TIFU by having my cat projectile vomit from my bookshelf during a video interview

Obligatory this happened this morning, and I'm still cringing.

I've been job hunting for 4 months since being laid off. Finally landed an interview with my dream company - a fully remote marketing position that would literally double my previous salary. I spent two weeks preparing, bought a new shirt, cleaned my apartment, and set up the perfect professional background with tasteful books and a small plant.

My cat, Milo, is normally super chill and sleeps all day. I didn't even consider him being an issue, especially since he was napping on my bed when the Zoom call started. The interview was going PERFECTLY. The panel of three senior directors seemed impressed with my portfolio, and we were vibing. I was in the middle of answering their question about how I handle unexpected challenges when I noticed movement on my bookshelf.

Somehow, without making a sound, Milo had climbed up my 6-foot bookshelf and was now sitting directly behind me, perfectly framed in the camera. Before I could even react, his face scrunched up in that unmistakable pre-vomit expression. I thought maybe I could casually block the camera or quickly end the call, but there was no time.

This wasn't just any cat vomit. This was what I can only describe as PRESSURIZED cat vomit. It shot out of him like a fire hose, arcing through the air in magnificent slow motion, directly over my head. The interview panel went completely silent as what looked like a gallon of half-digested kibble and grass rained down, some landing on my shoulder, some on my desk, and some ACTUALLY HITTING MY LAPTOP CAMERA, creating what must have looked like a horrific vomit filter.

I froze in shock for about 3 seconds before stammering "I am so, so sorry" while Milo, completely unfazed, began grooming himself in full view of the camera.

The marketing director started laughing first, then the entire panel lost it. I was mortified but tried to laugh it off while discreetly wiping vomit from my new shirt. The CFO said, "Well, that's certainly one way to handle an unexpected challenge."

They asked if I needed to go clean up, but in a moment of panic, I decided to power through the remaining questions WITH CAT VOMIT ON MY SHIRT rather than risk losing my interview slot.

Surprisingly, they called me two hours later to offer me the position. The HR rep mentioned that my "grace under pressure was impressive" and that the team appreciated my sense of humor. So I guess the moral is: sometimes catastrophic pet disasters lead to job offers?

TL;DR: My cat projectile vomited during the most important job interview of my life, creating an unholy vomit rainbow that was fully captured on camera. Got the job anyway.