I was sitting in my usual secluded corner of the office, buried in spreadsheets, when one of my coworkers,Maya, I think her name was,"dropped a paperback on my desk.
"You work too much, Elena," she said with a smile. "Take a break. Read something fun for once."
I glanced at the cover. A shirtless man looming over a wide-eyed woman, title in dripping red foil. Dark romance.
I hated that genre.
To me, it was never love. It was violence dressed up in a suit, lust mistaken for destiny, possession sold as protection, and money as proof of worth. My brain couldn't make sense of it,why anyone would want to read about a man who controls, isolates, and terrifies a woman and have it called romance. Why cheer for obsession? Why root for ownership?
Maybe people mistook intensity for depth. Maybe they thought jealousy meant passion, threats meant devotion, and a man who wouldn't let you leave was proof you were wanted.
I didn't understand it.
I handed the book back without opening it.
"Thanks," I said politely, "but I'm good."
She shrugged and walked away.
If only I'd known then how soon I'd be living in the margins of one of those stories,watching someone else's "epic love" destroy everything I had, one careless gesture at a time.
***
The fluorescent lights in Apex Industries hummed their usual monotonous tune as I triple-checked the quarterly report on my screen. It was 7:47 PM on a Thursday, and the office had emptied out hours ago. Just me, the cleaning crew on the floor below, and the numbers that never quite balanced themselves.
I didn't mind staying late. I never did.
My phone buzzed. A text from the hospital.
Payment due: $4,850. Account past due. Please remit immediately to continue treatment.
I closed my eyes and did the mental math I'd done a thousand times before. Rent was due in five days. I had $800 in my checking account. Another $1,200 in savings that I couldn't touch,that was for Grandma's medications next month. My credit cards were maxed out. The promotion I'd been promised would come with a $15,000 raise and a signing bonus.
The promotion they were announcing tomorrow.
I'd worked at Apex for three years. Started as a junior analyst, worked my way up to senior analyst, then to team lead. I'd trained four people who'd already moved on to better positions at other companies. I'd stayed because Mr. Hendricks, the department head, had looked me in the eye six months ago and said, "Elena, you're next in line for associate director. Just keep doing what you're doing."
So I did what I was doing. I came in early. Stayed late. Picked up everyone's slack. Missed birthdays and holidays and the few social invitations that still came my way. I became the person everyone relied on and no one really knew.
It would be worth it tomorrow.
I saved the report, sent it to Mr. Hendricks, and shut down my computer. The subway ride home took forty minutes, and I spent it staring at my reflection in the dark window, practicing what I'd say when they called me into the conference room.
Thank you so much for this opportunity. I won't let you down.
Professional. Grateful. Not desperate, even though I was.
***
I got home at 9:30 PM to my studio apartment in Queens. It wasn't much,a Murphy bed that didn't quite fold back into the wall properly, a kitchenette with two working burners, a bathroom where the shower only produced hot water if you ran it for ten minutes first. But it was mine, and more importantly, it was cheap enough that I could send most of my paycheck to Grandma's care facility in New Jersey.
The landline was blinking. One message.
I pressed play while I heated up instant ramen.
"Elena, sweetie, it's Nurse Pam." The voice was gentle, which meant bad news. "Your grandmother had another episode this afternoon. Nothing too serious, but Dr. Morrison wants to adjust her medications again. That's going to run about $600 more per month. Also, we really do need that payment. I hate to push, but administration is... well, you know. Call me when you can."
I stared at the ramen as it spun in the microwave.
$600 more per month.
The promotion. I needed the promotion.
I called the hospital back, got Nurse Pam's voicemail, and left a message promising I'd have the money by Monday. It wasn't a lie. It would become true tomorrow when they promoted me and I could ask for an advance on my new salary.
I ate the ramen standing up at the counter, scrolling through my phone. There was a text in the office group chat from earlier in the evening that I'd missed.
*Marcus: Big announcement tomorrow, people! 👀*
*Jenna: Is it about the associate director position?*
*Marcus: 🤫*
*Priya: Elena better get it. She basically runs our department already.*
*Jenna: For real. If they pass her over again I'm gonna riot.*
*Marcus: They won't. Even Hendricks isn't that dumb.*
I smiled despite myself. It was nice to be seen, even just in a group chat.
I fell asleep that night thinking about the signing bonus, about which bills I'd pay first, about whether I'd finally be able to visit Grandma on a weekend instead of just calling.
***
Friday morning, I woke up at 5:30 AM, showered in lukewarm water, and put on the nicest outfit I owned,a navy blazer I'd bought at a thrift store and black slacks I'd had since college. Professional. Put-together. Like someone who deserved a promotion.
I was at my desk by 7:15 AM, a full forty-five minutes before anyone else arrived.
The office slowly filled with the usual morning sounds: coffee brewing, keyboards clacking, the low hum of people easing into their day. I kept my head down, finalizing a presentation for next week, waiting for the announcement.
At 9:30 AM, Mr. Hendricks emerged from his office.
"Morning, team," he said, voice booming across the floor. "Conference room in five. Got some exciting news."
This was it.
I smoothed my blazer, grabbed my notebook even though I wouldn't need it, and walked into the conference room with everyone else. There were about fifteen of us,the core analytics team. I took a seat in the middle of the table, close enough to look engaged but not so close that I seemed presumptuous.
Mr. Hendricks stood at the head of the table, looking pleased with himself. Next to him was someone I didn't recognize,a young woman, maybe my age, with glossy dark hair, perfect makeup, and an expensive-looking blouse.
"Everyone," Mr. Hendricks said, "I want to introduce you to our newest associate director,Ava Sinclair."
The room erupted in polite applause.
I didn't move.
My hands stayed flat on the table, my face frozen in what I hoped looked like a professional smile, while my brain tried to process what I'd just heard.
Associate director.
Not me.
This stranger.
"Ava comes to us with an impressive background," Mr. Hendricks continued. "She's worked at several top firms and brings a fresh perspective to the team. I know you'll all make her feel welcome."
Ava smiled, a practiced, camera-ready smile. "Thank you so much, Mr. Hendricks. I'm thrilled to be here and excited to work with such a talented team. I've heard wonderful things about Apex."
Her voice was smooth, confident. The voice of someone who'd never had to beg for a payment extension.
"Elena," Mr. Hendricks said, and I flinched at hearing my name. "You'll be training Ava for the first few weeks, showing her the ropes. I know I can count on you."
Everyone was looking at me now.
I forced my smile wider. "Of course. Happy to help."
The meeting continued, but I didn't hear any of it. I was doing math in my head again. $4,850 due now. $600 extra per month. $800 in my account. Rent in five days.
"Elena?"
I blinked. Mr. Hendricks was staring at me.
"Sorry, what?"
"I said, can you show Ava to her office after this?"
Her office.
I didn't have an office. I had a cubicle in the corner.
"Sure," I said. "No problem."
***
After the meeting, I walked Ava to what should have been my office. It was on the window side of the floor, with actual walls and a door that closed. I'd passed it every day for three years, imagining what I'd put on the desk, which photos I'd hang.
"This is great," Ava said, setting her designer bag on the desk. "Much better than my last place."
"Glad you like it," I managed.
"So, Elena, right?" She turned to face me, her smile warm and genuine. "Mr. Hendricks said you're the person to know around here. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me get up to speed."
Up close, she was even more polished than I'd realized. Her nails were professionally done, her jewelry was real gold, and her perfume probably cost more than my monthly subway pass.
"It's my job," I said.
"Well, I promise I'm a quick learner. I won't be a burden for long."
A burden. As if training her,showing her how to do the job I should have had,was just a minor inconvenience.
"Let me show you our current projects," I said, keeping my voice level.
I spent the next three hours walking Ava through everything. The quarterly reports I'd been compiling for months. The client presentations I'd designed. The database system I'd basically built from scratch because IT couldn't figure it out. Every single thing I'd poured myself into, handed over to someone who'd been here for less than four hours.
Ava asked good questions, took detailed notes, and was unfailingly pleasant.
I hated her.
Not for anything she'd done, really. She was perfectly nice. Professional. Competent, probably.
I hated her because she was sitting in my office, with my promotion, while I mentally calculated whether I could skip lunch for the next month to make up the $600 shortfall.
***
At 1:00 PM, I excused myself to grab food from the break room. Apex had a small cafeteria on the ground floor, but I'd been bringing lunch from home for two years to save money. Today it was leftover rice and vegetables in a tupperware container.
I was heating it up in the microwave when Marcus walked in.
"Hey," he said carefully. "You okay?"
"Fine."
"Elena—"
"I said I'm fine."
The microwave beeped. I grabbed my container and turned to leave, but Marcus blocked my path.
"That was bullshit," he said quietly. "Everyone knows you should've gotten that promotion."
"It's fine," I repeated, even though we both knew it wasn't.
"Did Hendricks give you any explanation?"
"Nope."
"Did you ask?"
I shook my head. What would be the point? They'd made their decision. Me asking why would just make me look bitter and unprofessional, and I couldn't afford to damage my reputation. Not when I still needed this job.
"I'm sorry," Marcus said. "Really. It's not fair."
"Life's not fair," I said, moving past him. "Thanks for caring though."
I ate lunch at my desk, same as always, while Ava had a welcome lunch with Mr. Hendricks and the other directors. Through the glass wall of the conference room, I could see them laughing at something she said.
My phone buzzed. Another text from the hospital.
I put my phone face-down on the desk and got back to work.
***
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I answered Ava's questions when she asked them, showed her how to access various systems, introduced her to key people. I smiled and nodded and played the helpful colleague so well that even I almost believed it.
At 6:00 PM, most people started packing up. Ava stopped by my cubicle on her way out.
"Thanks so much for today, Elena. You've been incredibly helpful."
"Just doing my job."
"Well, I really appreciate it. See you Monday?"
"Yep. Have a good weekend."
She left, her heels clicking across the floor, her designer bag swinging from her shoulder.
I stayed until 8:00 PM, finishing the work I'd been too distracted to complete during the day. When I finally left, the office was empty except for the security guard in the lobby.
The subway was crowded with Friday night revelers,people heading to bars, restaurants, parties. People whose biggest concern was where to go for drinks, not whether their grandmother would have a bed at the care facility next month.
I got home, called Nurse Pam back, and arranged a payment plan I couldn't afford. Then I lay on my Murphy bed, staring at the water-stained ceiling, and tried not to cry.
I didn't cry.
Crying wouldn't change anything. Crying wouldn't pay the bills or turn back time or make Mr. Hendricks realize he'd made a mistake.
I just had to work harder. Be better. Prove my worth.
Eventually, they'd see. Eventually, I'd get what I deserved.
I fell asleep believing that, because the alternative,that no amount of work would ever be enough,was too terrifying to consider.
***
Monday morning, I arrived at 7:00 AM to find Ava already at her desk.
"Morning!" she called out cheerfully when she saw me. "I wanted to get an early start. Hope you don't mind if I have some questions."
Of course she was a morning person.
"Sure," I said, setting down my bag. "Let me just get coffee first."
"Oh, I brought some from this amazing place near my apartment. Want some? It's a cappuccino."
I looked at the paper cup on her desk. The logo was from a boutique coffee shop I'd passed a hundred times but never entered because a single coffee cost $8.
"I'm good, thanks."
I made instant coffee in the break room and returned to find Ava waiting at my cubicle with her laptop.
"So," she said, settling into the guest chair that no one ever used, "I was looking at the Morrison account over the weekend—"
"You worked over the weekend?"
"Just a few hours Saturday morning. I wanted to be prepared. Anyway, I had some ideas about the pitch strategy."
She launched into her ideas, which were, annoyingly, pretty good. Innovative, even. The kind of fresh thinking that would definitely impress Mr. Hendricks.
I listened, made notes, and tried to ignore the growing knot in my stomach.
This was what I'd been afraid of. That she wouldn't just take my promotion,she'd actually be good at it.
***
The week continued like that. Ava asking thoughtful questions, contributing good ideas, charming everyone she met. By Wednesday, people were already inviting her to lunch. By Thursday, she was joking around with the senior directors like she'd worked here for years.
And I was still in my corner cubicle, doing the same work I'd been doing for three years, except now I was also doing it for someone else.
On Friday afternoon, Mr. Hendricks called me into his office.
Finally, I thought. Finally, he was going to explain. Maybe even apologize.
"Elena, sit down." He gestured to the chair across from his desk. "I wanted to check in. How's training Ava going?"
"Fine. She's catching on quickly."
"Good, good. She's impressive, isn't she?"
I said nothing.
"Look, Elena." He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "I know you might have been expecting the associate director position yourself."
Might have been expecting. As if he hadn't promised it to me six months ago.
"I understand the decision is yours to make," I said carefully.
"Ava brings something special to the team. Fresh perspective, new connections, innovative thinking. And between you and me..." He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "She has a relationship with Adrian Wolfe."
Adrian Wolfe. Our CEO. The man I'd seen exactly three times in three years, always from a distance.
"A relationship?" I repeated.
"They knew each other before. I don't know the details, but when Adrian personally recommends someone, you listen. That's just how things work."
So that was it. She hadn't earned the position. She'd known someone.
"I see," I said.
"But don't worry, Elena. Your time will come. You're a valuable member of this team. Just keep doing what you're doing."
Keep doing what I was doing. Keep working late. Keep picking up everyone's slack. Keep waiting for my turn while other people cut the line.
"Is that all?" I asked.
"That's all. Have a good weekend."
I walked back to my cubicle in a daze. My phone was buzzing. Another message from the hospital. I didn't even look at it.
I just sat down, opened my laptop, and got back to work.
Because that's what I did. That's all I could do.
Work harder. Be better. Wait for my turn.
Surely, eventually, it would come.