Maya POV
I thought if I kept my head down, the noise would fade. But I was wrong.
After everything with Noah and Alex, I stopped going to lunch with Tim. I stopped lingering in the hallways. I only left my desk for meetings and coffee, and even then, I kept my eyes glued to the floor. I didn’t speak unless spoken to. I didn’t look at either of them.
But my name—my name still danced off people’s lips like poison.
“Maya.” Whispered in corners. Laughed about in elevators. Twisted into things it never meant to be.
“She was sleeping with Noah, right?”
“No wonder Alex lost it.”
“Did you hear she cried in the janitor’s closet?”
“Homewreckers always pretend to be innocent.”
I told myself it didn’t matter. That they’d forget soon enough. That rumors die faster than truth in places like this.
So I threw myself into work. I stayed late. I triple-checked every document, every campaign draft, every presentation file.
And still… it wasn’t enough. Because it happened on a Tuesday.
The worst kind of Tuesday—gray skies, bad coffee, and the sinking feeling that something terrible was coming.
I had just finished editing the financial summary for the Carter account, a high-profile client that everyone was watching. I saved the file, sent it to the team folder, and leaned back with a yawn.
Not five minutes later, Janice walked by my desk with a smirk that made my skin crawl.
“Nice knowing you,” she muttered under her breath.
“What?” I blinked.
Then my phone rang.
HR.
My stomach dropped.
“Ms. Carter,” the voice said, cold and clipped. “You need to come down to Human Resources. Immediately.”
I could barely stand as I walked. My palms were sweating. My heart thudded so loudly I could barely hear myself think. I entered the HR office to find not just the director sitting behind the desk—but Alex.
And Tim. And two members from the client success team.
“Please sit,” the director said.
I lowered myself slowly into the chair, my voice cracking as I asked, “What is this about?”
Alex looked away. Tim looked stunned. No one met my eyes.
“We reviewed the Carter client file this morning,” the director said, opening a folder. “And it appears the numbers were altered. Key financial data was changed—without any authorization.”
“What?” I shook my head. “No, that’s not—”
“You were the last one who accessed the file,” she continued. “And the edits were made under your login credentials.”
My mouth went dry.
“I didn’t touch the numbers,” I said quickly. “I only added a footnote for the draft meeting. I would never change data like that.”
“Maya,” Alex said, finally looking at me. “This is serious. Carter threatened to pull out.”
“I know that,” I said, breath quickening. “I would never risk a client like that. I’ve been working day and night to keep that project on track. Someone must have—”
The director raised a hand. “There’s no proof anyone else accessed it.”
“But that doesn’t make sense!” My voice cracked. “I saved the file and logged off. That was it. Why would I do something like this?”
Janice’s voice floated from the doorway behind me. “Maybe because she was too busy sleeping her way up the ladder to focus on her job.”
My eyes widened. “You’re the one who’s been spreading lies about me!”
“Enough,” the director snapped. “Maya, if you have anything else to say—”
“I didn’t do it!” I shouted, voice shaking. “I swear, I didn’t—”
Tears were already spilling from my eyes.
I looked at Tim, silently begging for him to believe me. His jaw was clenched, fists balled in his lap. I could tell he was fighting for the right words. For a way to defend me without turning this into another circus.
But before anyone could say another word—
The door slammed open. And there he was. Noah. Hair messy. Tie loose. Rage blazing in his eyes like a storm.
“She didn’t do it,” he said, voice echoing through the room. “And I’ll prove it.”