No Mercy For My Scheming Coworker

A coworker said she had gotten her period and stained her pants, and asked if I had brought disposable underwear and pants. I said no. Then I stood up and shouted across the entire office: “Maya stained her pants with blood. Who has underwear and pants? Please lend them to her!” In my previous life, I kindly gave her disposable underwear and a new pair of pants. Who would have thought that a week later, she would be diagnosed with HIV and face being pushed out of the company. She cried at work: “I borrowed disposable underwear and pants from Lily, and the outer packaging on the underwear had already been opened. I didn’t think much of it.” “I don’t know if she did it on purpose, or if the sick one was her... I just felt so pitiful. I got this disease, and my whole life was ruined...” Management did not listen to my explanation at all. They got angry on the spot, fired me, and made me pay her one million dollars in treatment costs. They even reported me to the police for maliciously spreading HIV. Not only did I lose my job, I also spent a month in prison. After I got out, I was even posted online and mass-bullied on the internet. People would throw rotten eggs at me whenever I walked down the street, and I couldn’t live a normal life at all. In the end, I jumped off the top of the company building and ended my life. Only after I died did I learn that Maya had already been sick for a long time. She had been sleeping with many male coworkers at the company, and after she got sick and was afraid she wouldn’t have money for treatment, she set me up because I was easy to bully. On top of that, she pushed me aside right when I was about to get promoted, so she could move up more easily herself. This time around, I’m rejecting you in front of the whole office. I want to see how you plan to pin that disease on me now. 1 The entire open office went dead silent in an instant. “Lily! Are you out of your mind?” Maya took a step back. Dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward us at once. She covered her lower abdomen, her eyes already red. “If you weren’t going to lend anything, did you really have to shout it out?” I set the pen in my hand down, my expression calm. “It’s normal to stain your pants during your period. It’s not some shameful thing.” “You were too embarrassed to say it, so I helped you ask.” She was so choked up she couldn’t say anything back. Someone nearby lowered their head and held back a laugh, and a few others sneaked glances at me. “Lily is way too blunt.” “But in this kind of situation, there really wasn’t any need to shout it across the whole office, right?” Maya shot me a vicious glare. “Forget it.” She grabbed her bag and bent over as she hurried toward the restroom. I looked at her back and curled my lips slightly. In my previous life, it was because I was too soft-hearted that I sent myself to hell. Not long after, Maya posted on her social media. There was no text. Just a photo of a hospital room. White walls, an IV stand, and her wrist. The comment section was full of coworkers asking after her: [What happened?] [Are you feeling unwell?] [Is it serious?] She replied to everyone the same way: [It’s fine. I just trusted the wrong person, and I blame myself for being careless.] The next day, Maya didn’t come to work. On the third day, she still hadn’t shown up. People in the office gradually started gossiping. “What happened to Maya, anyway?” “Word is she’s hospitalized.” “That photo she posted looks scary. It looks like an infectious disease ward.” That afternoon, just after I came back from the coffee shop downstairs, I got a call from HR. “Lily, come to the conference room.” When I pushed the door open, Maya was already sitting inside. Her face was pale, her eyes swollen and red, and she was clutching a test report in her hand. The HR manager sat at the head of the table, with the department supervisor beside him. My direct manager was there too. “Lily.” The HR manager spoke with a dark face. “Maya reported something very serious.” Maya looked up at me, and tears fell immediately. “Lily, I really didn’t want to make this a big deal.” “But I’m really scared.” The HR manager put the test report on the table. “Maya was tested at the hospital and confirmed infected.” “She said a few days ago, she borrowed disposable underwear and pants from you.” I looked at Maya. “Did she actually borrow them?” Maya burst into tears right away. “You didn’t lend me anything that day in the office.” “But a week ago, in the company restroom, I asked you.” “You gave me a new pair of disposable underwear from your bag. That’s what I wore that day.” She sniffled. “I thought the corner of the outer package on that underwear looked like it had already been opened, but I didn’t pay much attention.” My gaze fell on her face. In my previous life, she said exactly the same thing, and then everyone in the company assumed it was me who had harmed her. The HR manager frowned. “Lily, this isn’t something you can explain away with a simple ‘I never gave it to her.’” “You need to cooperate with the company’s investigation, and you also need to go to the hospital for the relevant tests.” “I never gave it to her.” “Now is not the time for you to just say no and pretend that settles it,” the supervisor said in a low voice. “You two are close, and you often eat together and leave work together. Now that Maya has been diagnosed, the company has to keep the risk as low as possible.” I lifted my eyes. “I refuse.” Outside the conference room, people had already stopped walking. “What infection?” “It seems like that kind of disease...” “She won’t go get tested?” “Then is she feeling guilty?” The low whispers slipped through the crack under the door. Every word sounded worse than the last. The HR manager’s face grew darker and darker. “Lily, think this through.” “Refusing to cooperate with the company’s investigation is a serious violation.” Maya kept her head down, crying so hard her shoulders shook. And I stood by the conference table, calmly looking at the shadows growing outside the door. 2 This spread faster than I expected. At seven that evening, someone had already posted on the company’s anonymous forum. [A girl in Marketing has that disease. Word is she got it from a coworker after borrowing personal items.] [They even say it was disposable underwear.] [Is that real? That’s disgusting.] [Why hasn’t the company done anything yet?] By the time I got back to the shared apartment, my phone was already buzzing nonstop. In the department group chat, several coworkers were discussing it privately. The moment I opened the door, my roommate and coworker Nina looked up at me. She quickly looked away. Tessa was sitting on the sofa. When she saw me come in, she immediately moved the water cup on the table closer to herself. I stopped. “What’s wrong?” Tessa looked awkward. “Nothing.” “It’s just... the situation still isn’t clear, so everyone’s being careful.” I looked at her. “You think I’m going to infect you?” Her face changed. “That’s not what I mean.” Nina hurried out to smooth things over. “Lily, Maya’s already had a horrible time.” “She spent the whole afternoon crying in the hospital, saying her life was over.” “She’s only in her twenties.” I put my bag on the table. “So?” Nina froze. I looked at her. “Because she’s miserable, she can pin something that never happened on me?” Tessa frowned. “Can you not be so cold?” “She’s already been diagnosed. She wouldn’t joke about something like this.” I laughed. “So if I haven’t been tested yet, you can just sentence me first?” Neither of them said anything. The room went terrifyingly quiet. Just then, the door was pushed open. Maya came back. She was pale, and she was still carrying the medicine the hospital had prescribed. Nina immediately went over to her. “Maya, why are you back?” “Didn’t they say you needed to stay for observation?” Maya shook her head. “I didn’t want everyone to worry.” Then she lifted her eyes and looked at me. Tears almost instantly fell again. “Lily, I really don’t want to blame you. If you were careless too, I can forgive you.” The second she said that, Tessa’s look toward me turned even colder. But I just found it ridiculous. “If you don’t want to blame me, then stop bringing up my name.” Maya’s crying paused for a second. She bit her lip. “I’m just talking about what happened to me...” “You need evidence to talk about what happened.” I looked at her. “You said I gave you disposable underwear and pants, so bring out the proof.” “Chat logs, transfer records, security footage, anyone who saw it—anything works.” “Don’t make me bear the consequences just because of one sentence from you.” Maya’s face changed instantly. She lowered her head and said nothing. Ten minutes later, a notice suddenly popped up in the company group chat. [In light of recent employee health and safety concerns, after company review, Lily will work from home temporarily starting today and is temporarily suspended from entering the company’s office area. Further arrangements will be announced after the investigation progresses.] People quickly replied in the chat. [Got it.] [Support the company’s decision.] [Safety first.] Some even messaged me privately. [Lily, don’t come back to the office for now.] [Everyone’s pretty scared right now.] [Let’s wait until things are clear.] I looked at those messages and only felt sarcasm. The HR manager called me again. “Lily, the company suggests you avoid contact with other employees for now.” “Also, we hope you’ll seriously consider cooperating with the tests.” I said lightly, “I’ll think about it.” After hanging up, I grabbed my bag and went out. My roommates told me I should find somewhere else to stay. On the way, I got a text from an unknown number. [You’d better go get tested ASAP.] [Don’t hurt anyone else.] I didn’t reply. I just took a screenshot and saved it. Because I knew very well. What Maya needed now was not just a scapegoat. She needed public opinion. As long as everyone first decided I was the one with the “problem,” then the truth no longer mattered as much. And what I was waiting for was for her to make the whole thing blow up on her own. Because the bigger the mess got, the more openings she would leave behind. 3 The next morning, I went back to the company to pick up the professional materials I’d left at my desk. Just as I reached the office entrance, I saw two clear storage bins. Inside were my water cup and a few personal items. On top of them was a printed sheet of paper. [Please do not bring personal items into the public office area.] Someone passed in the hallway, and their steps clearly slowed down. “Is that her?” “I heard she’s been temporarily isolated.” “She still dares to come back for her stuff?” I crouched down and packed my things into a bag one by one. Nina came out of the break room and saw me. Her face visibly changed for a moment. “Lily, why didn’t you say you were coming?” I looked up. “Do I need to apply in advance just to get my own things?” Her lips moved. “It’s not that... everyone’s just really scared right now.” “Scared of what?” I stood up. “Scared of things I touched?” Nina’s face turned red. “Don’t say it like that.” Tessa also stood up from her desk. “Lily, don’t be so sarcastic.” “Maya’s mental state is really bad right now. Can’t you stop刺激ing her?” I followed her gaze. Maya was sitting at her desk. Her face was pale, she was holding a cup of warm water, and the hospital test report was lying on her desk. When she noticed me looking, she immediately lowered her head, like she’d been horribly wronged. I didn’t say anything and turned back to my desk. But the moment I opened the drawer, I realized something was off. It had clearly been rummaged through, and my personal notebook had been opened. Even the copy of my medical report that I’d placed all the way in the back was gone. I turned around. “Who touched my stuff?” The office fell silent at once. Tessa forced herself to speak. “We just helped you tidy up a little.” “Tidy up?” I picked up the papers that had been messed up. “Did you have my permission?” Nina said softly, “It’s a special situation.” I stared at her. “What special situation?” No one answered. Then Maya suddenly coughed twice. Nina immediately walked over. “Maya, are you okay?” Maya shook her head. “I’m fine.” After she said that, she looked at me again. The HR manager called me into the conference room again. There was a printed document on the table. He didn’t beat around the bush. “Lily, the impact of this matter has already grown.” “Maya’s family contacted the company last night. They were extremely agitated.” “They believe you should be held responsible for this.” I looked at him. “Where’s the evidence?” The HR manager frowned. “Now is not the time to talk about evidence.” “The company has to think about employee safety first.” As he spoke, he pushed the document toward me. “The company hopes you’ll submit a resignation voluntarily.” I looked down at it. A resignation letter. My name had already been printed in the signature line for me. I pushed the document back. “I won’t sign.” The HR manager’s face darkened. “Lily, don’t burn your bridges.” “I didn’t burn anything.” I looked up at him. “You’re the ones forcing me to admit to something I never did.” “Maya has already suffered serious harm.” “As her coworker, you should at least cooperate with the investigation.” “Cooperating with an investigation and admitting guilt are two different things.” The conference room fell into a brief silence. The department supervisor finally spoke. “Your attitude is very bad right now.” “The company is giving you a chance.” I smiled. “You hand me a resignation letter in front of me, and that’s called giving me a chance?” The supervisor’s expression turned completely ugly. “You’d better think carefully.” “If the company officially launches a disciplinary investigation, then it won’t be as simple as a voluntary resignation letter.” I didn’t answer. I just turned and left. When I got outside, Maya was standing at the far end of the hallway. When she saw me, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. 4 The all-hands meeting that afternoon was held in the company’s small conference room. The notice said it was for “Employee Health and Safety Education.” But everyone knew what this meeting was really about. The moment I pushed open the door, the people who had still been chatting quietly all fell silent. The seat in the center of the front row was empty. A nameplate on the table had my name on it. It was like they had deliberately put me at the center of everyone’s attention. I walked over and sat down. Immediately, low whispers came from behind me. “She actually still dares to come to work?” “She’s got some nerve.” “If I were her, I’d have resigned on my own already.” I didn’t look back. Maya was sitting in the fourth row. Nina and Tessa were seated on either side of her. She wore a mask. Her face was pale, her eyes were very red, and she looked like she might start crying at any moment. The HR manager walked onto the stage and turned on the microphone. “Today’s all-hands meeting is being held because of a serious incident that has recently affected employee health and company order.” He didn’t call my name directly. But when he said that, his gaze was already on me. Everyone in the room looked over too. “Based on the information we currently have, the employee involved engaged in inappropriate contact with personal items, and failed to cooperate with the company’s risk review in a timely manner.” “This incident has caused serious mental and physical strain for the employee involved, and has also damaged the company’s reputation.” “After discussion with management, the company intends to suspend Lily pending investigation.” “Before the investigation is complete, her promotion, bonus, and project lead eligibility will be suspended.” A wave of quiet gasps spread through the room. “A suspension is pretty light, isn’t it?” “Maya is already like that.” “They should just fire her immediately.” I sat quietly in the front row. Until Maya suddenly stood up. “Manager, can I say a few words?” The HR manager nodded, and she slowly walked up onto the stage. Her whole body was trembling slightly. “I know everyone’s been worried about me these past few days.” “Thank you, everyone.” She sniffled, and tears fell down her face. “Actually, I don’t want to pursue Lily’s case either.” “I know she’s under a lot of work pressure, and we’ve always gotten along pretty well.” “Maybe... it was just a misunderstanding.” As she spoke, her eyes landed on me. “If she didn’t do it on purpose, I’m willing to forgive her.” The conference room instantly went silent. I almost laughed out loud. What a wonderful “willing to forgive her.” I hadn’t even been cleared yet. She was already standing in the victim’s position, deciding for me whether I was worthy of forgiveness. Nina lowered her head and wiped away tears. Tessa couldn’t help saying, “Maya, you’re too kind.” Someone started clapping. The sparse applause quickly turned into a full round. I sat below the stage, watching everyone moved by her “generosity.” I had seen this scene before in my previous life. It was also under applause like this that I got labeled as someone who had “maliciously spread” the disease. It was also under applause like this that the company decided to throw me out and make me take all the blame. After Maya finished speaking, she stepped down from the stage and walked up to me. “Lily, I really hope you won’t hurt anyone else again in the future.” I looked up. Then I smiled. Maya’s expression froze for a second. She probably couldn’t figure it out. Why could someone who was about to be suspended and might lose her job still smile? The HR manager frowned. “Lily, if you have any objection to the company’s handling of this, you can submit a complaint to HR privately after the meeting.” “Don’t disrupt the meeting now.” I stood up. “No need to wait until after.” “Since the company has already announced this publicly, I’ll respond publicly too.” The HR manager’s face changed. “Lily, what are you trying to do?” I looked at the projection screen on the stage. “Every word you just said is a public accusation against me.” “But until now, the company still hasn’t shown me a single piece of evidence proving I spread any disease.” “If the company insists on publicly implying that I pose a transmission risk without evidence, I will reserve the right to pursue defamation claims.” The conference room fell silent all at once. The HR manager stared at me. “Are you threatening the company?” “I’m protecting my legal rights.” I pulled out my phone. “Give me three minutes.” “If in three minutes the company still thinks these things aren’t enough to investigate properly, then I’ll call the police directly and submit the relevant materials to them.” The room began to stir. “She has evidence?” “Is there really going to be a reversal?” Maya’s face changed for the first time. “Lily.” She stared at me hard. “What exactly are you trying to say?” I didn’t answer. I looked at the HR manager instead. “Let me finish.” The HR manager’s face was dark. “The company has no obligation to cooperate with your personal performance.” I nodded. “Then I’m calling the police now.” A company legal manager hurried onto the stage and said a few quiet words to the HR manager. The HR manager’s face only got uglier. In the end, he gritted his teeth. “You have three minutes.” I connected my phone to the projector. Maya stared at the big screen without blinking. For the first time, real fear appeared in her eyes. The coworkers too, and once they saw what appeared on the big screen, all of them sucked in a frightened breath.