I didn't Do It

"What?" she gasped, her voice mingling with Samantha's in a chorus of shock. Their coworkers' heads swiveled in their direction, eyes wide with curiosity and whispers of disbelief.

"I never put my name in that box," Samantha declared, her voice slicing through the fading claps.

"Me neither," Lucia added, her brow furrowed in confusion.

The manager's lips pressed into a thin line. "As I mentioned when this initiative was announced, once your name is in, there's no turning back. There will be consequences for withdrawal."

"This is absurd," Samantha protested, her hands clenched at her sides. "Someone must have put our names in without our consent."

"And how would I verify that?" the manager retorted.

"The handwriting," Lucia suggested, her mind racing for solutions. "We can compare it to ours."

"That won't be possible," the manager replied curtly.

"Why not?" Lucia demanded, her heart pounding.