Chapter 4- Shadows In The Office
1023 Words
Barlow Ridge was small, but even small towns had secrets.
By the third week of her job, Lily had the office routine down to muscle memory. Clock in, smile, answer phones, forward emails, grab Ethan his usual triple espresso at 10:03 a.m. sharp. He was never late, never early, and never failed to comment on how well she looked in pastel-colored blouses.
At first, she brushed it off.
“Just a compliment,” she told herself. “He’s harmless.”
But lately, harmless didn’t sit right.
The way his eyes lingered too long, like he was trying to read something on her face. The way, he always found a reason to stand too close. To touch her shoulder. To ask questions that weren’t his business.
“You look tired, Lily. Rough night? Something going on at home?”
There was no home. Just a creaky apartment and a baby that kept reminding her of its presence with waves of queasiness and a heartbeat she couldn’t feel yet, but knew it was there.
She smiled politely and deflected. Always deflecting.
But today… something changed.
It started in the breakroom.
She had just poured herself a mug of chamomile tea—one of the few things her stomach could handle—when she overheard two junior associates whispering near the fridge.
“Did you hear? Ethan fired Celia last month. No notice, just out of the blue.”
“No way. Wasn’t she, like… seeing him?”
“She was. That’s the thing. Once she stopped, she got the boots. Same thing happened to that girl from HR last year.”
Lily’s hand tightened around her cup.
She wasn’t paranoid, she was right.
Ethan wasn’t just charming—he was dangerous.
Later that afternoon, Lily caught him watching her from the glass wall of his office. Not in a casual glance kind of way, but something far more calculated. His gaze wasn’t curious—it was possessive.
She turned away, forcing herself to focus on an email.
Don’t give him power. Don’t let him see fear.
But inside, she felt the spiral beginning.
Her life was supposed to be new. Clean. Free from manipulation and controlling men. Yet here she was again—being watched, judged, sized up.
Was she that easy to target?
Not anymore, she thought.
She couldn’t afford to run again. Especially not now. She was two months along. Her body was changing. Her bank account barely held enough to cover groceries, let alone another move.
She needed to be smarter this time.
The next morning, Ethan called her into his office.
“Close the door,” he said, motioning to the sleek glass behind her.
Her fingers hesitated on the handle.
His office smelled like cologne and money. Everything was polished, controlled, like him.
“Everything is okay, Mr Reid?” she asked, keeping her tone professional.
He smiled, slow and smooth.
“I just wanted to check in. You’ve been quieter lately. Seem distracted.”
“I’m fine. "Just adjusting to the workload,” she lied.
He stood up, walked to the window, and clasped his hands behind his back.
“Lily, I know what it’s like to carry burdens alone. You don’t have to. You can trust me.”
There it was again—that subtle implication. That he knew something.
Her stomach flipped.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’m really doing okay.”
He turned back around, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“You know, I like you, Lily. You’re different from others. Smart. Quiet. Beautiful.”
She stiffened.
This wasn’t a compliment—it was a warning.
She forced a smile. “Thank you, sir. But I prefer to keep things professional.”
A beat of silence stretched too long.
Then Ethan laughed, low and easy. “Of course. You’re right.”
But the tension lingered like smoke.
That night, Lily sat on her floor, surrounded by bills and prenatal vitamins, trying to breathe through the weight on her chest.
Ethan was dangerous. Not in the obvious way, but in the way predators wear silk ties and smile while they circle.
And she couldn’t tell anyone.
There was no one.
She picked up her phone, hesitated, then opened her texts.
She scrolled past Ryan’s number—still unsaved, still unread. He had messaged her once, weeks ago: “Lily, if you’re okay… just send a dot. Anything.”
She didn’t reply.
She couldn’t.
Then there was Aiden’s number. Also, unsaved. Also, unread.
Her fingers hovered for a moment.
No. Not them.
She clicked her notes app and started typing:
"Tomorrow, I file a report. Even if it puts me at risk. I won’t stay silent anymore. My child deserves a mother who fights, not hides."
She stared at the words, her chest rising and falling.
I will not be afraid.
The next day, Lily went to HR.
The woman behind the desk— in her mid-40s, warm eyes—listened closely as Lily described the behavior. The lingering touches. The inappropriate comments. The pattern with former female employees.
“Do you have anything in writing?” the woman asked gently. “Messages? Emails?”
Lily’s heart sank. “No. He’s too careful.”
The HR rep sighed. “I’ll look into it. But these things… they take time.”
Time she didn’t have.
As Lily stepped back into the hallway, her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A message popped up:
“Careful of what you say. People talk.”
She froze.
Her skin chilled.
This wasn’t just office gossip anymore.
Someone was watching.
Maybe Ethan. Maybe someone was tied to her father.
She didn’t know who to trust.
But one thing was now painfully clear.
She wasn’t safe in this town either.
That evening, she returned to her apartment to find a small box on her doorstep.
No name. No label.
Her hands shook as she opened it.
Inside was a pink baby sock.
Just one.
Nothing else.
No card.
No message.
Just the softest threat she’d ever received.
Lily’s heart pounded as she stepped back, clutching her belly.
They knew.
Someone knew.
Her secret wasn’t safe anymore.
- Writer
