The fine line (Episode 6) - by Zarah Writes

Zara’s POV It had been weeks since I decided to focus on myself, but peace is a fragile thing — especially when your past keeps texting “hey, stranger” at 11:47 p.m. Adam was steady. Constant.He checked up on me every morning, left cute sticky notes on my desk like “Drink water before your attitude shows” or “If you smile today, I’ll buy you shawarma.”And he always did. He was gentle, the kind of man that made love feel soft again. But Tunde?He was a storm that refused to pass.He’d text things like “You looked good today, I almost lost focus” or “You smell too sweet to just walk past me like that.”Then come to work and act like nothing happened. No eye contact. No tension. Just him sitting beside Cynthia at lunch, whispering in her ear and touching her thigh like she was his comfort zone. I told myself it didn’t bother me.But it did.It did because I knew those same hands that lingered on her skin were the same ones typing “I still think about you.” I wasn’t even sure what I wanted anymore.Maybe closure. Maybe attention. Maybe revenge. Cynthia had completely stopped talking to me.If we locked eyes, she’d hiss softly and turn away.And I could feel her eyes burning into me whenever Adam brought flowers to my desk or paid for my lunch. Everyone in the office could sense it — the quiet war between us. That Friday morning was especially tense.We had a team presentation to submit before lunch, so everyone was gathered, typing, printing, running around.I was at my desk reviewing data when Cynthia stormed in, face tight, lips trembling. She didn’t even wait — she walked straight to my table.“You really think you’ve won, right?” The room went still.Printers paused. Keyboards stopped. I looked up slowly. “Won what?” She laughed bitterly. “You act innocent, but you’ve been flirting with Tunde behind Adam’s back.” Murmurs started.Someone coughed. Someone else muttered, “Ah, office gist don start.” “Cynthia,” I said, lowering my voice, “you’re overreacting. You know I—” She cut me off. “Don’t even try to gaslight me! I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. You think I don’t notice?” Right then, Tunde and Adam walked down from upstairs.Adam was holding two cups of coffee — one for me, one for himself.Tunde was behind him, scrolling through his phone. When they stepped in, it was like every sound in the room disappeared. Adam looked from me to Cynthia. “What’s going on?” Cynthia’s voice shook but she held her ground. “Ask her. Ask your girlfriend if she’s been talking to Tunde behind your back.” Adam froze.Everyone turned to Tunde. He looked at me, then at Cynthia. His face didn’t move — not a twitch. Just calm.That silence was louder than anything he could’ve said. “Zara?” Adam said quietly, voice firm but soft. My throat felt dry. “It’s not like that, Adam. He’s been texting me, yes, but—” Cynthia gasped dramatically. “See? She admitted it!” “It’s not what you think,” I said quickly. “He flirts. I ignore him.”Okay, maybe not ignore every time, but he didn’t need to know that. Adam dropped the coffees on my desk and rubbed his forehead.“Wow.” That was all he said. I stood up. “I’m not doing this here. Not like this.” As I walked out, I caught Tunde’s eyes for a second.He looked… amused. Like the chaos was entertaining. Behind me, I heard Cynthia’s voice crack. “You both ruined everything.” I left before my tears could betray me. ⸻ Cynthia’s POV The office went quiet after Zara left.I stood there, my chest heaving, pretending I was fine — but inside, I was falling apart. Tunde just leaned on a desk, scrolling through his phone like nothing had happened.Adam shook his head and walked out too, muttering something under his breath. And me?I was the only fool left standing in the middle of it all. I sat down slowly, trying to hold back tears. Maybe I’d gone too far, but how could I not?The way Tunde looked at her — he’d never looked at me like that. Later that day, I went upstairs to confront him.He was alone, typing on his laptop. “Why didn’t you defend me downstairs?” I asked. He didn’t look up. “Defend you from what?” “From her lies!” Tunde sighed, finally meeting my eyes. “Cynthia, we’re not dating. You knew what this was.” My heart dropped.“What do you mean we’re not dating? You touch me in public, you’ve sent me money, you even—” He cut me off. “Yeah, and you took it. Don’t act like I forced you.” I wanted to scream. Cry. Throw something. Anything. He stood up, picked his car keys, and added, “Don’t take things too personal. You’re making this messy.”Then walked out. I sat there, completely numb. Maybe Zara wasn’t the only one being played.Maybe we were both just toys in Tunde’s little office game. Still, as I watched him drive off from the window, something inside me hardened.No matter what, I couldn’t let this slide. In my mind, all of it came back to her — Zara.If she hadn’t shown up, if she hadn’t been so curvy, so loud, so noticeable, maybe he would’ve stayed with me. Now he treats me like I disgust him.And somehow, it’s all her fault. She took my peace.She took my man.And I swear, she’s going to pay for it. *Someone please save me from Cynthia 😭*

The Fine Line

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