Margaret - Chapter 8

I stood from my chair and approached the trash, which sat closer to the coffee machines, ready to toss the cup out and possibly grab myself something to snack on to pass the time. Chatter surrounded the area as many of the others discussed the presentations.

“That Delilah, she’s something else…that presentation had everything.”

“I wish I had partnered up with her, maybe things would have gone over smoother for me…”

“She can’t carry you; you were bumbling the entire time up there!”
“H-hey! I tried!”

“Poor saps…” I thought, feeling even more confident in the result. I knew it’d be tough to go in there and give your best, given the conditions of the presentations. But seeing as I’ve made a great contribution with my idea and presentation, partnered with her confidence and people skills when it comes to presenting. We got this in the bag, I’m sure of it. Especially after hearing those reactions from the crowd! This might be the most excited I’ve ever been at this job during my years of work here. I have a real shot of getting out of here.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she wins it.”

“You don’t know that.”

“She had the best project. You even saw the boss clapping.”

“Who would’ve thought she’d be that smart to think of that product?”

The words began to sink in as I reached for a muffin. I’m hearing tons of praise for her, but is there anything to say about me? I mean, I did create the project…why would they only talk about her? I looked over to the group speaking and moved closer. Maybe I could be filled in on exactly how the presentation went.

“Hey, I missed the presentation from Delilah…I heard good things?”

The group looked at me, awkwardly putting myself into their conversation, two walked away, but one of them decided to answer me. I knew I didn’t talk much to the other coworkers, but maybe they’d at least fill me in. He began to scratch the back of his neck before answering. “Oh…Margaret, right? Yeah, she gave a stellar presentation on her project. Apparently, she’d been working on it for some time before the contest came up. Pretty impressive stuff.”

Confusion filled my face at his words. What did he mean?

“Her project?”

“Uh…yeah? That’s what she said.”

“What—what else did she say?”

“I don’t know what else you want me to say…”

I felt my heart begin to beat quickly; my nerves were everywhere. What happened in that presentation? Why is my name not being brought up? What is going on, this can’t be right…!

I turned away quickly and returned to my desk, opening the file of the presentation. I scanned through the slides, and everything seemed to be the same as before, until I made it to the final slide. My eyes widened, seeing that there were edits.

“My name…isn’t here anymore…”

—

The sudden realization of what possibly could have happened sat in my mind, my breath began to pick up its pace, panting as I stood in shock at what I’d discovered. Did she remove my credits? Did she take credit for everything? Why would she do something like that? I thought we worked together…and promised to rise together…

As I pondered the possibilities, the boss and the higher-ups walked out of the conference area. A smaller figure followed behind them as Alice and the employers from the room entered, commanding silence through the crowd. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the center of the room. Alice stepped forward proudly as she commended everyone for their involvement in the competition.

Her smile stretched wide as the employers followed suit.

“Thank you! To everyone who entered this fun little competition, seeing your ideas has expanded our ideas across the board. Seeing the latent potential this office holds gives me hope for the future success of our small establishment.” Her narrow eyes opened slightly, scanning the room for reactions. Everyone began to clap and cheer, even though it felt as if they were doing so for the sake of the boss's wrath being kept at bay. Anger swelled within my confusion as her words continued. I could barely understand what she was saying, all I could wonder about was Delilah’s whereabouts.

She continued, clasping her hands together, bringing everyone's attention to a halt. “We have finally selected which of you will be getting the invitation to the main board. This young innovator brought us an idea that not only shone in the eyes of our higher-ups and employers, but also amongst the crowd here. We hear your words and have to oblige!”. Her words struck me heavily. There’s no way she can’t be talking about who I think she is. I felt my hands tighten their grip as the small figure stepped forward quietly.

“Our contest winner is Delilah! One of our newest workers burst onto the scene and made her mark with her wonderful product! Let’s give her a round of applause!” Alice placed her hand on Delilah’s shoulder, pushing her slightly forward. Delilah wore a bright smile as she waved to the crowded office. Making sure to thank everyone in the process. “Really, you’re all too kind.” She said, facing my direction with a small smile. “I couldn’t do this without the help of everyone here.”

Her words sank into my soul. It was as if the gravity of this moment was pressing down on my conscience. This was really happening; this wasn’t a dream. It was the unadulterated reality. The lump in my throat returned as I watched Delilah take in the congratulations from not only the boss whom I’ve worked endlessly for, but the employers and coworkers I’d worked alongside for years. This wasn’t right. She shouldn’t be getting the credit; it should be me…That’s my spot, not hers!

Anger began to swell inside of me; my fingers couldn’t dig into my palms any farther. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this much anger. My face began to change color as the applause continued. Pressing deeply to a point where I felt I’d explode if I didn’t say anything. This was all wrong, I know it’s wrong. It’s completely wrong!