Ava walked into the office, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. She had barely taken her seat when a tall woman with sharp features and a pinched expression marched toward her.
"Where have you been?" the woman snapped, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
Ava blinked up at her, already on edge.
"I was just gone for a minute."
"You're always out of your post," the woman barked.
"Do you even want your salary?"
Ava's eyes flared with disbelief.
"I wasn't slacking off," she said, her tone laced with frustration. "I just stepped out briefly."
The woman's voice turned colder than ice.
"Don't talk back. Your salary for this month is docked."
Ava's heart dropped. She folded her arms, a defensive wall building around her.
"That's so unfair."
The office buzzed with whispers.
"Jade's never been this mean before," someone murmured behind a partition.
"Is she targeting Ava?" another voice asked.
