Chapter 4

It's been a few months since I last heard from Sam. I tried calling him several times during my break in the office, but his phone seemed to be off all this time. I asked Grace to help me, trying to contact him by messaging him on his email and social media, but we still received no response.

My colleagues did not press any further about my personal life since everyone had been busy during the Christmas and New Year seasons. I even doubt if they still remember the face of the man in the photo I showed them. I no longer attempted to delete the image just in case I needed it later, though Grace had already taught me how.

As the new month began, most of my colleagues started getting excited due to the scheduled off-site team-building retreat a few weeks before Valentine's Day. Our destination was quite distant from the city, and we were supposed to stay overnight after the prepared team activity since there would be a seminar and a dinner buffet, then head back home the next day after breakfast. Most employees looked excited as we all gathered in the lobby of the Ainsley Enterprise, waiting for the assigned buses hired by the company.

"The marketing team will go to the second bus," our manager announced as he led us down to the parking area where the buses were waiting.

The ride was quite tiring due to the travel distance, as I tried to hold out my urge to puke while stepping off the bus upon our arrival at the site. Everyone enjoyed all the activities except me because I hadn't felt well since arriving at the venue.

"Ladies, please assemble at the event hall," the manager instructed urgently as soon as Chloe opened the door of our shared room before immediately moving to the next door to remind the others.

"Hurry up, everyone! We can't let the executives wait for us," Ms. Hark exclaimed, clapping her hands once.

"Can... Can I stay... for... for a bit?" I stammered in a low voice, trembling due to weakness.

"Unfortunately, since you're one of the newest hires... you're required to attend the seminar," Ms. Hark insisted. Her eyes seemed to roll back with her subtle smirk.

"Let's stay in the back row so you can go to the restroom if needed without interrupting the ongoing seminar," Chloe whispered with a subtle yet warm smile.

"Alright," I replied weakly, placing my phone on the nightstand before standing carefully as Chloe and another female colleague lent their arms to support me as we walked to the event hall.

The seminar began, but before the CEO appeared, I had to secretly head out of the room to relieve myself from my turning stomach. It took me quite a while to get from the hall to the restroom because it was quite dark, and I had difficulty recognizing the right direction.

"Dear Lord... Arghf—"

I kept on vomiting as soon as I entered the cubicle, and luckily, there was no one around. It'll be utterly shameful if anyone sees me in this condition.

The sound of applause began echoing as I hurried to clean up the mess I made in the cubicle and tried to fix my composure, fearing anyone might come at any moment. When I finally stepped out of the restroom, I accidentally bumped into a tall, familiar-looking man. A twisted expression appeared on his face with his piercing cold gaze while his thick brows furrowing.

"Ugh!"

"Sorry!" I exclaimed as I ran away urgently, tears streaming down my face due to the stinging pain in my chest as my cold hands trembled.

I felt offended by his reaction, but he had every right to feel disgusted bumping into a filthy thing such as myself. He had probably caught on to the stench of the vomit reeking from my body.

"Perfume... I need perfume," I muttered as soon as I returned to our room, rummaging through my bag for the small, cheap perfume I had brought before frantically spraying it all over my body.

"Is it... lavender?" Chloe inquired, entering the room with our roommates behind her.

Trailing, I replied, "Oh... yes... it is," grasping the bottle of the cheap perfume between my hands.

"Is that from Vinsace?" another female colleague asked.

"I don't think so," Ms. Hark scoffed. "Vinsace would never sell such a cheap scent."

"Right, it's... just a similar scent from a cheaper brand," I confessed, my voice trembling.

"A knock-off?" Ms. Hark sneered.

"I like the scent, though," Chloe said, smiling as she sat beside me, trying to sniff my perfume. "No wonder you always smell nice."

Despite the initial embarrassment from Ms. Hark's scoffing, I felt relieved to learn that Chloe and the others don't care whether or not the things I use are branded. Everything went well the next day, and my health improved after a proper sleep. However, I never knew I'd lose something important before we returned to the city.

******************

"How could you lose your phone?" Grace yelled, typing and clicking on her computer while attempting to trace my phone via her laptop.

"I... I thought I already placed it in my bag," I explained, still trying to rummage through my already-emptied bag.

"Huh! I can't locate it," she whined, punching her chest a few times before saying, "Ask your colleagues by Monday if they've seen your phone by chance."

"Okay..."

My tears couldn't stop dripping from my eyes while I was trembling. It was the first expensive item I had ever had, but I lost it just a few months after it was gifted.

My mind wandered the following days due to disbelief. I tried asking Chloe and the others immediately when I arrived at the office during the working day, but they all said they didn't see it. Grace even reached out to the management of the event venue that our company rented and promised to try their best to find it in their vicinity. They only reported back a few days later, stating they couldn't see it anywhere in the facility, even in the room we used.

I gave up at that point and tried to move forward. I no longer have any option but to accept that I have lost the phone for good. I did my best not to get depressed over such a trivial matter, but things suddenly got tough in the office.

"Have you seen the email blast this morning? About the modern Cinderella who's dating an executive..." a staff from another department grumbled loudly to another as I walked inside the elevator.

"Yes, I've read it," replied the other woman. "She even got hired here, though she didn't finish her degree."

"Right? An undergrad! I bet she used her body to get in," the other snickered, followed by their loud laughter that echoed in the elevator before the door opened. They stepped out, still chuckling while whispering to one another.

My heart thumped wildly, facing the elevator wall while grasping at the cold metal wall. My knees trembled as I leaned forward to prevent myself from stumbling down in shock.

"No... No. No. This... This can't be..." I muttered to myself. I was fumbling my fingers secretly, trying not to show weakness to others inside the elevator.

As soon as the elevator reached the eighteenth floor, I ran out and went straight to our department, then dashed to my desk, checking if I had gotten a similar email the ladies were referring to. I didn't even see the reaction of my colleagues when I entered the room.

A cold breeze suddenly surrounded me, and my knees felt weak as I tumbled down on my computer chair, staring at the screen. I almost fell if I didn't manage to grab the table to regain my balance.

My gaze roamed the room, and most couldn't look me in the eye with a grim look on their faces. Some even rolled their eyes at me.

"Geeze! I can't believe we have an orphan liar on our team!" a male colleague scoffed as he walked along the aisle beside my desk.

"Right! No wonder she could only afford a knock-off perfume," Ms. Hark added as she sipped her coffee, grinning ear to ear.

"I can't believe you lied to us," Chloe muttered as she faced her back against me.

"It's not like that... I didn't mean to lie," I muttered, though the buzzing and clanking sound of the printer not far from my seat overshadows my voice.

I lean forward on my desk, supporting the weight of my heavy head. I could feel my strength leaving my body as my lips quivered. The dark past during my university days seemed to repeat itself.

My breaths were heavy as my body trembled, and tears streamed down my cheeks. Crouching forward, I braced myself, trying to begin working on my task even though it was hard to focus. The grim look on everyone's faces signifies the weight of my sin for telling lies about my origin, surrounded by sharp gazes that could bore a hole in my petite body.