Chapter 2

The rest of the department listened to Claire, and one by one, sympathetic looks turned her way.

I was about to explain what had actually happened when Claire raised her hand at me again, making that familiar STOP gesture.

"STOP."

A newer coworker nearby couldn't help asking, "I've been wanting to ask. Why do you guys shut Emma down every time she opens her mouth?"

Claire leaned back in her chair and laughed, casual and unbothered.

"You don't know her. Most of what she says is useless information. Sometimes it's actually misleading."

"Every time she talks, I feel like she's wasting everyone's time."

Another coworker nodded along.

"Now that you mention it, Emma does bring up a lot of pointless questions in meetings."

Listening to them pick me apart, sentence by sentence, felt like something was pressing down on my chest.

I tried to explain. "When did I ever..."

But this time, the entire conference room said it in unison.

"STOP."

Everyone froze for a second. Then they all burst out laughing.

Claire laughed so hard she had tears in her eyes.

"See, Emma?"

"It's not that we're singling you out. Everyone's just gotten used to not wanting to hear you talk."

"You really should take a hard look at yourself and figure out why literally everyone finds you annoying."

After the meeting started, I forced myself to calm down and refocus on work.

The project manager finished walking through a key process and asked if anyone had questions.

I raised my hand. "Daniel, I wanted to confirm..."

Before I could finish, a chorus of deliberate coughs and desk-tapping filled the room.

"Here she goes again."

Someone laughed under their breath.

The project manager looked around, confused. "What's going on?"

Jessica, the department head's assistant, raised an eyebrow.

"It's nothing. Just ignore Emma. She probably just wants to add something unnecessary."

Before the project manager could respond, Claire had already raised her hand.

"I have a question."

Then Mia, Olivia, and several other team members began asking questions one after another.

Their questions covered the exact risk points I'd been about to raise.

Just before the meeting ended, the project manager finally turned back to me. "Emma, what were you going to say?"

I was silent for a few seconds. Then I shook my head. "Nothing."

Because the issue I'd wanted to flag had already been said by someone else.

Claire smirked as she gathered her files.

"Told you. She never actually has anything important to say."

"Every day, trying to prove she matters."

During the afternoon break, everyone gathered in the lounge area to chat.

I hadn't planned on joining them.

But I needed project files from Ethan for the next day's presentation, so I had to walk over.

"Ethan..."

The moment I said his name, he frowned and held up a hand.

"STOP."

The people around him cracked up instantly.

"Emma, can you not go a single day without talking?"

"Forget Emma. Let's just call her the Stopper from now on. Fits her skill set."

Someone called out, laughing, "Yo, Stopper! Talking to you. Can you hear us?"

Ethan joined in.

In that moment, every pair of eyes in the room was on me, like I was a joke.

The tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over.

"Give me my project files back."

That sentence took everything I had.

The entire office went silent. Everyone just stared.

I looked at them, my voice shaking.

"I hadn't even finished a single sentence. Why do you keep deciding that whatever I'm about to say is worthless?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the people actually wasting everyone's time are the ones who never let anyone else finish?"

The air went dead quiet. Some people frowned. Some looked away, indifferent.

Ethan was silent for a moment, then pulled my files from his drawer.

"You could've just said 'files.' Two words."

"You always have to build up to everything. That's exactly why people cut you off."

Claire jumped in immediately. "Emma, you really are way too sensitive."

"We're just giving you feedback. Nobody's targeting you."

The moment the words left her mouth, the awkward looks around the office slowly faded.

People started nodding along. "Exactly. So now we can't even give someone a heads-up?"

"We're doing this for your own good."

"When you move up to a higher level in your career, if you still communicate like this, people really will find you hard to work with."