Episode 3: The Hate Game
Carter Kelnn didn’t often dwell on his mistakes — because frankly, he didn’t make that many. Or so he thought. But as the clock struck 9:00 AM the next day and Kathryn Shaufkins had yet to even glance in his direction, he couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that maybe, just 'maybe', he’d gone too far this time.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at his screen without really seeing it, his mind still replaying the scene from yesterday. Kathryn’s icy tone, the fire in her eyes — she had been angry before, sure, but never like this. Usually, their exchanges ended in a mutual smirk, a begrudging nod, and a return to status quo.
But now? It felt like there was no coming back from this.
Carter sighed, pushing himself up from his desk. He needed to fix this — not because he cared about her, of course, but because the tension was making it impossible to focus. At least, that’s what he told himself.
He made his way toward Kathryn’s office, ignoring the curious glances from colleagues as he passed by. Anya and Marcus exchanged knowing looks from their desks, clearly bracing for the inevitable fallout.
---
Kathryn sat at her desk, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips as she reviewed her calendar. Carter Kelnn thought he could waltz into her world and take credit for her work? Fine. But if he thought she would just let that slide, he was sorely mistaken.
Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth. She believed in professional justice, and Carter was about to learn that the hard way.
She had spent hours preparing her retaliation. It wasn’t reckless or impulsive. Kathryn was far too methodical for that. No, this was a calculated move — a masterstroke, really. By the time she was done, Carter wouldn’t know what hit him. And the best part? She wouldn’t even have to break a single rule to do it.
Her door swung open without a knock, and there he was — Carter, leaning in the doorway like nothing had happened, flashing his trademark grin.
“Ms. Shaufkins,” he began, his voice smooth as ever. “We need to talk.”
Kathryn didn’t look up, her fingers still typing away at her keyboard. “Talk, or take credit for something else I’ve done, Mr. Kelnn?”
His grin faltered. “Look, I know I overstepped yesterday. It wasn’t my intention to—”
“To what?” she interrupted, her tone sharper than before. “Sabotage me? Diminish my work? Make me look incompetent?”
Carter winced. “That’s not what I was trying to do, Kathryn.”
“Ms. Shaufkins,” she corrected coldly.
Carter closed the door behind him and took a step closer. “Right. Ms. Shaufkins.” He exhaled slowly, “I thought we were… I don’t know, playing a game. Pushing each other, you know? I didn’t mean to—”
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“Oh, we’re playing a game, alright,” Kathryn cut in, finally meeting his eyes. “Only now, it’s one you’re not going to enjoy.”
Something about the way she said it sent a chill down his spine. He cleared his throat, trying to keep his composure. “What does that mean?”
Kathryn smiled — a small, calculated smile that told him she was several steps ahead of him, as always. “You’ll see soon enough.”
Before he could respond, she turned back to her computer and resumed typing, as if he weren’t even in the room.
Carter stood there for a moment, unsure whether to push further or retreat. Something had shifted between them, and not in the usual playful way.
Finally, he nodded to himself. “Alright, Ms. Shaufkins. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
As he left the room, Kathryn’s smile widened.
---
The rest of the office was abuzz with rumors about the brewing war between Carter and Kathryn. It had always been clear that their rivalry was intense, but now? Now, it was downright frightening.
Anya, Lucas, and Marcus sat together at lunch, whispering about the latest developments.
“So, what’s Kathryn planning?” Anya asked, glancing over her shoulder as if the walls might have ears.
Lucas shook his head. “I don’t know, but whatever it is, Carter’s about to regret it all.”
Marcus, always the calm voice of reason, shrugged. “I wouldn’t be so sure. Carter’s resilient. He doesn’t go down easily.”
Lucas leaned forward, lowering his voice. “I heard Kathryn’s got something huge in store. Like, career-ending level huge.”
Anya frowned. “No way! That doesn’t sound like her. She’s tough, but she’s not vicious.”
“I don’t know,” Marcus said quietly. “This time feels different. Carter crossed a line.”
As they whispered among themselves, the rest of the office seemed to follow suit. It was as if the very air in the building was thick with anticipation — everyone was waiting for the inevitable explosion between the two.
---
By Wednesday, the tension had reached a boiling point. Carter entered the office early, determined to get ahead of whatever Kathryn had planned. But when he sat down at his desk, he noticed something strange.
His inbox was flooded with emails. Dozens of them. Each one from clients or team members asking for clarifications on projects, requesting updates on things he hadn’t even started, or in some cases, hadn’t even heard about. His calendar was suddenly packed with meetings he didn’t remember scheduling.
“What the hell?” Carter muttered, clicking through the chaos.
And then he saw it — a message from Kathryn, timestamped the night before.
《Mr. Kelnn,
Since you’ve been so proactive in handling the Henderson presentation, I’ve taken the liberty of redirecting a few other projects to your attention. I trust someone with your ambition and energy will have no problem managing the additional workload.
Kind regards,
Ms. Shaufkins》
Carter’s eyes widened. Kathryn had dumped nearly half of her workload onto him, making it look like he had volunteered for the extra assignments. Now, he was swimming in tasks with deadlines he couldn’t possibly meet — all while juggling his own responsibilities.
He leaned back in his chair, a slow grin spreading across his face despite the overwhelming frustration building inside him. “Okay, Kathryn. You want to play dirty?”
He stood abruptly and marched straight toward her office. Several colleagues watched him go, exchanging nervous looks, but no one dared intervene.
Carter didn’t bother knocking this time. He swung the door open, striding in with purpose.
Kathryn didn’t look surprised. In fact, she didn’t even flinch. “Mr. Kelnn. Something on your mind?”
“You’ve made your point,” Carter said, keeping his voice calm despite the fury bubbling beneath the surface. “This isn’t funny anymore.”
Kathryn raised an eyebrow. “Funny? Who said anything about being funny? I’m simply returning the favor.”
“By sabotaging my workload?”
Kathryn’s lips curled into a soft smile. “No. By making sure you understand what it feels like to have someone throw chaos into your carefully organized plans.”
Carter clenched his fists at his sides, forcing himself to stay composed. “So that’s it? This is your revenge?”
Kathryn stood, crossing the room slowly until she stood toe-to-toe with him. “Revenge?” she said softly. “No, Mr. Kelnn. This is balance. You took from me, so I’m taking from you.”
Their eyes locked, and for a moment, the room felt smaller — like the air itself was suffocating under the weight of their mutual resentment.
“This changes things,” Carter said quietly, his voice low and dangerous.
“I know,” Kathryn replied, equally calm, but with an edge of finality. “From now on, it's not one-sided, Mr. Kelnn. I'm in your game.”
---
By the end of the day, the entire office had felt the shift. Now the real game started. They didn’t speak in meetings unless absolutely necessary. When they passed each other in the hallways, the air around them crackled with unspoken animosity.
Anya, Lucas, and Marcus exchanged worried glances as they watched the two of them avoid each other during an afternoon team briefing.
“This is bad,” Anya whispered.
Lucas nodded. “I don’t know how this ends, but I’m not sticking around to find out.”
And in the silence that followed, the rest of the office couldn’t help but agree.
---
End of Episode 3