Confused, the two of them turned around.
And froze.
Several more colleagues were already rushing toward the table. They all crowded around the laptop.
“Celia, I need help too. Can you add me to your project?”
“Me too! I haven’t had a single good assignment this month.”
“I really need this—please!”
Seven more people crowded around the table, voices overlapping, faces desperate.
Celia’s eyes lit up. “Sure! No problem at all,” she said excitedly. “Give me your email addresses. I’ll add you.”
They immediately began rattling off emails one after another.
Tina and Yulia watched in silent horror as Celia added them—one name, then another, then another.
Their chests tightened. Their hands trembled.
They couldn’t even argue now. Making a scene would only turn all of them against Yulia and Tina, making them look petty and hostile.
One by one, Celia added the names.
When everyone was done, they thanked her profusely and walked away, relieved and smiling.
Celia finally lowered her phone, exhaling deeply. She glanced at Yulia and Tina and frowned.
“I’m so tired,” she complained. “None of you even offered to help.”
That was the final straw.
Yulia snapped. “You gaveourproject away to half the office!” she shouted. “If we’d helped you, you would’ve handed it out to every damn person in this building!”
Celia frowned, confused, and looked down at her phone.
Her Google Drive screen was filled with notifications—file shared, access granted, email sent.
Dozens of names.
Her fingers stilled.
A flicker of tension crossed her face.
“…Why are there so many?” she muttered.
Tina scoffed, rolling her eyes as she flicked her hair back impatiently.
“Of course,” she sneered. “Because you’re thegoddess of kindness, blessing everyone with your generosity.”
Celia pouted, her face twisting into a pitiful, wronged expression.
“I just don’t want others to feel bad,” she shot back, irritation creeping into her voice. “It’syouwho should do better. We’re all colleagues. How can you be so indifferent to them?”
Tina let out a harsh, humorless laugh. “Oh, you’re incredible,” she said mockingly. “Since you’re so kind, why didn’t you give themyourpersonal project?” Her eyes flashed. “Instead, you gave away the one the three of us are working on.”
She shook her head in disgust. “I’ve had enough of you.”
