Chapter 10: Gossip and Grief

But my hand, resting on my lap, wouldn’t stop trembling.

I knew the deputy GM was in a tough spot too.

To keep myself from breaking down in his office, I nodded and left.

It was already after hours; colleagues trickled out in twos and threes.

I sat in a bathroom stall, finally unable to hold back the tears.

If Derek’s sudden breakup had left me with some dignity on the surface,

then losing the director’s seat to Aubrey—thanks to Derek’s influence—completely broke me.

He knew exactly how long I’d worked for this.

I’d barely slept for a month.

And in the end, it was Derek who stabbed me in the back.

"Do you think Manager Natalie will go to Director Aubrey’s dinner tonight?"

"Who knows? If she does, there’ll be a show for sure."

"Yeah, it’s really something to sigh about."

"What’s there to sigh about? Back when she was Derek’s girlfriend, of course the company favored her. Now he’s tired of her, so the director’s seat goes to someone else."

Two people gossiped as they washed their hands outside.

"What? Tired of her?"

"You didn’t hear? Director Aubrey said Derek complained, holding her hand was like left hand holding right hand."

"Sleeping with her is worse than doing it himself? Hahahaha…"

With a bang, I flung the stall door open.

The two turned, faces instantly pale.

"Ma—Manager Natalie…"

The tiled floor felt icy against my boots as I pressed my fists to my knees, trying to keep my sobs silent. The sound of the gossip stung almost as much as the loss itself—like salt poured into an open wound. I’d heard rumors, sure, but never with my name attached, never so raw and cruel. When I slammed the door open, the startled expressions on their faces gave me a brief, bitter satisfaction. For a moment, I felt powerful again, even if just in the shock I inspired. But as the echo faded, all that remained was emptiness and a sadness so deep it made my whole body ache.