The day it was decided Caroline was sure today was the day she would finally snap. Her work "friends", who always wanted to know everything, gathered around Ren's desk. Did something happen? Did someone finally throw Rebecca's laptop through the window?
That girl needed to actually do her job if she wanted to be useful—a point Caroline had emphasized multiple times, only to see no improvement. Come the next performance review, Caroline will surely double down on her team's goals.
The only reason they hadn't grown to dislike Caroline as a leader was her ability to think on her feet. Even when everything was on fire and production faced issues, she never raised her voice. And Caroline had no time for useless things.
Stefan made his entrance, looking like he wandered out of a moody cologne advertisement. No smile, no swagger, just that steady, annoyingly calm gaze that made people inadvertently straighten their spines or check themselves in the mirror. "What's the emergency of the day?" he asked Ren. He never addressed Caroline unless it involved work. Did I wrong him in the past lifetime? she thought.
Ren shrugged, his response a silent, "Same circus, different clowns." Stefan had this way of just... being there and suddenly the room felt less like a circus and more like a chessboard. Caroline watched him from the corner of her eye, trying to figure out if he was a king or a pawn in this game they all played.
"Actually, bigger circus." Ren corrected himself. "The Attaca project is ours. We'll have the meeting today. Check your calendars, people. Invites have been sent to both Caroline and Stefan." That's weird thought Caroline. Two managers on one project usually meant it was a big, fat, budget-eating beast.
"Yeah, you saw it right," announced Vikram, their so-called manager, strutting in like he owned the place. The man's name meant 'valor', which was a laugh, considering he wouldn't know guts if they danced in front of him wearing a tutu.
"You and you," he said, jabbing a finger at Caroline and Stefan—the duo that made as much sense together as a fish riding a bicycle—"are teaming up."
YOU ARE READING
The lives of those who came before us
RomansaCaroline hated going to work, not her work. Her colleagues were waiting for the day she would punch her sexist manager and walk out. But she didn't, she never would. Promotion, title, and money that's all mattered. She was not here to fix the world...
