It started with whispers.
At first, Elena thought she was imagining it the way her coworkers exchanged glances when she entered the office, the sudden silence that followed her steps down the hallway. But by mid-morning, she couldn’t deny it anymore.
Something had spread.
At the copier, two interns hushed their conversation when she passed. At the break room, she felt eyes trailing her, judgment heavy in their gaze. Her skin prickled, her heartbeat quickening as if she was walking through a minefield.
Finally, one brave colleague, a woman from accounting, approached her with a strained smile. “Elena… I just wanted to warn you. People are talking.”
Elena frowned. “Talking? About what?”
The woman hesitated, lowering her voice. “About you. And… Mr. Blackwell.”
Elena’s stomach dropped.
