Space to vent

Cheryl’s surprise hardens into something sharper. She glances across the floor toward the HR section where Ruby is still focused on her screen, then looks back at you.

“What a bitch,” she says, quiet but clear. “Using me as the excuse to wreck your marriage and then playing the supportive friend the whole time. That is next-level calculated.”

She sets the folder down on your desk and lowers her voice further.

“You cannot sit out here with this. The conference rooms are booked solid this morning and the meeting rooms are the same. Matt is on annual leave. His office is empty. Come on. Proper chat. No audience.”

She waits for you to stand, already turning toward the corridor that leads to the quieter side of the floor where the managers’ offices sit. The ordinary noise of the open-plan space continues around you, but the path she is offering is clear: a closed door, no witnesses, and the first real chance to unpack the mess without Ruby’s presence hanging over every word.