunset and mountain view? And honestly, most of my life? Certainly, there are a lot of times that life works out the way we want it to.

But this time it didn’t.

“I’d like you to come in next week so that we can discuss the details and make sure you’re indeed the right fit for the job,” the boss continued. “I’m going out of town for a few days, but I’ll be in touch when I get back to finalize a time.”

I tried to keep the excitement out of my voice. This job seemed absolutely perfect for me, but I didn’t want her to realize how desperate I was for it. “Excellent,” I said, trying to sound professional, and not like a giddy teenager. “If you wouldn’t mind giving me the phone number of the person who had the job before me, I’d like to speak to her so I can get more details about what the job entails.”

“Oh, I’ll tell you all about it when I get back next week.”

The next week, as promised, she called and asked if I could be in her office the next morning. It would be a great day to come in, since there was a staff meeting and I could meet the rest of the crew.

“Great. Could I just get the number of the lady I’ll be taking over from? I’d like to speak to her.”

“Oh, she’s very busy with her studies. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Was it my imagination or was she avoiding giving me the number? Despite its initial appeal, was this job a nightmare waiting to happen? Had the previous employee run away?

I showed up at the office the next morning. The secretary offered me a drink and said the boss would be with me in a few minutes. I chatted with her, and she told me what a wonderful place it was to work. It occurred to me she probably had the number of the person I’d be replacing. I asked her for the number, and she gave it to me easily. With the number safely saved in my phone, I went in to meet my future boss.

The more I heard about the job, the more confident I became that this was the job I’d been waiting for all these years.

The boss asked me to stick around for the staff meeting so she could introduce me to everyone. I had a great time meeting everyone and left the office in a wonderful mood. I just had to confirm with my predecessor that I wasn’t making a terrible mistake.

To my relief, she answered on the first ring and told me all I wanted to know about the job. There didn’t seem to be any skeletons in the closet.

At the end of the conversation, she mentioned that she was very upset she’d been asked to leave the job. She would have needed to slightly cut back on her hours because she’d started school, but she felt she could still get the work done in that time, and was disappointed the management hadn’t tried to accommodate her. Oh, well, I guessed that explained the hesitation the boss had with giving me the number; the boss was most likely afraid she might take this opportunity to get back at her.

I finally allowed myself to relax. My dream job was happening. I started to imagine walking into a store and not debating a million times if I really needed something. I looked forward to being part of a team again.

And then I got a call from the boss.

“Why did you go behind my back and get the previous employee’s phone number?”