Part 3The Office Darling

I wondered why our department had so few women when the gender ratio in other departments was pretty balanced.

Late that afternoon, I went to the breakroom to get some water. As I approached the door, I heard hushed voices inside. It was Brenda, a veteran from the department next door.

"That Chloe girl seems sharp," she was saying. "I hope she lasts."

"What do you mean?" another voice asked.

I stopped in my tracks.

"You think it's a coincidence your department has no other women?" Brenda said. "They've had a few new hires, but Tiffany drove every single one of them away."

My heart sank.

"Tiffany is not easy to get along with," Brenda continued, her voice laced with disdain. "If you don't kiss her ass, she'll stab you in the back. There was a girl, Michelle, whose work was way better than hers. Just because Michelle didn't get her coffee one morning, Tiffany spread rumors that she was jealous and even bad-mouthed her to the managers."

"She can't stand seeing the male colleagues being nice to any other woman," Brenda scoffed. "If a girl even talks to a guy for more than a minute, Tiffany starts playing the victim, making the guys think the other girl is bullying her. After a while, the new girls either quit out of frustration or just distance themselves from all the men, which eventually makes them an outcast anyway."

"And Chloe is young and naturally pretty, even without a ton of makeup. You didn't see the look on Tiffany's face when she saw Chloe. I heard she even tried to pull that age crap on her at lunch. It’s pathetic. Tiffany's an old hand here, and she's competing with a fresh college grad."

I stood there, processing everything.

A few days later, my boss told me I had a big client meeting the next day. Tiffany, who overheard, looked pissed. Apparently, she was usually the one sent to "represent the team" at these things.

The next morning, I swiped on a layer of my best red lipstick. The second I walked into the office, Tiffany descended on me.

She covered her mouth with her hand, her voice just loud enough for everyone to hear. "Oh, Chloe, honey, your makeup skills aren't the best, are they? It looks a little… rough."

It was true, I wasn't a makeup artist. Meanwhile, Tiffany was dressed like a peacock in heat, her white blouse unbuttoned just enough to offer a strategic hint of cleavage. I believe in dressing how you want, but for an office, it was a bit much.

I rolled my eyes, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "We're here to close deals, not legs."

The area went silent. A few of the guys suddenly found their computer screens incredibly fascinating.

Tiffany’s face went from red to white, her lips trembling with rage. She bit her lip hard, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. But instead of blowing up, she just stomped her foot and stormed off toward the breakroom.

I ignored her and got to work.

Mark shuffled over to my desk, scratching his head. "Hey, for what it's worth, I think that lipstick color looks great on you. Makes you look powerful."

"Yeah, you look sharp," another guy, Dave, added from his desk. "Perfect for a client meeting."

"Thanks, guys," I said with a genuine smile. I knew they meant it, a stark contrast to Tiffany's backhanded cattiness.

Later, I ran into Brenda in the restroom. She leaned in, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. "Chloe, what you said earlier… it was a little crude, but you weren't wrong." She glanced quickly towards the breakroom and gave me a wink. "Some people need to learn this is an office, not their personal runway. Well done."

I couldn’t help but laugh. "Brenda, I was just telling the truth."

"The truth is what hits hardest!" she said, patting my arm. "So many people can't stand her act, but no one ever says anything. I like your style."

It was a relief. I wasn't the only one who saw through Tiffany's charade. Most people just couldn't be bothered to call her on it. I look easygoing, and I hate drama. But if you shove your nonsense in my face, I will absolutely not back down.