“Do CEOs ever actually fall for junior employees?”
“Was he just using me?”
“How do you know if you were just convenient?”
The AI responded with disturbing enthusiasm:Would you like me to generate a motivational poem about moving on?
No, Chatbot Karen. I would not like a motivational poem. I would like to be put out of my misery but apparently that’s against your terms of service.
I tell myself to stop at midnight. Then it’s 3 a.m., and I’m deep in some relationship subreddit where strangers with usernames likeEmotionalSupportSlothare dissecting stories like mine. The verdict is always the same: he was never going to choose you, hun.
Part of me aches so badly I want to scream because he’s so far away. Another part of me is relieved I don’t have to risk bumping into him in the lift. How twisted is that? To crave someone and dread them at the same time?
I swipe my pass at the reception gate. Nothing. I try again. Red light.
“Oh, come on,” I mutter, giving it another go. The reader beeps angrily. “Not today, please.”
“Morning, Georgie!” Susie calls from behind reception.
“Heya,” I say, holding up my card. “This thing’s dead again. Can you check it?”
She taps at her keyboard, frowning at the screen. “These systems are possessed, I swear. Let me see…” Her eyes flick across the screen. “Hmm. Looks like your pass is expiring soon. I’ll just ping Craig and get someone to let you in.”
But it isn’t Craig who appears a few minutes later.
It’s Sarah from HR.
She smiles politely and swipes me through.
“Oh, thanks,” I say quickly. “You didn’t have to come all the way down. I’m sure you’ve got important things to do. Sorry, I thought Craig would send Roy or somebody.”
“No problem at all,” she says smoothly. “Actually, I need to have a word with you.”
“Of course.”
Oh God. Is this about the intercom incident?
Patrick wouldn’t have told HR, would he? Unless he had to. Unless there’s going to be an investigation. Unless—
No. Stop. It’s probably just that health and safety training I missed. She’s going to tell me I need to watch a video about fire exits. That’s all. Breathe.
We ride the lift together, both maintaining polite smiles.
“Sorry,” I babble, needing to fill the silence. “The health and safety thing? I didn’t have time to do it yet. I know I should have. It’s on my list. Very top of my list.”
“That’s fine,” Sarah says lightly.
We pass my floor. Keep going up. My chest gets tighter with each level.
HR floor. Not a quick chat at my desk. A proper HR meeting.
I follow her down the corridor into a conference room on the HR floor. Waiting inside is Lindsey, the head of HR.
My pulse stutters. My palms are clammy. I wipe them on my skirt.
Okay. Now I’m really worried this is Patrick-related. Do I have to disclose something? Is this going to be one of those nightmare HR training scenarios where they make you fill in forms about “inappropriate relationships at work”?
“I have a team meeting in fifteen minutes,” I say nervously, forcing a smile.
