"Emma, even showing affection shouldn't hurt others," a colleague remarked, clearly frustrated by the sudden change of plans.
"How am I supposed to manage? I have a date tonight!" a woman complained, stamping her foot in exasperation.
Nearby, a man texted his wife an apology while muttering, "It's my wife's birthday tonight."
Complaints filled the air, illustrating a common workplace irony: no issues when overtime isn't required, but a plethora of problems when it is. Emma Hart understood too well that the cause of their grievances was likely the bouquet of roses on her desk.
Emma stared at the roses—beautiful, yet thorny. Shaking her head and sighing, she found herself the target of everyone's irritation once again.
