Yet now, on Colton's first day at work, she was already bending the rules, providing him with transportation.
Lost in thought, I felt a strange pain surge through my eyes, causing me to drop my spoon and fork onto the floor. Trembling, I bent down to retrieve them.
When I straightened up, Verity stood at the door, her back to me.
“There’s an urgent matter at the company,” she said quickly. “I’ll accompany you next time.”
With that, she hurried out, leaving me in a sudden silence.
Half an hour later, I hobbled to my workstation. For some reason, my colleagues regarded me with sympathy and concern, their expressions making the air feel heavier around me.
While filling my cup with water in the break room, I couldn’t help but overhear a few colleagues whispering in hushed tones.
“So, Verity cheated on Tyron and got together with Colton?” one asked, disbelief etched in her voice.
“Definitely,” another chimed in, excitement lighting her eyes. “You should have seen it this morning! Colton only had a minor scratch from a paper cut. In front of all the supervisors in the meeting room, Verity put his finger in her mouth to show concern…”
Their voices trailed off, leaving a weighty silence in the air as the implications of their words sunk in.
My hand slipped, and the mug I held shattered on the floor. The gossip in the break room abruptly stopped, all eyes turning toward me.
I crouched down, silently gathering the jagged pieces and disposing of them in the trash can, the weight of their stares heavy on my shoulders.
I worked late into the night, pushing through until ten o'clock.
Suddenly, I felt a gentle weight on my shoulder; Verity was leaning against me, her familiar and unsettling presence.
“Tyron, why haven’t you replied to my messages?” she asked, her tone laced with confusion.
I didn’t turn to face her, but instead, I lit up my phone to check the unread message: [What kind of games do you guys usually like to play?]
Three years ago, I watched my buddy proudly flaunt the new game console his girlfriend had gifted him. At that moment, I asked Verity for a newly released game skin, hoping to share that excitement.
In the past, Verity had shot me a disdainful look and said, “Tyron, are you serious? You’re in your thirties, yet still obsessed with games and skins. Isn’t that a bit pathetic?”