Episode 2: Lines Crossed
The office buzzed with its usual Monday morning hum, but there was an unusual air of tension lingering at Cosche & Co. Kathryn Shaufkins didn’t know exactly why, but as she walked through the sea of cubicles, she could feel it — that unsettling prickle on the back of her neck that warned her something was off.
By the time she reached her desk, she was greeted with the wide-eyed stares of a few colleagues, exchanging looks she couldn’t quite interpret. But she didn’t have time to dwell on it. She had more important things to do — like finishing the Henderson report ahead of schedule, just to throw it in Carter’s face.
Kathryn booted up her computer and opened her inbox. Her heart sank, and her fingers froze on the keyboard.
There it was, glaring at her like a personal attack: an email thread with Carter’s name in the subject line. And attached to it was her Henderson presentation — the one she had meticulously prepared over the weekend. Only, it wasn’t quite hers anymore.
The changes were subtle at first glance, but they were there — bloated slides, unnecessary graphs, and of course, a long-winded introduction that was distinctly Carter Kelnn’s style. Worse, the email had been sent to their boss, Mr. Anders, with Carter taking credit for the entire presentation.
Kathryn’s blood ran cold. She stared at the screen, trying to make sense of it, but there was no mistake. He’d actually gone behind her back and altered her work — and now, it looked like He had created the Henderson report from scratch.
Her jaw tightened, anger flaring hot and fast. It wasn’t the teasing, not even the little jabs he constantly threw her way. This was worse. This was professional sabotage.
Her phone buzzed just as she started to plan her next move. A text from her friend and fellow team member, Anya, flashed across the screen:
Anya: "You’ve seen it, right? Everyone’s talking about it. What’s going on with you and Carter?"
Kathryn didn’t reply. Not yet. She needed a moment to collect herself. But before she could even breathe, Lucas, another colleague — and one of Carter’s occasional allies — sidled up to her desk, looking sheepish.
“Kathryn, uh… have you seen—?”
“I’ve seen it,” she cut him off, her voice colder than she intended.
Lucas winced. “Look, Carter didn’t mean anything by it. He thought you’d be okay with him making some… improvements.”
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
Kathryn raised an eyebrow, her hands tightening into fists under her desk. “Improvements? Is that what you call hijacking someone’s work and passing it off as your own?”
Lucas scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, uh… I wouldn’t put it like that, exactly, but…”
She stood abruptly, making Lucas take a step back. “I’m going to talk to him.”
Lucas held up his hands in defense. “Look, don’t kill the messenger. I’m just saying, maybe Carter thought he was helping—”
Kathryn wasn’t listening anymore. She was already marching across the office, eyes locked on Carter’s corner desk.
---
Carter was, predictably, lounging back in his chair, reviewing something on his phone, completely oblivious to the storm heading his way.
“Mr. Kelnn,” Kathryn’s voice cut through the air like a whip.
He looked up, a smirk already forming at the sound of her tone. “Mrs. Shaufkins. Always a pleasure.”
She stopped in front of his desk, crossing her arms. “Did you seriously think I wouldn’t notice?”
“Notice what?” he asked, all innocence. But his eyes twinkled, betraying the fact that he knew exactly what she was talking about.
“The Henderson presentation,” she said through clenched teeth. “You altered it. You sent it to Mr. Anders with your name on it.”
Carter leaned back in his chair, unfazed. “I made a few tweaks, sure. You could’ve made it clearer. I just made it more comprehensive.”
Kathryn’s eyes blazed. “Comprehensive? You butchered it with unnecessary filler and graphs no one asked for! And then you took credit for my work!”
He shrugged, still maddeningly calm. “It’s called teamwork, Mrs. Shaufkins. I was just… optimizing what you started.”
“Teamwork?” Kathryn’s voice dropped lower, a dangerous edge creeping in. “You didn’t ask me. You didn’t consult me. You just 'stole' it. That’s not teamwork — that’s arrogance.”
At this, Carter’s expression flickered for a moment, his usual cool façade cracking ever so slightly. “Stole? Come on, Kathryn. It’s not like you couldn’t use the help.”
She took a step closer, her anger boiling over now. “I don’t need your help, Carter. And I certainly don’t need you undermining me. Do you have any idea what this looks like?”
He rolled his eyes, but the smirk didn’t return this time. “You’re overreacting. It’s not a big deal.”
“It IS a big deal,” she snapped. “You crossed a line.”
For a moment, the two of them stood there, locked in a silent battle of wills. Carter’s charm wasn’t working this time, and he knew it. Kathryn had never looked at him like this — not with exasperation, or annoyance, but with genuine resentment.
And that’s when it hit him. He’d miscalculated.
“I’ll talk to Anders,” he said, his tone more serious now. “We’ll smooth it over.”
But Kathryn shook her head. “No. I’ll handle it myself.”
She turned sharply on her heel, leaving Carter behind as she marched toward Mr. Anders' office. For the first time since they’d started their little rivalry, she wasn’t just annoyed — she was furious. This wasn’t playful banter anymore. This was war.
---
The rest of the office watched the scene unfold with wide eyes. Anya, who sat two desks down from Carter, exchanged a glance with Marcus, their calm and perpetually neutral coworker, who had been quietly observing the entire exchange.
“Do you think she’s going to kill him?” Anya whispered, her voice tinged with a mix of concern and amusement.
Marcus shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “If she does, she’d probably get away with it. The whole office would be on her side.”
Anya stifled a laugh. “True. Carter really stepped in it this time.”
---
Kathryn took a few steadying breaths as she approached Mr. Anders’ door, trying to calm the storm inside her. She couldn’t afford to lose her professionalism — not even for a second. But as she knocked on the door and entered, her mind raced with the implications of what Carter had done.
Mr. Anders looked up from his desk, smiling as she entered. “Kathryn, good to see you. Something on your mind?”
“Yes,” she said, her voice controlled. “I’d like to clarify something about the Henderson presentation.”
---
Back at his desk, Carter stared at his computer, the smirk finally wiped from his face. For the first time, he wasn’t sure if he’d gone too far. Usually, Kathryn could take his teasing, even seemed to enjoy it in some twisted way. But this time… this time was different.
He didn’t like the way she’d looked at him before she walked away. Like he wasn’t just an annoying coworker anymore — but someone she actively disliked.
And for some reason, that bothered him more than it should have.
---
End of Episode 2