LOVE BETWEEN CUBICLES

Chapter 10

Kayla steps into the HR office, her eyes taking in her surroundings. It's a modest room with several desks arranged in neat rows. She sees a middle-aged woman sitting behind one of the desks, who looks up as Kayla enters."Hello," the woman says with a friendly smile. "Please have a seat."
Kayla nods and sits down in the chair opposite the woman, feeling the anxiety rise up again in her stomach.The woman notices Kayla's nervous expression. "You look a bit anxious. Is everything okay?"
Kayla takes a deep breath and gathers her courage. "Actually, I have a problem I was hoping to discuss with you..."The woman nods, giving Kayla a gentle smile. "Of course, that's what we're here for. Please, go ahead and tell me what's on your mind."Kayla takes a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking. "I've been having some issues with my manager, and it's been going on for quite a while now. I feel like I can't deal with it on my own anymore."eyes staring down out of nervousness Kayla's eyes catches the name on the Table Mrs.Marie Molloy."Mrs." That means she is the managers wife .Kayla thinks ."Um Ms.Kayla"Mrs Molloy says.Kayla, realizing the HR rep is the manager's wife, quickly changes her plans. "I'm yes ma'am,actually," she says, trying to sound casual, "I've been having some issues with my workload. I feel like I'm being given more responsibility than I can handle, and it's affecting my performance."The HR rep looks at Kayla, slightly skeptical about her change in story. "I see," she says, "and can you give me some examples of the extra responsibilities you've been given?"Kayla racks her brain, trying to come up with plausible examples. "Um, well, I've been given more projects to work on than usual, and they all seem to have tight deadlines," she says, hoping she sounds convincing enough.The HR rep nods, seeming somewhat satisfied with Kayla's explanation. "I see. and how has this affected your work performance? Are you feeling overwhelmed or stressed out?"Kayla nods, playing up the part of the overwhelmed employee. "Yes, I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. I find it hard to prioritize my tasks and meet the deadlines given to me. It's affecting my performance and my mental health."The HR rep nods, offering Kayla a sympathetic smile. "I understand. It's important to take care of yourself and not take on more than you can handle. Take a moment to prioritize your tasks, and don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it. And if you ever have any further issues or concerns, feel free to come to me anytime."Kayla smiles gratefully. "Thank you, I appreciate your advice. It means a lot to know there's someone who cares and listens."The HR rep nods, her expression warm and friendly. "Of course. We want all our employees to feel supported and valued here. And remember, if you ever need to talk, I'm always here to listen."Kayla nods and stands up from her chair, ready to leave. "Thank you again for your time," she says politely. "I really appreciate your help."
Kayla exits the HR office with a worried expression on her face. Lucas immediately notices her concern and asks, "What happened? You seem rattled."Kayla glances around, making sure no one else is within earshot. "I just spoke to the HR rep," she says in a low voice. "But I couldn't tell her the real reason why I wanted to speak to her."Kayla takes a deep breath, her expression troubled. "I was going to report the manager's behavior to the HR rep," she says, "but then I discovered that she's the manager's wife."Lucas's eyes widen in surprise. "The HR rep is the manager's wife? That's a serious complication," he says, concern etched on his face.Kayla nods, her expression worried. "Yeah, I don't know what to do now," she says. "If I report him, it could cause a huge conflict of interest and make things even more complicated."Lucas considers this for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "I see your dilemma," he says. "Reporting the manager is the right thing to do, but the HR rep's relationship to him makes it much more difficult."Kayla nods, taking a deep breath. "I know I should report the manager's behavior to the HR rep," she says, "but knowing that she's his wife makes me hesitate. It's not just a conflict of interest, it's a huge ethical issue."Lucas looks thoughtful, his expression serious. "I see where you're coming from," he says, "and it's understandable that you don't want to cause more complications. Has the manager's behavior been escalating lately?"Kayla nods, her expression filled with concern. "Yes, it's gotten worse lately," she says. "He's been more forward and aggressive in his advances, and it's making me feel uncomfortable and unsafe."Lucas's eyes narrow, his expression now angry. "That's not acceptable," he says, his voice firm. "His behavior is not only unprofessional but also dangerous. You shouldn't have to put up with that kind of harassment."Kayla nods, her expression filled with a mix of fear and determination. "I know," she says, "but I don't know how to handle it. If I report him, it could cause a huge scandal and make my situation even worse. But if I don't, I'm afraid he's going to keep pushing boundaries and make things even more uncomfortable for me.Lucas takes Kayla's hand, looking her directly in the eyes. "Kayla, you're not alone in this. I promise you, I'll be here to help you in any way I can. You don't have to face this alone."Kayla feels a wave of gratitude and relief wash over her as she looks into Lucas's sincere eyes. "Thank you," she says, her voice quivering slightly. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

After their conversation and ensuring Kayla was fine , Kayla and Lucas return to their desks and continue working. Later that day, they each receive an invitation from a group of interns to join them for lunch.
As Kayla and Lucas head to the lunch area, they notice each other and exchange a glance. The group of interns are already there, chatting and laughing amongst themselves. As Kayla and Lucas approach the group, the intern who invited them motions for them to join in. "Hey, glad you could make it!" the intern says with a friendly smile. I'm Emily! I'm excited to be interning here and learn as much as I can." Said the intern that invited them. "Hi, I'm Michael. I'm a bit shy, but I'm always ready to help out.""Hey there, I'm Sarah! It's nice to meet you both""Howdy, I'm Daniel. Looking forward to working with you guys.""Sup, I'm Olivia. Looking forward to getting to know you". Glancing briefly at each other before speaking at the same time "hey I'm Kayla nice to meet you""hey I'm Lucas nice to meet you". "Ok now that we have done that can we please eat am starving " said Olivia. Everyone burst out laughing and the tension reduced from Kayla's shoulder."sure sure forgot to mention that Olivia is a foodie"said Emily.After the brief introductions, the interns start chatting and laughing amongst themselves as they begin to eat. Kayla steals a glance at Daniel, who is sitting across from Sarah, trying to engage her in conversation but getting mostly nods and one-word answers.Kayla feels a pang of sympathy for Daniel, who seems like a nice guy but is having trouble connecting with Sarah. As lunch goes on, she can sense his frustration growing, and she decides to find a moment to talk to him alone.
Lucas notices that Kayla's gaze is focused on something, and when he follows her line of sight, he sees her watching Daniel. Feeling a pang of jealousy, he assumes that Kayla is interested in Daniel.Despite his best efforts to hide it, Lucas can't shake off the feeling of jealousy. He watches Kayla and Daniel from the corner of his eye, trying to gauge their interactions. The more he watches, the more his mind starts to jump to conclusions.After lunch ends, everyone starts to clean up and get back to work. Kayla can sense that Lucas's mood has shifted, and she wonders what's on his mind.
After lunch break is over, Kayla approaches Daniel and says, "Hey Daniel, can I talk to you for a minute?"As Kayla approaches Daniel, Lucas's suspicions deepen. He watches them from a distance, trying to overhear their conversation.

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I'm sorry for not updating all this while I was discouraged with the views I guess but I'll finish it that I promise if it doesn't still bounce I guess that is how it is then but thanks to those that read the comments help as well even if it's one .