Then she set it down and opened her laptop again.
Do I protect my career, or my conscience? Do I save a friendship that was never real, or destroy a man’s future?
And Jen finally hit send.
But then came the second wave: guilt and fear. If she reported him, Mark would lose his career. His wife was pregnant. They had just bought a house. And worse—if the company found out Jen had seen a confidential email, she might be implicated, too.
For three years, she had worked alongside Mark at the small marketing firm. They weren’t just coworkers—they were friends. Late-night deadlines shared with takeout coffee, inside jokes whispered during dull meetings, and the unspoken trust that they always had each other’s backs.
She closed the laptop and walked to the window. Outside, rain streaked down the glass, blurring the city lights.
But two days ago, Jen had accidentally opened an email meant for their boss. It was from a rival company, offering Mark a senior position—a role Jen had been promised was hers. The email detailed how Mark had been feeding them campaign strategies for months, including the one Jen had stayed up all night to perfect.
“I know about the offer. Meet me tonight. One hour. No lies.”
Then she set it down and opened her laptop again.
Do I protect my career, or my conscience? Do I save a friendship that was never real, or destroy a man’s future?
And Jen finally hit send.
But then came the second wave: guilt and fear. If she reported him, Mark would lose his career. His wife was pregnant. They had just bought a house. And worse—if the company found out Jen had seen a confidential email, she might be implicated, too.
For three years, she had worked alongside Mark at the small marketing firm. They weren’t just coworkers—they were friends. Late-night deadlines shared with takeout coffee, inside jokes whispered during dull meetings, and the unspoken trust that they always had each other’s backs.
She closed the laptop and walked to the window. Outside, rain streaked down the glass, blurring the city lights.
But two days ago, Jen had accidentally opened an email meant for their boss. It was from a rival company, offering Mark a senior position—a role Jen had been promised was hers. The email detailed how Mark had been feeding them campaign strategies for months, including the one Jen had stayed up all night to perfect.
“I know about the offer. Meet me tonight. One hour. No lies.”
