As I sifted through the documents, soft laughter drifted in from outside the office.
"Alice spends all her time with corpses and machines. She doesn’t even bother to dress up."
"Dr. Lopez, on the other hand, is so much more feminine. No wonder Mr. Collins is drawn to her."
The glass door reflected my image: no makeup, dressed in a white medical coat.
My grip on the files tightened, and I let out a bitter laugh.
Just as I turned to leave, Giovanni’s tall figure appeared at the door.
"Does everyone here have too much free time?"
"Do you all have no idea how much effort Alice has poured into the company’s R&D?"
"Unlike you, she doesn’t waste her time preening in front of a mirror."
The room fell silent. Those people paled, their heads lowering in embarrassment.
After a pause, Giovanni softened his tone. "The company’s success, and my happiness, wouldn’t be possible without Alice."
I froze. It had been a long time since Giovanni defended me like this.
Everyone else stared in shock, unable to believe that the usually aloof Mr. Collins would publicly profess his feelings.