The Stalker at my Job

Disturbing Discovery

Chapter 3

That night, Emily lay awake, staring at the ceiling, her mind replaying the day's events. Each creak of her apartment sent her heart racing. She reached for her phone, scrolling through the messages again, her mind whirling with possible explanations. But none made sense. Who could it be? How did they get her number? She felt trapped in a nightmare, unable to escape the eerie feeling that someone was getting closer.

By the time her alarm rang, she'd barely slept, but she was determined to face the day. She would not let whoever was behind this control her. Walking into the office that morning, she steeled herself, determined to push the strange occurrences out of her mind. She'd find a way to focus on her work and maybe confide in HR if things got worse.

As she entered her office, she noticed a small, folded note sitting on her chair. It looked identical to the one she'd received on her first day. Her breath caught as she picked it up and unfolded it slowly, dreading what she might find.

"Did you sleep well?"

Emily's pulse quickened, a chill spreading through her limbs. She wanted to scream or demand answers from someone—anyone—but she knew how that would look. She was new, and she didn't want her reputation tarnished on her second week. Still, she needed to figure out who was behind this.

Throughout the day, her senses were heightened, every sound amplified, every movement suspect. When lunch came, she spotted Sara and headed over, feeling a mix of relief and hesitation. She hadn't told anyone about the notes, but now the secrecy felt unbearable.

"Sara, can we talk? Privately?" Emily asked, forcing a smile to hide her unease.

Sara looked concerned but nodded, leading her to a quiet corner of the cafeteria. "Everything okay?"

Emily took a shaky breath. "This might sound crazy, but... I think someone's messing with me. I've been getting these weird notes, and last night, I got a text from an unknown number saying, 'See you tomorrow.' I don't know who's doing it, but it's really freaking me out."

Sara's expression shifted from concern to alarm. "Emily, that's not normal. Are you sure it's not a prank? Maybe one of the guys from IT? They can be kind of... well, let's just say they've pulled pranks on new people before."

"I thought of that, but this feels different. More personal," Emily replied, swallowing back her fear. "It's not just jokes. It's like... someone's watching me."

Sara's face grew tense. "Maybe you should talk to HR or even security. If it's someone in the building, they should be able to check."

Emily nodded, grateful for the support. She returned to her desk, feeling a little more at ease, but her mind was still racing. She decided to make a mental list of anyone who'd seemed overly interested in her since she'd started. The list was short—Sara, a few people in her department, and a quiet guy from IT named Mark, who'd helped set up her computer on her first day.

By the end of the day, she'd gathered enough courage to approach HR. She recounted the anonymous notes, the strange text, and the feeling that someone was following her. The HR manager, an older woman named Linda, listened with a calm but serious expression.

"We'll take this seriously, Emily. I'll notify security, and we'll start looking into who might be behind this," Linda said, jotting down notes. "In the meantime, try to stay aware of your surroundings. And if anything else happens, come straight to me."

Relieved, Emily thanked her and left. But as she made her way to the parking garage that evening, her nerves returned. The cold, echoing garage felt like a cage, each step reverberating off the concrete walls. She reached her car, fumbled with her keys, and froze.

There, under her windshield wiper, was another note.

"HR can't help you."

Her stomach churned, and her vision blurred as fear wrapped around her like a vice. She ripped the note off her windshield and jumped into her car, locking the doors. Her hands shook as she started the engine, glancing in the rearview mirror. For a split second, she thought she saw a shadow disappear behind one of the concrete pillars.

Peeling out of the garage, she drove home with a single thought pounding in her mind: someone was determined to keep her in their sights, and she was beginning to feel that her worst fears were only just beginning.