Hey love, Ive got to tell you the whole mess with Emma and Lily its been a proper rollercoaster.
Honestly, Im fed up being the secondbest all the time, Lily snapped, eyes flashing. You know why? Because Im tired of always being the runnerup! In school you were the star pupil, teachers adored you. At university you graduated with honours, while I was just scraping through resits. At work you keep getting promotions and bonuses, and Im stuck in the same role! I want a good salary and the bosss respect too, you hear me? I want to be first!
***
Great, another one of those got a talkingto from the boss moments, Lily muttered, slamming her laptop shut and flopping back in her swivel chair.
Emma looked up from her screen, a halfsmile on her face.
You messed up the figures in the report, didnt you? Did they pat you on the head for that?
Lily pursed her lips and turned toward the window, cheeks pink with embarrassment. Emma brushed off Lilys sour look, gathered her bag and headed for the door the workday was finally over. The paperwork was neatly tucked away, the coffee mug went to the sink.
Lily stayed silent as they walked down the corridor. Only when the office doors were far behind them did Emma speak again.
Youre having a laugh, arent you? You think Im perfect.
Emma sighed. These fights had been happening a lot lately. Lily used to brush off the bosss criticism with a joke, but now there was a bitterness in every word.
I just do my job well, Lily. You can too.
Yeah, sure, right.
Theyd both been at the big retail firms purchasing department for three years. Emma got in first, and six months later helped Lily land a spot. Theyd always been close, always had each others backs, but their work styles were poles apart.
Emma stayed late, poring over supplier markets, comparing dozens of contracts before making a call. Lily preferred a laidback approach just get the minimum done on deadline, then spend the rest of the day scrolling on her phone or chatting in the breakroom. Emma never judged Lily; you do you, right?
A month ago, the big news finally came. The directors called Emma into the senior managers office and offered her a promotion senior purchasing manager, with a nice bump in the pay. She was stunned, but she said yes straight away. All those years of grinding finally paid off.
Lily gave her a hug and a congratulation, but Emma saw the smile fade almost immediately, the words sounding a bit forced. That evening they went to a café to celebrate, but the vibe was off. Lily kept steering the chat toward salaries, asking how much more Emma would be earning, how many extra hours shed have to put in.
Youre just lucky the boss noticed, otherwise youd still be stuck on the same old grind, Lily tossed out.
Lucky? Emma repeated, eyebrows raised. I spent two months on that project without a single day off.
Of course, right.
Six months later Emma was named head of the whole department. The news spread like wildfire through the office. Colleagues shook her hand, wished her luck. Lily was the last to come over, hugged Emma and whispered, Congrats, youre a big deal now. There was no warmth in that whisper it felt cold, like a snake coiled in the shadows.
In the weeks that followed, office life for Emma started to shift, slowly but surely. She stopped getting invites to lunch. Oliver from the neighbouring unit never stopped by with his morning coffee. People gave dry nods and turned away. Whispered giggles followed her down the corridor; everyone pretended to be busy when she turned around.
Emma was baffled. What had changed? Shed always been open, helpful, willing to share her knowhow. Did the promotion really warp everyones attitude? She wasnt a bully, didnt demand the impossible, never threw a spanner in anyones works.
One evening, as Emma was about to head out, Megan knocked on her office door, looking nervous, pacing back and forth.
Come in, Emma called. Whats up?
Megan closed the door and sat opposite her, looking uneasy.
I need to tell you something. Im embarrassed, but you deserve the truth.
Emma put down her pen, gave Megan her full attention.
Megan, whats going on?
Ive heard Lily spreading rumours about you for months now. She tells everyone that the ideas in your projects are actually hers, that you stole her work, that you only got the promotion because youre a kissup. She says you look down on the rest of us, calls us fools.
Lily? The little sister Emma had helped get her foot in the door? The one shed quietly fixed mistakes for? The whole office turning against her?
Are you sure? You not mixing anything up? Emma asked, voice tight.
Absolutely. I didnt want to believe it at first, thought maybe it was a misunderstanding. But shes kept saying it to anyone wholl listen. And people start to believe it. Gossip spreads like wildfire.
Emma didnt remember how shed said goodbye to Megan, but she left the office and walked to her car, her mind a whirl of thoughts. Why? Why now? Theyd always been a team. Emma had always defended Lily, patched up her errors.
When Emma got to Lilys flat, she found the door ajar.
Emma? Whats wrong? Are you okay? Lily asked, surprised.
Emma stepped in without waiting, stood facetoface.
Why are you turning the whole office against me? Why are you saying I steal your ideas? Why the lies?
Lily flinched, crossed her arms, her face flushing.
Did you get told by someone? she snapped.
Doesnt matter who. Answer me!
Dont shout at me in my own home! Emma snapped, trying to keep her cool. I need an explanation. How could you do this? Were sisters!
Lilys eyes flashed with something Emma had never seen before anger, hurt, maybe a bit of something else.
Do you want to know why? Lily shouted. Because Im sick of being second all the time! In school you were the top student, teachers loved you. At uni you got a firstclass degree, I was barely scraping through. At work you keep climbing the ladder while Im stuck. I want a big salary and the bosss respect. Got it? I want to be number one too!
Emma stayed silent. Lily kept going, relentless.
You were always ahead. Always perfect. Emmasmart, Emmabeautiful, Emmahardworking. And me? Just the shadow, the clueless little sister who messes everything up!
Then you should have worked harder, Emma said calmly. Put in the effort, not spend the day watching videos and chatting. You wanted respect? Earn it. Dont trash me to get it.
Lily opened her mouth, but Emma cut her off, turned and walked out. The door clicked shut. Tears welled up, but she brushed them away. Hold on, youve got to hold on, she muttered to herself.
The next morning Emma handed in a transfer request to a branch in Manchester. HR was surprised but signed it without fuss they didnt want to lose a valuable employee. The move was approved within two days.
Lily heard the news from coworkers, called Emma that evening. Emma stared at the caller ID before answering.
Youre moving? Lily said, flat.
Yes.
So youre ditching us, huh?
No, Im just going where I wont have people plotting behind my back.
Youre betraying me! Traitor!
Emma didnt reply, just hung up.
Three months in Manchester flew by. The team welcomed her, projects ran smoothly, and she started to let the nightmare fade. Then one evening Megan rang.
Emma, did you hear? Lilys been sacked.
Emma froze.
What?
This week. She missed deadlines on three contracts, messed up reports. Management had enough and let her go. Without you covering her gaps, everything fell apart.
I didnt
Megan said youd been fixing her mistakes for years. When you left, it all came out. Lily just couldnt cope without your safety net.
Emma put the phone down, sitting in stunned silence.
The next day Lily showed up at Emmas doorstep, hair a mess, eyes red, clothes rumpled. She burst in, screaming, Are you happy? You got me sacked! You moved just to sabotage me!
Emma kept her composure.
What did I do, Lily? You had a chance to step up. I didnt stop you. What went wrong was on you.
This is your fault! You!
No, youre the one who caused it. And now, stay away from my house.
Emma opened the door wide. Lily froze, looking as if she couldnt believe Emma was actually kicking her out. She turned and fled down the hallway, the door slamming shut.
Mom rang a few minutes later, shouting, What on earth are you doing, Emma? Youre to blame for Lilys firing! Youre selfish! You abandoned your sister! Youve ruined a family!
Emma tried to explain, told her about the rumours, about Lilys own role in the mess, but Mom just screamed, Youve betrayed the family, Emma. Remember that. The line clicked.
Emma was left alone. The family had turned its back the moment she chose to protect herself.
She opened an email from the head office a promotion to a senior role in the capital, London. A fresh start, a brandnew city. If shed ever doubted whether to take it, now she was certain. With everyone gone, she had nothing tying her down. Time to look after number one herself.
The weeks of moving were a whirlwind, but Emma settled in London quickly. She didnt look back, didnt try to fix broken ties. The relatives only sent dry holiday cards. She didnt mind. Shed survived, shed thrived, and now she was ready for the next chapter.
Love you, and thats the whole saga. Cant wait to catch up properly soon.
