TWENTY-EIGHT

Abby and Sarah sat at their respective desks, their fingers typing away on their keyboards, the sound of clicking keys filling the room. The air was quiet, except for the hum of the computers and the occasional beep from an email notification.

Abby was focused on her work, her eyes scanning the screen as she typed out a report. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, and her fingers moved quickly over the keyboard. Sarah, on the other hand, was typing out an email, her fingers moving more slowly and deliberately as she carefully crafted each sentence.

Every now and then, one of them would pause and glance up at the clock on the wall.

The sound of their typing was almost rhythmic, a steady beat that filled the room. Occasionally, Abby would tap her foot on the ground in time with the typing, a small but noticeable addition to the sound.

As the minutes ticked by, the tension in the room began to build.

The clock was ticking with rhythmic precision, its sound filling the room with a steady beat that could be heard in the background of every other noise.

As the seconds ticked away, the clock's pendulum swung back and forth in a gentle, hypnotic motion. The ticking of the clock was not too loud, nor too soft, but just the right volume to be heard but not obtrusive.

Abby and Sarah worked silently, each lost in their own thoughts as they prepared for the meeting. The sound of the keys clicking grew louder, the rhythm faster and more urgent.

Then suddenly, the sound of the door opening shattered the quiet. Abby and Sarah both looked up, their fingers freezing on their keyboards. It was Jared.

The clicking of the keys had stopped, leaving an uncomfortable silence in the air. The only sound was the soft hum of the computers.

Jared strode into the office, his eyes scanning the room with a critical gaze.

wearing a navy blue suit with a crisp white shirt and a matching tie. The suit appeared to be well-tailored and fitted him perfectly. The jacket hugged his shoulders and the pants tapered down to his black leather dress shoes. The shirt was neatly tucked in, showing off a silver belt buckle that sparkled under the fluorescent lights.

Underneath the suit jacket, Jared wore a black vest that added an extra layer of sophistication to his outfit. The vest was buttoned up to the middle, revealing a hint of his white shirt underneath. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong forearms.

Jared's hair was neatly combed back, revealing his chiseled jawline and sharp cheekbones. He wore a silver watch on his wrist, which matched the buckle on his belt. His overall appearance exuded power and authority, with a touch of refinement.

Abby and Sarah quickly stood up from their seats, hoping to catch their boss's attention.

"Good morning, sir" Abby said, trying to sound as professional as possible.

"Morning, sir" Sarah echoed, her eyes trained on Jared's stern face.

Jared's gaze flickered towards Lyra's empty chair, and a frown creased his brow.

"Where's Lyra?" he asked, his voice tinged with annoyance.

Abby and Sarah exchanged a quick glance, a worried look passing between them.

Uh, Lyra's not in today," Abby replied, trying to sound as casual as possible. "She was in an accident last night and is currently hospitalized."

Jared's eyes widened in surprise.

"What?”

"I can't believe she's slacking off again."

Abby felt her irritation rising. She knew that Lyra had been in an accident and was currently in the hospital. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"With all due respect, she's not slacking off. She was in an accident last night and is currently hospitalized. I've already put in a report with the HR team."

Jared felt a pang of embarrassment as Abby informed him about Lyra's accident and hospitalization. He realized that he had been too quick to jump to conclusions and make assumptions about Lyra's work ethic, without knowing the full story. He was feeling cornered and uncomfortable in this moment, his face flushing slightly with embarrassment.

Jared had always prided himself on being a fair and understanding boss, and he was ashamed that he had misjudged Lyra so harshly. He was also frustrated with himself for not knowing about her situation earlier, as it made him look like an uninformed and uncaring boss.

As he stood there in the office, he could feel Abby and Sarah's eyes on him, waiting for him to say something. But Jared didn't know what to say. He felt his pride and ego pushing him to maintain a strong facade, but he knew deep down that he was in the wrong.

Jared cleared his throat awkwardly and looked around the room, avoiding eye contact with Abby and Sarah. He knew that he had to acknowledge his mistake, but he didn't know how. He felt a knot forming in his stomach, and his hands started to sweat as he tried to think of what to say.

“Continue your work,” He spoke in a flat tone, trying to sound as composed as possible, walking away.

Abby and Sarah exchanged glances as Jared abruptly left the office without saying anything. Sarah shook her head and muttered under her breath,

"What's his deal, really?"

Abby just shrugged and said,

"Just bosses being bossy. Don't worry about it."

She continued typing away at her computer, trying to ignore the tension that had just filled the room.

But Sarah wasn't convinced. "I don't know, something about him just rubs me the wrong way. He always seems so...I don't know...condescending."

Abby nodded in agreement, but didn't want to dwell on it.

"Yeah, well, we've got work to do. Let's get back to it."

She tried to sound cheerful, but her mind was still reeling from Jared's earlier comment about Lyra slacking off.

Sarah nodded and turned back to her computer.