Waiting Out the Storm

Returning to work was more difficult for me than I would like to admit. I wished that I could have taken a week or two off after the announcement regarding my relationship with Ace was made; however, I also thought that if I did that then it would be like I was admitting that there was something wrong with our relationship. Honestly, I was scared to face the scornful reactions of people head-on. Unlike reading the vile and harsh comments online, facing them in person felt much more real.

Everything unfolded almost exactly how I had imagined that it would inside my head. The people who didn’t know me personally either did not pay much attention or said the exact same things that I had expected them to say when they gossiped with each other. The notion that I exploited some kind of nepotism to rise through the ranks was everywhere. Nepotism wasn’t at all as extreme as the accusations that I slept my way up. Many also believed that I was having an affair with Ace even when he was dating