When no one notices you, at first, it hurts. You try to change the situation. Then, you accept it.
And eventually, you even find an advantage in it. That day, I sat at my desk, watching as my male colleagues swarmed around our new coworker, Claire. She was obviously attractive, so their reaction wasn’t surprising.
But when Mark approached her, the others quickly backed off. I let out a quiet chuckle as I watched. Mark was the most handsome and charismatic man in the office—I was convinced even other men wouldn’t mind if he took them to bed.
He flirted with Claire, and she giggled at his jokes, twirling a strand of her blonde hair around her finger. At that moment, Anthony, my boss, approached me. “Sara, do you remember our new project?” he asked, glancing at the laptop screen in front of me.
“Yes, of course. I’m leading it,” I replied, adjusting my glasses. “I’m counting on you,” Anthony said with a nod, his tone full of expectation.
I worked at an IT company, and we were launching a new dating app. Anthony had chosen me to lead the project because, no matter how unnoticeable I was, my work results were the best. He had also offered me an opportunity to work abroad at one of our other branches, but I declined, even though the salary would have been much higher.
During lunch, I noticed an irritated Mark walking up to Anthony. Curious about what had upset our golden boy this time, I decided to eavesdrop. “Who did you assign the dating app to?” Mark asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
“Sara. Is there a problem?” Anthony replied, sounding amused. “Sara?
We don’t have anyone by that name,” Mark scoffed, and I felt my jaw tighten. “She’s sitting right over there,” Anthony said, pointing at me. I continued pretending not to hear them, keeping my eyes fixed on my screen.
“I thought I’d be handling the dating app. This isn’t fair,” Mark protested, folding his arms across his chest. “To my office.
Now,” Anthony ordered. I finished my lunch just in time to see Mark walking out of Anthony’s office, looking pleased with himself. I had no idea what they had discussed, but no one had told me I was off the project, so I remained calm, though a tiny seed of doubt had been planted in my mind.
The next day, Mark approached me with his signature smile, hovering over my desk like a shadow. I gave him a questioning look. “Sonia…” he began, leaning in slightly.
“Sara,” I corrected him, not bothering to hide my irritation. “Right. Sara.” He chuckled, as if amused by his own mistake.
“Want to grab lunch together?” he asked, his voice dripping with casual charm. “I already ate,” I replied flatly, typing away at my keyboard. “Then how about a drink after work?” he suggested, tilting his head.
I turned to face him. “You didn’t even know my name a minute ago. I bet you didn’t even know I worked here,” I said, recalling his conversation with Anthony.
“What’s this really about?”
“I just thought it’d be nice to hang out with a lovely colleague,” Mark said smoothly, flashing that infamous smirk that made other women melt. I scoffed. “Oh, come on.
It’ll be fun,” he insisted, his persistence almost amusing. “I have a lot of work,” I said, turning back to my computer. Mark lingered for a moment before sighing and walking away, but I could feel his eyes on me for a few seconds longer than necessary.
As usual, I stayed late at the office. But when I finally looked up from my screen, I was surprised to see Mark still there. Normally, by the time I finished, the office was empty.
I stood up, gathered my things, and headed to the elevator. Mark did the same. He followed me, and the whole thing felt strange.
We stepped into the elevator, and it started moving. Then, suddenly, it stopped. “What’s going on?
Are we stuck?” I asked, pressing a few buttons. “Looks like it,” Mark replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets. I pressed the emergency button and explained the situation.
The response came: we’d have to wait about two hours. Mark sighed and sat on the floor, stretching his legs out in front of him. After a moment, I did the same.
“So, tell me about yourself,” he said, tilting his head toward me. “What?” I chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “What’s funny?” he asked, looking genuinely confused.
“Come on, I’ve worked here for years, and most people don’t even know I exist. Why the sudden interest?” I asked, crossing my arms. “I’m just curious,” he said, shrugging.
“Then why don’t you tell me about yourself?” I countered, narrowing my eyes. “Oh, please. You probably know everything about me already,” Mark smirked.
“Everyone does.”
That made me laugh again. “That confidence.”
“What? Is that a bad thing?” he asked, grinning.
“No, not if it’s real. But being invisible has given me an advantage—I notice things. And you, Mark, are nothing but an act.
A performer trying to mask his insecurities with fake confidence. So what’s behind all of it? Daddy issues?
Mommy didn’t pay attention to you?” I asked, leaning back against the wall. “Oh, screw you,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. We sat in silence for a while until Mark finally spoke again.
“My dad left us when I was three. My mom raised me alone. Then, when I was a teenager, he suddenly came back and tried to mold me into his perfect son.
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