Chapter 3

I woke up in the company's infirmary.

The doctor took my temperature and said it was nothing serious. I had a fever after getting caught in the rain yesterday and then taking the wrong medicine. I had fainted because my body had given out.

"The wrong medicine?" I asked hoarsely.

Then the coworker beside me explained that Megan had given me melatonin instead of medicine to bring down my fever. The packages looked alike, and she had grabbed the wrong one.

I was too exhausted to say anything. All I could think about was that last moment, when Enzo stepped away as I fell.

Megan came by that evening with fried chicken and iced tea, her eyes red. She apologized as soon as she walked in, saying she really had not meant for anything like this to happen. She had been terrified when she realized she had given me the wrong medicine.

She set the food on the table and held out the tea. "It's from your favorite place. I waited in line forever."

The infirmary was already stuffy. As the smell of fried chicken filled the room, my stomach churned. I had just thrown up at noon, and right now, just smelling food made me feel sick.

I turned my head away and spoke quietly. "I can't eat right now."

I had only spoken the truth, but her eyes became redder, and her voice began to shake. "Are you still mad at me?"

I looked at her, suddenly too tired to even explain.

She stood crying beside my bed. Someone happened to pass by the doorway, and soon, people came in to tell me to be gentle with her.

"It was an accident. She's already apologized."

"That's right. She went out of her way to buy you something."

"Have you been under a lot of stress lately? You seem to lose your temper so easily."

I listened to one comment after another, and my chest felt tight. I was the one who had fallen, the one with the fever, and the one who had taken the wrong medicine. But for some reason, she had become the victim.

I closed my eyes for a moment and simply said, "I just want to rest."

Once they left, the infirmary was finally quiet. I lay staring at the white light above me, suddenly feeling very exhausted.

It was not physical exhaustion. I was tired of being hurt and still having to worry about whether someone else was upset first, tired of being in pain and having to act like the understanding one, and tired of having to be the one to always give in until even telling the truth became the wrong thing to do.

After that, people at the office shut me out more and more.

Whenever I asked for project files, they said they would send them later. When I asked for information, I would discover it had gone to Megan first. Even the routine meeting minutes I got were missing pages and details.

At first, I thought it was a coincidence. After it happened enough times, I knew it was not.

They were not deliberately targeting me. They just knew whose lead to follow.

The worst incident involved a crucial contract attachment. I was supposed to receive it in advance, review it, and submit it with the other documents. I asked for it several times, but no one sent it. By the time I realized what had happened, I had only twenty minutes left.

I had to sort it out myself, going to the legal department and tracking down the person responsible for signing it. I ran around until I was breathless, but I still missed the deadline.

Before the meeting ended, Enzo set the document on the table and called my name. "Jessie Lynch, what's going on with you lately?"

I stood to explain, but he cut me off. "I don't want excuses. You're becoming less reliable by the day. If you're going to let your personal feelings affect your work, then you can consider stepping aside."

The room was silent.

Everyone kept their heads down. No one spoke up for me. No one said I had not deliberately held up the attachment, and that it had been withheld from me the whole time.

I stood there, chills running down my spine.

It was at that moment that I understood. It was not that I could not put up with it anymore. I just did not want to keep making excuses for him.

After the meeting, I stood alone by the printers for a long time without moving.

Someone called to me from behind. I turned and saw a familiar face. It was Natalie Chapman, a recruiter for one of our competitors.

We talked for a while. When she noticed how unwell I looked, she asked cautiously, "With your skills, you're wasted here. Would you consider a move?"

I said nothing.

"We need someone like you who can run a project on their own," she continued quietly. "This is your only chance."

Something stirred in my chest.

Every time I had considered leaving in the past, I had hesitated. I could not bear to leave my projects or the company.

Or… Enzo.

But now, I stood there after he had just scolded me in front of everyone. I looked at Natalie and did not turn her down this time.

"Okay. If you're still hiring, I'm willing to make the jump." Saying it brought a surprising sense of relief.

Perhaps I should have left a long time ago.