Two Sides of Us

Chapter 5: Emily

The last few weeks at work had been a whirlwind, but if there was one thing I'd learned, it was that the office thrived on gossip. Apparently, the highlight of everyone's week had been me spilling coffee all over Andrew Collins, the CEO. The new girl doing something so embarrassing—how could she? Somehow, the entire office seemed to know about it; even though it was just Andrew and me at the coffee shop, the whispers spread like wildfire. Andrew tried to shut down the talk whenever it came up, but the fact that it became a topic of conversation at all made me wonder if there was really no bigger gossip to occupy their minds.

I tried to brush it off, but it was hard not to feel like I had a neon sign over my head that read "Clumsy New Girl." Every time I passed the break room or joined a conversation, I felt eyes on me, waiting for me to do something else to reinforce the narrative they had built. It was exhausting.

Zoe, on the other hand, had been a breath of fresh air. She was the head of customer experience and, over the last few weeks, had become one of my closest friends in the city. Zoe was short, with curly black hair she always pinned up neatly, and warm brown eyes that made you feel like she really saw you. She had a knack for cutting through the nonsense with a single look, and I appreciated that more than I could say.

"Don't worry about those idiots," Zoe said when she first heard about the coffee incident. "They'll find something else to talk about soon enough. Besides, you're doing great. Andrew wouldn't have hired you if you weren't."

I nodded along, grateful for her support, but the reality was that I was struggling. Not with the work itself—I could handle the workload, even though it was more than I'd anticipated—but with fitting in. The office felt like a battlefield at times, and I was constantly on guard.

And then there was Rachel.

To my face, Rachel was warm, friendly even. She always had a smile, always had something nice to say. But behind my back, it was a different story. I'd overheard enough snippets of conversation, seen enough sidelong glances, to know she was making things difficult for me in ways that weren't immediately obvious. Rachel had a talent for gaslighting, for making me question my own actions and words, and it was driving me insane. I couldn't shake the gut-wrenching feeling that it had been Rachel who told everyone about the coffee incident. It was just the kind of petty, spiteful thing she'd do to knock me down a peg.

Rachel's favorite topic of conversation—when she wasn't subtly undermining me—was her upcoming wedding. She talked about it loudly, making sure everyone within earshot knew every detail: the flowers, the venue, the guest list. Everyone was invited, it seemed, except me. I hadn't expected an invitation, but the way Rachel went out of her way to exclude me was clear. Zoe, who despised Rachel, had taken to making snide remarks about the wedding whenever Rachel was around, just to annoy her. It was the only thing that made the whole situation bearable.

I sighed, staring at the mountain of paperwork on my desk. The new project I was working on was supposed to be a major initiative—an expansion into a new market with a focus on sustainable practices. It was the kind of project I'd been excited about when I first started, but now it felt like I was getting nowhere. Every time I thought I had a handle on it, more work seemed to pile on, most of it pushed onto me by Rachel and her inner circle. They weren't even subtle about it; it was clear they wanted me overwhelmed, maybe even to fail.

I dropped my head onto my desk, the cool surface a small comfort against the frustration that was building inside me. I was miserable, and the constant pressure was starting to take its toll. I had thought this job would be a fresh start, a new chapter in my life where I could really prove myself. But now, all I wanted was to get through each day without feeling like I was drowning.