Something inside Ethan, cold and sharp, replaced the usual resentment. For the first time, he wanted payback. It started with small fantasies during lunch breaks. Brad slipping on his own ego, Brad being caught lying in a meeting, or Brad finally being seen for what he was. But fantasies don’t stay small when you’re overworked and invisible.
At Friday drinks, his teammate Claire joked, “You handle all his work, really, I bet you know all his secrets, too.” Everyone, including Ethan, laughed. But the thought lingered, glittery and dangerous. For the first time, he looked at Brad’s stupidity not as a burden, but as an underutilized opportunity. Ethan began thinking in terms of logistics.