OFFICE RUMOURS
424 Words
Elara’s POV
The elevator doors slid open, and Elara stepped into a world that felt colder than the night before.
The office was buzzing, but not with productivity.
Whispers trailed her like shadows — soft voices cutting sharper than knives.
She caught the quick, sideways glances. The half-hidden smirks. The quiet judging that said she didn’t belong.
Jane’s warning echoed in her mind: Someone’s out to make sure you fail.
Elara squared her shoulders and moved toward her desk, the click of her heels louder than she wanted.
Her inbox was already flooded — emails marked urgent, some with pointed subject lines, others with veiled threats.
And then her phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number:
Watch your back. They’re watching.
Her fingers trembled as she locked the screen.
She wasn’t alone in feeling the heat.
Minutes later, Jaxon appeared at her desk, his presence cutting through the noise like a blade.
“Rumors,” he said quietly.
She met his gaze, searching for the usual cold dismissal, the “I don’t care” mask.
But instead, she found something more — a flicker of concern, maybe respect.
“Let them talk,” he continued. “I don’t care what they say. As long as you don’t.”
Relief and tension tangled in her chest.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
Yet the battlefield was everywhere.
In the break room, she overheard Jane speaking to a group of coworkers — a private conversation with public consequences.
“She’s trouble,” Jane said, voice low but laced with venom. “Don’t trust her.”
Elara’s jaw clenched, but she didn’t react.
Not yet.
She was learning the rules.
---
Later that day, Elara found herself cornered near the coffee machine by Marissa — a senior executive with a reputation as sharp as her stilettos.
“I hear you’re shaking things up,” Marissa said, voice sweet but eyes cold. “Careful. This place isn’t kind to outsiders.”
Elara held her gaze steady.
“Maybe it needs shaking,” she replied evenly.
Marissa’s smile flickered, then vanished.
“Watch yourself,” she warned.
Elara nodded once, cool and composed.
She knew the game.
And she was ready to play.
---
That evening, as she packed up to leave, her phone buzzed again.
This time, a new message:
You’re stronger than they think. Don’t lose focus.
No sender.
A lifeline in the storm.
Elara pocketed her phone and took a deep breath.
Tomorrow was another day.
And this time, she wouldn’t just survive — she’d fight.
- Writer
