LOVE BETWEEN CUBICLES

Chapter 7

Kayla swallows hard, her mind racing as she leaves the office. The manager's warning echoes in her ears, a dark cloud hanging over her. She knows she's stuck between a rock and a hard place, trapped in a situation that threatens her job and her relationship. 
Feeling overwhelmed and stressed, she slumps against the wall outside the office, her heart pounding with frustration and despair.Kayla is leaning against the wall outside the office, her head in her hands, when she hears someone approaching. She lifts her head and sees Luca walking towards her a look of concern on his face

Luca approaches Kayla, who is leaning against the wall outside the office, hands covering her face. He can tell something is wrong.

Luca: "Hey, you okay?"

Kayla looks up, her expression tense. "It's nothing," she says, trying to hide her distress.

Luca frowns. "It doesn't look like nothing. You look pretty shaken up. What did the manager say to you?"Kayla hesitates for a moment, not wanting to reveal the full extent of the situation. But Luca's concerned expression encourages her to open up.

"He...he gave me an ultimatum. He's threatening to negatively impact my job performance evaluation if I don't do something he wants me to do." Says Kayla.Luca's expression darkens at Kayla's words."That's messed up. Did he say what he wants you to do?" Says Luca,Kayla hesitates"From the expression on your face it's bad,what does he want you to do?"Says Luca."He wants me to bring a 'boyfriend' to the company function next week."
Luca raises his eyebrow, surprised by the manager's unusual demand."Why would he ask you to do something like that? You don't have a boyfriend, do you?" Asks Luca."No, I don't." Kayla replies."But he still wants you to bring a date?"

Kayla nods, her expression filled with frustration and worry. "It was a pretty uncomfortable discussion. He called me into his office and told me that he expects me to bring a date to the company function next week." Kayla's says
Luca frowns, clearly concerned. "But why?" he asked.Kayla sighs, her expression weary.

"He doesn’t trust me, apparently. He thinks I’m single and that it’ll affect my performance at work if I don’t have a partner. It’s stupid, I know, but he threatened my job evaluation if I don’t find someone to bring."Kayla says ."That’s ridiculous. There’s got to be more to it than that. Did he say anything else?" Luca says
Kayla hesitates, unsure if she should reveal the full extent of the manager’s ultimatum. But she knows Luca won’t let it go, so she reluctantly continues.Kayla sighs, feeling the weight of the manager's words heavy on her shoulders. She looks up at Luca, the concern evident in his expression. "The manager gave me an ultimatum," she says, her voice heavy with frustration. "He threatened to make my job performance evaluation negative if I don’t bring a boyfriend to the company function next week."Kayla hesitates, realizing that she needs to be completely upfront with Luca. She takes a deep breath, bracing herself for his reaction. "There's something else...the manager didn't just bring up my job evaluation.Kayla continues, her voice shaky. "He keeps making inappropriate comments and touching me in ways that are unprofessional and frankly, uncomfortable." Luca's expression darkens as Kayla reveals the extent of the manager's behavior. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asks, his voice low and concerned. "We're not that close, so I didn't say anything. I didn't want to worry you with my issues. I thought I could handle it myself, but it's escalating." Said Kayla a bit embarrassed.Luca nods, his expression sympathetic. "I understand why you didn't tell me before, but this is unacceptable. This manager is abusing his power and taking advantage of you."Kayla nods, relieved that Luca understands her situation. "I know. But I'm scared. He's been holding my job evaluation over my head. He's essentially threatening to ruin my career if I don't do what he wants."Luca clenches his fists, anger rising in his chest. "That's not okay. That's blackmail, and it's illegal. You need to report him to HR or someone higher up in the company."Kayla sighs and shakes her head. "I've been thinking about it, but I'm scared of the repercussions. He's influential in the company, and I don't think they'll believe me. I might make things worse for myself."Luca looks at Kayla, his expression serious but caring. "I can understand why you feel that way, but you can't just let this guy keep getting away with this. He has no right to manipulate you this way."Kayla's shoulders sag as she realizes the weight of the situation. "I know you're right, but I'm just so worried about what might happen if I speak up. I've been trying to just avoid him as much as possible, but it's so tiring."