Her smirk falters, replaced by a glare cold enough to freeze my blood. “Oh, don’t act like you’re some office hero,” she snaps at me. “Just because you’re cozy with Jake doesn’t makeyou untouchable. You’re as disposable as the rest of the rookies around here.”
Though her words are cruel, they don’t sting like they used to. “Picking on people doesn’t make you powerful. It just makes you a bully.” I take a half-step closer, lowering my voice. “And trust me, that won’t get you far.”
Amanda has gotten away with too much for too long, stepping out of line every time she opens her mouth. I’m done letting her bulldoze anyone—especially Wendy, who had the courage to protect me when I wasn’t even here.
Her jaw ticks, like she’s grinding her teeth. I think she might actually lunge at me.
But then, like some bizarre workplace miracle, Tim’s voice slices through the tension. “Alright, enough.” He approaches with his hands raised like a referee. “Break it up.”
Amanda straightens her spine, shoulders pulling back as she throws me one final withering glare. “This isn’t over.” Her heels strike the floor angrily as she storms away.
Tim follows behind her, and I’m left wondering who’s the boss in their relationship—whatever it may be.
Finally, Hurricane Amanda disappears, taking her toxic cloud and lightning-strike temper with her. The oxygen seems to return to the room in her absence.
My pulse still races beneath my skin as I turn to Wendy. “That was intense,” I say.
She offers me a shaky smile, relief washing over her features. “Yeah. Thanks, Sarah. I didn’t know how to make her stop.”
“What happened?” I lean against my desk, suddenly aware of how my knees quiver with adrenaline.
Wendy glances around to ensure we’re beyond eavesdropping range, then leans closer, her voice barely above a whisper. “I caught her digging through your desk earlier. When I confronted her, she snapped. That’s when she started her little power trip.”
“Thanks for sticking up for me.” If Wendy hadn’t intervened, Amanda would have discovered Jake’s video—his raw confession, his pain, his goodbye. “I owe you one.”
There’s something profoundly comforting about finding genuine friendship in unexpected places. Someone who listens without judgment, who sees you as a person rather than competition or an obstacle. Being the newcomer in a battlefield of established alliances isn’t easy, but having just one person in your corner transforms the landscape entirely. It makes this place feel less like enemy territory and more like somewhere I might actually belong.
“Don’t mention it,” Wendy says, her true smile finally appearing, warm and genuine. “What are real friends for if not standing between you and workplace vultures with questionable highlights?”
I chuckle at the comment before saying, “By the way, have you heard from Jake?”
Wendy shakes her head. “He sent me an email about my assignment, but that’s about it.”
A sigh escapes me. “I think I messed up big time.”
Her eyebrow arches knowingly. “You’re still in love with him, aren’t you?”
“After everything that’s happened, I’m not sure what I feel.”
“Have you talked to him since the party?”
My head shakes before words form. “He’s not answering my calls or texts. I think it’s too late.”
Wendy squeezes my hand, warmth radiating from her touch. “It’s never too late, Sarah.”
“Thanks, but it’s not just about us. I think Tim and Amanda are plotting something. I overheard them at the anniversary party—Tim basically bragged that he was going to sabotage Jake’s promotion.”
Wendy’s eyes flare wide. “Are you sure?”
I nod. “I’ve been trying to warn Jake but can’t reach him.”
“Don’t worry.” Wendy says. “If I run into him, I’ll tell him you have something important to say and that he should call you.”
It’s so good to have someone to talk to about Jake and I. “Thank you, Wendy. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
That night, standing before Jake’s door, my fist hovers momentarily before knocking twice against the painted wood. I wait, hoping for any sign of life on the other side. “Can we please talk?” I say it more to myself. Once again, he never came back home.
I press my forehead gently against the cool surface of his door, as if physical proximity might somehow make him materialize.
