Mrs. Rachel quickly sprang into action after a minute of being in shock, rushing after Diana in an attempt to get some answers. "Diana, wait! Please, let's talk about this," she called out, but it was too late. Diana had already disappeared into the elevator, leaving us standing in stunned silence.
Mrs. Rachel turned to Julia, who was still standing there, looking professional and unruffled. "Julia, can you please get me a meeting with Diana? This is ridiculous," Mrs. Rachel demanded, but Julia just shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Rachel. The CEO has made it clear that she's not to be disturbed. I've been instructed to escort you out of the building," Julia said, her voice firm but polite.
Mrs. Rachel's face fell, and she looked like she was about to argue, but then her phone buzzed. She pulled it out and scanned the screen, her expression growing darker by the second.
"What is it?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
Mrs. Rachel looked up at us, her eyes flashing with anger and disappointment. "It's an email from Diana," she said, her voice tight with emotion. "The project has been officially cancelled. It seems Diana's decision is final."
The team let out a collective gasp, and I could feel the disappointment and shock radiating from them. We'd all worked so hard on this project, and to have it cancelled like this was devastating.
Mrs. Rachel's eyes scanned the email again, her face growing paler by the second. "This can't be it," she muttered to herself. "We can't just... it's not fair."
I felt a pang of sympathy for Mrs. Rachel. She'd put her heart and soul into this project, and to see it cancelled like this was clearly devastating for her. The team started murmuring among themselves, trying to process what had just happened. I just stood there, feeling numb and trapped. I'd known this could happen, but I'd never thought it would actually come to this.
As we stood there, trying to make sense of things, Julia stepped forward. "I'm sorry, team. I know this is disappointing. Let me escort you out of the building."
Through out the entire drama, Maxie's head was down... Obviously filled with anger
As Julia and Maxie escorted us out of the office, I tried to hide behind Mrs. Rachel and the others, but it was no use. The murmurs started, quiet at first, but growing louder until they were almost deafening. My heart sank as I realized what they were saying.
"Look at her, she's the reason the project got cancelled," one of them said, their voice dripping with malice.
"I heard she slept with the boss's husband," another one chimed in. "No wonder she was so desperate to get out of here."
"I'm surprised she didn't get fired sooner," someone else said. "I mean, who tries to seduce their boss?"
The murmurs grew louder and more vicious, and I felt my face burning with shame. I tried to keep my head down, but I could feel the weight of their stares. Maxie's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw a flash of sympathy. But it was quickly replaced by a mask of professionalism.
Mrs. Rachel and the rest of the team looked at me with a mix of shock and disgust. I felt like I was going to collapse. Julia and Maxie led us to the elevator, and as the doors closed behind us, the murmurs stopped. The silence was oppressive, and I couldn't meet anyone's eye.
The project was cancelled, and my reputation was ruined. I had a feeling that this was just the beginning of my troubles.
Maxie and Julia had gone back inside, leaving us standing outside in awkward silence. Mrs. Rachel looked like she'd been frozen in place, her eyes fixed on some point in front of her.
I felt a wave of guilt wash over me, and I knew I had to apologize. "I'm so sorry, everyone," I said, my voice shaking. "I know this is all my fault, and I'm..."
But Mrs. Rachel cut me off, her voice sharp with anger. "Not now, Sharon. Just... not now."
I felt a sting from her words, and I couldn't bring myself to look at any of them. I stared at the ground, feeling like I wanted to disappear.
Mrs. Rachel started walking towards her car, and the rest of the team followed her. I stood there, numb, until Ryan walked over to me and grabbed my arm.
"Come on, Sharon," he said, his voice soft but firm. "Let's go."
He dragged me along, and I stumbled after him, feeling like I was in a daze. We got into the cars in the same order we'd arrived, and the ride back to the office was quiet. No one said a word, and the silence was thick with tension.
I sat in the backseat, staring out the window, feeling like I'd ruined everything. I had no idea how I was going to face them all again.
Everyone seemed to be avoiding eye contact with me as we got to the office, and I couldn't blame them. I felt like I was toxic, like I'd brought shame and embarrassment to the team.
Mrs. Rachel walked into her office without a word, the door closing behind her with a soft thud. The rest of the team dispersed, some of them going back to their desks.
I stood there, feeling like a statue, unsure of what to do next. Ryan was the only one who seemed to be looking at me, his expression a mix of concern and disappointment.
The rest of the team seemed to be waiting for something to happen, but I had no idea what.
The uncertainty was killing me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that my career was over. I felt like I was living in a nightmare, and I couldn't wake up.
As the minutes ticked by, the office remained quiet, until the door to Mrs Rachel's office went open.
I stood up from my desk, my eyes fixed on the floor as Mrs. Rachel's words cut through me. "Sharon, you should have said something," she said, her voice cold and angered.
I felt a pang of regret and apology, but I knew I couldn't defend myself. I had been too afraid, too unsure of what would happen if the truth came out. I looked up, meeting Mrs. Rachel's gaze, and apologized, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Rachel. I didn't know how to bring it up."
Mrs. Rachel's expression didn't soften, but she continued, her voice firm. "You are a part of our team, Sharon. You should have at least told us you were part of the company before. We could have prepared for this."
I nodded, feeling a wave of shame wash over me. I knew I had let my team down, and I didn't know how to make it right.
Just then, Ava's voice cut through the tension, her anger and frustration boiling over. "Oh my God, I was about to punch one of them! I was just trying to hold back my anger!"
I looked up, surprised, and met Ava's fiery gaze. Liam chimed in, his voice rising in agreement. "They're so disrespectful. They're just a big company without respect."
Samantha added her own two cents, her voice dripping with disdain. "Especially their boss, Diana. She just cancelled the project because of some rumors that might not even be true."
The team's reaction was a surprise to me. Instead of directing their anger and frustration at me, they were defending me and lashing out at the company. It was a strange feeling, knowing that my colleagues were standing up for me like this.
Ryan's words stuck with me, "We are a part of our team and we should always support each other." It was a simple statement, but it meant a lot coming from him.
Mrs. Rachel's expression softened slightly, and she nodded in agreement. "Yes, Ryan is right. We are a team, and we support each other." Alex and Ethan, who had been quiet until now, chimed in with words of encouragement, trying to lift my spirits.
Mrs. Rachel's face broke out into a smile, and she said, "Who's up for the team dinner?" The room erupted into cheers and applause, and I couldn't help but smile. It was a much needed boost to my morale.
Mrs. Rachel continued, "This project may be cancelled, but it doesn't mean we won't get another one. We'll come out of this even stronger." The team cheered and shouted in agreement, and I felt a sense of gratitude towards them.
Mrs. Rachel pulled out her phone and started typing away. "Alright, let's set up dinner for after work. We'll celebrate our team's strength and resilience." The team cheered and started discussing where to go for dinner, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.
As I watched my colleagues chatting and laughing, I couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. I had been so worried about how they would react to the news about Diana and the project, and I had been prepared for the worst.
But instead of anger and resentment, they had rallied around me, defending me and supporting me. It was a strange feeling, one that I wasn't sure how to process.
As I thought about it, I realized that I was scared. I was scared that this wouldn't last, that eventually they would turn on me like Angel and David had in my former office. I was scared that I would attract enemies, no matter where I went.
I pushed the thoughts aside, trying to focus on the present moment. I didn't want to let my fears ruin this. I looked around at my colleagues, seeing the smiles and laughter, and I felt a sense of hope. Maybe this time would be different. Maybe this team would be different.
But the fear was still there, lurking in the back of my mind, waiting to pounce. I knew it would take time to fully trust my colleagues, to believe that they would stand by me no matter what. But for now, I was willing to take the chance.