"Acts all high and mighty, but turns out she plays THAT game?"
"I heard she's always going up to the executive floor. You don't think..."
"Tsk tsk. So THAT'S how she became team lead. And here I thought it was merit~"
I tried to explain, but Stacy had already deleted the message. She followed up with a crying emoji:
"Sorry sorry, Stacy sent that by mistake~ Don't jump to conclusions, everyone! Although... Stacy doesn't really know why Anita is always going to the CEO's floor either..."
The more she "clarified," the worse it looked.
But what truly chilled me was Arnold.
He dragged me into the stairwell without bothering to hear my side:
"Anita, are those rumors true? You have been going to the executive floor a lot lately. And your bags, your clothes—they don't look like things a regular employee could afford!"
I stared at him, feeling like I was looking at a stranger.
"Arnold, we've been together for two years. You don't know what kind of person I am?"
He looked away, guilt flickering across his face:
"I thought I did. But people change. Stacy's right—you're too secretive. You never tell me anything. If you're really innocent, why won't you just explain?"
I laughed. My eyes stung.