My return to the office was met with a sense of trepidation. The scandal had created an invisible barrier between me and my coworkers, and I couldn't help but feel like an outsider in the place that had once been my second home. But I had a mission, a task given to me by Penny, and I was determined to see it through.
As I walked through the office, I tried to approach my coworkers discreetly, hoping to glean some information about Erickson's behavior. I needed something concrete to help Penny in her quest to clear my name and salvage my reputation.
But my attempts to engage my colleagues were met with icy silence. They averted their eyes, busying themselves with their work as if I were invisible. The jealousy and resentment that had simmered beneath the surface were now palpable, and I c
