Lilacs Forever

Chapter 17: Trouble

Delilah felt terrible for the rest of the week. She sat at the table alone, waiting for Anita. Of course, she told her what happened. And Anita had the usual reaction.

"I know Alyce is supposed to be the mediator and all but you're obviously being harassed. Yeah, there's no proof cause they deleted it, but you should go to HR and-"

"But I don't think it's even on their company phones, so they can't be tracked!"

Anita got up from her seat and walked to the other table. "Alright. Show me the chat."

"I already told you, we're not making fun of Delilah!" One of the girls said, very annoyed. "Mind your own business."

"I know you're hiding something. I know what you've been doing to her." Anita growled.

One of the girls got up, face to face with Anita. They glared at each other, venom in their eyes.

"Stop harassing us.You're trying to defend Delilah for something she isn't involved in. So think before you accuse. " The girl hissed. "Why would we care to bother a little nobody like her?"

"I should be saying the same to you." Anita pushed her.

"What's your problem you little shit?" She snarled and pushed back.

And they were squabbling, pulling each other's hair and stomping on each other's feet. Delilah felt sick looking at it. All this trouble, over someone like her. Her face began to grow numb, she knew what she saw yet those girls seemed like they were right all along. And Anita, despite being the only one that cared, didn't do herself any good because she was technically the one that started the fight. But they were the ones that Anita, it's like she was giving them exactly what they wanted. They wanted Anita to get mad and start something. Or were they really the ones being harassed? This didn't look good at all. She buried her face into the table, begging for all of this to be over.

—-

Alyce came into the room and had to break up the fight. And security had to get involved soon. They were both sent to HR. Delilah sat alone at her desk, dreading what would happen next.

Delilah was called to Mr. West's office near the end of the day. Although Mr. West was sitting at his desk, he loomed over her.

"Hello Ms. Sanchez." He said coolly.

"H-hello Mr. West...." She trembled.

"I heard you've been the center of a certain predicament."

"I-is this why you called me here?"

"Somebody filed a complaint in HR about you, Ms. Sanchez."

Delilah's heart dropped. Somebody filed a complaint against her?

"A c-complaint about what?"

"Something about you falsely accusing them of making a group chat targeting you."

"B-but I'm not falsely accusing, I know what I saw... but it seems that I'm in the wrong because I won't allow them to... to belittle me!"

"Yes, that is what Ms. Miller and Ms. Weiss told me."

"It's not on company phones, so we can't barge into their personal phones. We can't invade their privacy to prove it... Please, Mr. West, I'm telling the truth!"

"I see. You can go home now. Have a good weekend." His stormy grey eyes bore deep into her soul.

Delilah stared blankly at the clock. It was a few minutes past the end of the work day. She could hear them shuffle out of their desks and chat among themselves. She headed out of his office.

"Oh, and Ms. Sanchez," Mr. West added. Delilah turned around.

"You're the type of person anybody would believe. I'm warning you to not go down that path..."

"Of course, Mr. West."

She went out of his office to find everybody staring at her. She kept her head down as she hurried to the elevators.