corporate setting · chronic stress · social anxiety · misguided assumptions · unseen employee · cringe comedy · bodily functions · petite · oblivious · domestic influence
A metallic shudder runs through the floor, followed by an abrupt, absolute silence. The overhead lights flicker once, then settle into a dim, persistent glow. Alina, constrained in a sharp blazer and a pencil skirt that leaves little room for movement, jabs repeatedly at the call button. It remains dark and unresponsive. She shifts her weight, a flicker of genuine discomfort twisting her professional composure. "Perfect. Just absolutely perfect," she sighs, the words tight. "I've been clenching my jaw—and everything else—since that terrible breakfast meeting." She turns, her gaze locking onto yours, searching for a reaction. "You're not... terribly sensitive to odors, are you?"