Résonance: a LingOrm's Story

Chapter 37: The Consequences of Silence

Orm had never imagined that her simple attempt to set boundaries with P'Tun would backfire so spectacularly. After that awkward conversation, where she gently but firmly told him she wasn't interested, things at work took a sudden and uncomfortable turn.

P'Tun's reaction had been unexpected. Instead of acknowledging her feelings and respecting the line she had drawn, he had merely shrugged it off, saying, "I understand, Orm. But don't be a stranger." He smiled in a way that left Orm feeling unsettled, as if her rejection didn't truly matter to him.

What Orm hadn't realized was that P'Tun's charm had earned him a loyal following among a small group of employees in the company. These "groupies," as they were often called, admired his charisma and influence. They were always around him, laughing at his jokes, and some even harbored their own hopes of winning his attention. When word got out that P'Tun had shown interest in Orm—only for her to turn him down—the atmosphere in the office shifted dramatically.

At first, it was little things. Orm would return to her desk from meetings and find her papers slightly disheveled or misplaced. Her desk drawer would be left open, though she was certain she had closed it. An important file she'd been working on would suddenly go missing from the shared server, only to reappear a few hours later without explanation. Orm brushed it off, thinking it was just careless mistakes by her coworkers or accidental mishaps.

But soon, the gestures became more intentional.

One afternoon, Orm received a cup of coffee from a colleague, a part of their usual office routine. She took a sip, only to spit it out immediately—someone had dumped an excessive amount of salt into her drink. Her face flushed with embarrassment as a few people nearby snickered under their breath.

"Don't worry, it's just a joke," one of the groupies said, her smile sharp and insincere.

Orm forced a tight smile, not wanting to make a scene. But as the days went on, the "jokes" continued.

During lunch, she would find her seat taken, her food mysteriously moved from the break room fridge, or her name excluded from group activities or important meetings. The groupies' behavior was subtle enough to avoid drawing attention from management but pointed enough that Orm knew exactly what they were doing.

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What made it worse was that P'Tun was fully aware of what was happening. Orm had caught his eyes lingering on her during meetings, his expression calm and unreadable as his groupies hovered around, making snide comments and throwing glances her way. At first, Orm had hoped that he would step in, tell his fans to back off, but he never did. He simply watched, never directly involved, but never stopping it either.

The silence felt like a betrayal. She had thought P'Tun was someone she could respect, a mentor who valued her work. But now, it was clear—he didn't care. Not about her as a colleague, or about the uncomfortable situation she was in. He was content to let the groupies do his dirty work, punishing her for rejecting him in a way that couldn't be traced back to him.

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Orm tried to remain professional, focusing on her work and ignoring the childish bullying. She didn't want to bring the matter up with management, fearing it would make her look weak or like she couldn't handle the office politics. Plus, she didn't want to give her tormentors the satisfaction of knowing they were getting under her skin.

But it wasn't long before the situation escalated.

One Friday afternoon, after a particularly grueling week, Orm stayed late to finish a project. The office was quiet, most of the staff having already left for the weekend. She was deep into her work when her phone buzzed with a message from Ling: "Can't wait to see you tonight. Dinner at our place?"

Orm smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her. Ling was her rock, always supportive, always there when she needed her. She quickly replied, "Yes, P'Ling! I'll be done soon."

But her brief moment of peace was interrupted when she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up to see one of P'Tun's groupies—Dao—standing by her desk, arms crossed and a smug look on her face.

"What are you still doing here, Orm?" Dao asked, her tone icy. "Trying to impress someone with your 'hard work'?"

Orm frowned, unsure of what to say. "I'm just finishing up some things."

Dao smirked, taking a step closer. "You know, you've been pretty lucky around here. P'Tun was really fond of you. But now... well, not so much."

Orm felt a cold chill run down her spine. She didn't respond, hoping Dao would lose interest and leave. But Dao leaned down, her voice lowering to a whisper.

"You think you're special, don't you? Just because P'Tun liked you? Newsflash, Orm—girls like you don't last long in this office if you don't know how to play the game."

Orm's hands tightened into fists under her desk, her heart racing. She wanted to stand up and defend herself, but something about Dao's demeanor told her this wasn't just idle bullying anymore—it was a real threat.

Dao straightened up and, without another word, turned and left the office, her footsteps echoing down the hallway. Orm sat frozen for a moment, her mind reeling. How did it come to this? she thought. I just wanted to do my job.

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Ling's Concern

That evening, Orm returned home to Ling with a heavy heart. She had kept most of the bullying to herself, not wanting to burden Ling with her work troubles. But as soon as she walked through the door and saw Ling's smiling face, her resolve crumbled.

Ling immediately noticed something was off. "Orm, what's wrong?" she asked, concern lacing her voice as she pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug.

Orm tried to hold back her tears, but the stress of the past weeks had built up too much. She broke down, telling Ling everything—the bullying, P'Tun's silent complicity, and how helpless she felt.

Ling's face darkened as she listened. She pulled Orm closer, her arms wrapping protectively around her. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she whispered.

"I didn't want to worry you," Orm mumbled against Ling's shoulder. "And I thought I could handle it. But it's getting worse."

Ling pulled back slightly, her eyes fierce with determination. "You don't have to handle this alone, Orm. You don't deserve to be treated like that, not by anyone. We're going to fix this."

Orm looked up at Ling, her heart swelling with gratitude. She didn't know what she had done to deserve someone as supportive as Ling, but at that moment, she knew one thing for sure—no matter how difficult things became at work, she would always have Ling by her side, fighting for her and with her.

But even with Ling's support, Orm couldn't shake the feeling that this situation at work was far from over. In fact, it felt like things were only going to get worse before they got better.