Chapter 5 The second love letter

The next morning Sarah had just finished taking a shower and getting dressed for work. She walked out of her room, into the kitchen to find her housemate Max and Emma who were still visibly embarrassed after she had walked into their room last night while they were having sex. She could tell by the looks on their faces that something was up.

"Hey guys, good morning," Sarah said.

"Good morning," Max and Emma replied in unison, still looking guilty.

She could feel the awkwardness in the air and knew that she had to address the elephant in the room.

"Listen, I just wanted to say sorry about last night," She said. "I didn't mean to intrude or make you guys uncomfortable. I just needed to ask you to keep it down, that's all."

Max and Emma looked at each other before addressing Sarah. "It's okay, we're sorry too. We didn't mean to be so loud. We'll definitely try to be more considerate in the future," Max said, looking at Sarah apologetically.

"Yeah, we promise," Emma added, nodding in agreement.

She smiled, feeling relieved that they had made up.

"Thanks guys, I really appreciate it."

Just then, Jason walked into the kitchen, looking lost in thought. He didn't seem to notice the tension in the room.

"Morning Sarah, you ready to go?" Jason asked, looking up finally.

She nodded. "Yeah, I am. You okay though?"

Jason looked at her before responding. "Honestly, not really. I'm just really not feeling like driving today. Do you mind if I ride with you?"

She thought for a moment before responding. "Sure, that's fine with me. Let's go."

As Sarah and Jason headed towards the door, Max and Emma called out to them.

"Hey, have a good day guys!" Max said cheerily.

"See you later, have a good one," Emma added, smiling at them.

"Thanks guys, you too!" Sarah replied.

As they drove off, She couldn't help but feel grateful for her housemates. Despite the earlier tension, they had made up, and it was good to know that they were willing to work on being more considerate in the future. As for Jason, she was glad for the company on the drive to work. It was shaping up to be a good day after all.

Sarah and Jason arrived at work early Monday morning, eager to start the week. Sarah felt confident, she had prepared meticulously for a presentation that she was due to give later in the day. However, as she walked past Olivia who was waiting for the elevator, she noticed a look of disdain on Olivia's face.

"Good morning, Olivia," Sarah said brightly.

"Morning," Olivia muttered.

As they entered the lift, Sarah couldn't help but feel the tension between herself and Olivia. They had never really gotten along, but Sarah couldn't put her finger on why Olivia seemed to dislike her so much.

As they reached the third floor where their desks were situated, Olivia headed towards the boardroom, while Sarah went towards her desk. Just as she was about to sit down, she felt a cold, wet splash on her back. She turned around and saw Olivia standing with a coffee cup in her hand and an apologetic expression on her face.

"I'm so sorry, Sarah," Olivia said, "I didn't mean to, it was supposed to be for Hayden."

Sarah didn't bother to reply, instead, she headed straight to the washroom to clean up. Her white shirt was now covered in brown stains, completely ruined.

When Sarah returned to her desk, she noticed that Olivia had followed her.

"I said I was sorry, Sarah. It was a mistake," Olivia said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I would appreciate it if you were more careful," Sarah replied, trying to keep her voice calm.

Olivia rolled her eyes, "Whatever, it's just a shirt."

Sarah could feel her blood boil, "It's not just a shirt. I have a presentation to give today, and now I have nothing else to wear."

"Oh, come on, Sarah," Olivia scoffed, "stop being so dramatic."

It was at this point that Jason walked in, noticing the tense atmosphere.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

Before Sarah could reply, Olivia spoke up. "I accidentally spilled coffee on Sarah's shirt, and now she's being a drama queen about it."

Jason raised his eyebrows, "That doesn't sound like something to get all worked up about, Sarah."

Sarah could feel her frustration rising, "It's not just the shirt, it's the fact that Olivia has no respect for anyone else in the office."

Olivia snorted, "Look who's talking about respect, Miss 'I'm too good for everyone else.'"

"I have never acted like I'm superior to anyone in this office," Sarah replied, her voice shaking with anger.

Hayden, the boss of their department, suddenly entered the room, having overheard the conversation.

"What's going on here?" he asked, his tone stern.

Sarah quickly explained what had happened, while Olivia tried to make excuses.

"I'm sorry, Hayden, I didn't mean to spill coffee on Sarah's shirt," Olivia said, "it was an accident."

Hayden's gaze shifted from Olivia to Sarah. "Is that true, Sarah?"

She nodded, "Yes, but the way she's acting like it's not a big deal is disrespectful."

Hayden sighed, "I don't want to hear any more arguing, both of you come to my office."

As they walked down the hallway towards Hayden's office, Sarah could feel Olivia's eyes boring into her back, and it made her feel uncomfortable. When they reached Hayden's office, he immediately chastised them.

"I don't want to hear any more of this behaviour," he said sternly, "we are a team, and we need to work together. If I hear about any more incidents like this, there will be consequences."

Sarah felt embarrassed, this was the first time she had ever gotten into an argument at work, and it was in front of her boss. Olivia seemed unfazed, still trying to make excuses.

Hayden dismissed them, and Sarah went back to her desk, feeling deflated. Jason tried to cheer her up, but it didn't really help.

As the day progressed, Sarah couldn't help but feel like Olivia was watching her every move. She tried to brush it off and focus on her presentation, but it was hard.

As the meeting time approached, Sarah's nerves were frayed. When she entered the boardroom, there was a sense of relief. It was her turn to present, and she didn't want to disappoint her colleagues.

By the end of the presentation, she had received applause and positive feedback from her coworkers. As everyone filed out of the room, Olivia paused by Sarah.

"Nice presentation, Sarah," she said, "sorry again about the coffee."

For a moment, Sarah felt inclined to say something back, to lash out at Olivia, to tell her exactly what she thought of her. But she didn't. Instead, she simply nodded and walked away.

From that moment on, Sarah made a conscious effort to be civil towards Olivia, even though it was hard. She didn't want to cause any more trouble, and she was determined to prove that she was a team player.

At the canteen, Sarah sat at the table with her coworkers, sipping on her tea and enjoying the midday break. It was lunch time and everyone was busy chatting away, catching up on the latest gossip and enjoying their meals. Suddenly, Jason appeared beside Sarah, holding a letter and a paper bag in his hand.

"Hey, Sarah. I've got something for you," he said, offering her the letter and bag.

Surprised, Sarah took them from him and opened the letter. It was a love letter from her secret admirer, apologizing for their argument the night before.

"Oh my god," Sarah said in disbelief. "He sent me another letter."

"What does it say?" asked Olivia, who had been listening in on their conversation.

"It's a second love letter, apologizing for making me angry last night," Sarah replied, her cheeks turning bright red.

"Oh, that's so sweet," Olivia said, her eyes darting in Sarah's direction. "So, who do you think it is?"

Sarah shrugged, still feeling a little embarrassed. "I have no idea. It could be anyone."

Jason stepped in, sensing that the gossip was making Sarah uncomfortable. "Come on, Liv. Let's not make a big deal out of this. It's just a private letter."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Fine, but it's not like Sarah's going to tell us anyway."

Jason nudged her. "Let's just enjoy our lunch, okay?"

Olivia grudgingly nodded and turned her attention back to her food. Meanwhile, Jason sat down opposite Sarah and watched as she opened the paper bag.

"Wow, this looks expensive," Sarah observed, taking out a gourmet salad from the Pearl restaurant. "I wonder who sent it."

"Maybe it's from the same person who sent the letter," Jason suggested.

Sarah smiled wistfully. "Maybe. But I wish they would just come and talk to me instead of sending me anonymous gifts and letters."

"I know what you mean," Jason said sympathetically. "It's always better to be honest with your feelings."

Sarah nodded, then looked up at him. "Thanks for being understanding, Jason. You're a good friend."

Jason smiled back. "Anytime, Sarah. You know that."

They continued to chat, discussing work and their weekend plans, while Olivia watched them from a distance. She couldn't help feeling envious of their easy camaraderie, wondering how they had become such close friends since childhood.

Finally, she could resist no longer and approached their table. "So, what's the deal with this secret admirer? Are you going to tell us who it is, Sarah?"

Sarah shook her head. "No, I'm not. It's private."

Olivia scoffed. "Oh, come on. You can trust us. We won't tell anyone."

Jason frowned. "Liv, seriously. Sarah doesn't want to talk about it. Leave her alone."

Olivia looked peeved, but backed off. "Fine, but it's not like it matters anyway. No one's really interested in your drama."

Sarah looked hurt, but chose not to respond. Instead, she focused on her lunch, trying to ignore Olivia's barbs. Jason, however, was not as willing to let it go.

"That's not fair, Liv," he said, his tone stern. "Sarah's going through something personal, and it's not your place to judge."

Olivia bristled. "I wasn't judging. I was just saying that no one cares about her little love life."

"That's not true," Jason countered. "I care. And I know a lot of other people do too."

Sarah felt a warm glow of gratitude towards Jason. He had always been there for her, ever since she'd started working at the company. He was kind, thoughtful, and always had a way of making her feel better. She couldn't help but wonder if he was the one sending her the letters and gifts, but quickly dismissed the thought as foolish.

As the lunch hour drew to a close, Sarah said her goodbyes to Jason and Olivia and headed back to her desk. She couldn't stop thinking about the letter and the gift, wondering who had sent them and what their intentions were. It was frustrating not knowing, but at the same time, it was exciting to have a secret admirer.

One thing was for certain, though. She was grateful to have Jason as a friend, someone she could confide in and trust. And who knew? Maybe someday, that friendship would turn into something more. But for now, she was content just to bask in the warmth of his friendship and the mystery of her secret admirer.