“Fine. I’ll do it.”
Camille showed up at nine.
She walked in with three assistants, each carrying a tray of coffees.
She’d brought enough for the entire department. Over thirty people. Everyone got one. Except me.
A few teammates noticed right away and offered me theirs.
I waved them off with a smile.
Then Camille’s voice cut across the room.
“Oh, Ms. Bennett didn’t get one? Must have miscounted. You don’t mind, do you?”
She set the last coffee in front of Graham.
“Here, extra shot, no sugar. Your old go-to, remember? From college.”
Graham smiled and shook his head.
“Haven’t had one of those in years.”
She pouted, putting on a show.
“Excuse me? I used to make you three of these a day back in school, and you drank every last drop. Now you won’t drink it unless I personally brew it?”
Graham’s voice was patient, almost gentle.
“Doctor told me to cut back on caffeine at my last physical.”
“Fine, fine.”
Camille turned to me and held the cup out, chin up, like tossing a treat to a stray dog.
The packed conference room went dead quiet.
I held her gaze for a beat, then walked over.
My fingers were an inch from the cup when it tipped. Scalding coffee splashed across the back of my hand.
A few drops caught the hem of Camille’s skirt. She gasped like I’d thrown it on her.
“Are you kidding me? You can’t even take a cup without making a mess?”
The skin on my hand was already turning red. I pressed my lips together and said nothing.
Graham spoke from across the table.
“Apologize. Then get out.”
I looked up at him.
His eyes flicked to the coffee stain on Camille’s white skirt, then back to his screen.
“Meeting starts now. Are you going to hold everyone up?”
Nobody breathed.
This wasn’t about the coffee. It was about making everyone in the room see who mattered and who didn’t.
The message was for every person who’d tried to stand up for me.
Blood rushed in my ears.
Then everything went still.
“Fine.”
“I’m sorry.”