Chapter 12: Storm at the Office
The tension was thick the moment I stepped into the office.
Conversations hushed, eyes flickered in my direction, and I could feel the weight of whispers following me like shadows.
Sabrina's group had gathered again near the kitchenette — her loyal orbit of sycophants.
I saw her smirk as I passed, that knowing, venomous curve of her lips that suggested she had already won whatever game she was playing.
At the copier, I overheard one of them muttering.
"She thinks she's so special just because Jonas looks at her like she's the sun."
Sabrina's voice followed, soft but biting.
"Oh, please. These women always twist the truth, make themselves the victim. I wonder what else she's fabricating."
I froze, a document still warm in my hands. My pulse raced in my ears.
The part of me that had been silent for years — too long — begged to disappear, to curl up and vanish.
But I was done vanishing.
I turned and walked straight toward them.
The moment Sabrina saw me, her smile faltered — only for a second — before she tilted her head and crossed her arms, the image of fake innocence.
"I heard you," I said, voice shaking but firm. "If you have something to say, say it to my face."
A few of her followers started backing away. Sabrina let out a low laugh.
"Always the dramatic one, Lina. Are you sure you're not imagining things again?"
I opened my mouth, but before I could reply, Mia appeared from behind the divider, arms folded, a fire blazing in her usually calm eyes.
"You should really be careful, Sabrina," Mia said coolly. "Because if anyone's imagining things, it's you. Like imagining you were the one who did Lina's presentation. Or imagining Jonas cared about your weekly perfume parade."
A couple of people snorted. Sabrina's cheeks flushed.
Mia stepped closer. "Maybe it's time you stopped confusing manipulation with charisma. Because from where I stand, you're just bitter."
The silence that followed was loud. Sabrina blinked, lips parted. Her gaze flicked to me — uncertain for the first time.
It wasn't a full victory. Not yet. But it felt like fresh air after weeks of suffocation.
Then, just as I returned to my desk, my email pinged.
Subject: Scheduled Meeting – Human Resources
From: Executive Office
I read the content twice.
Meeting. With HR. And the director.
My stomach turned cold.
So this was the next chapter.