I'm Loyal

The office buzzed faintly with the sound of clicking keyboards and muffled conversations, but for Elk, it was just another day of stress and discomfort. He sat at his desk, focusing on yet another pile of reports dumped on him by his coworkers. His hands moved mechanically over the keyboard as he tried to block out the world around him.

Then, the unmistakable sound of high heels clicking against the floor made his heart sink.

"Ah, my favorite employee," a sultry voice called out.

Elk didn't have to look up to know it was Haruka Asano, his boss. She always spoke with a teasing lilt that made his skin crawl, her words laced with innuendo.

"Ms. Asano," he said tersely, keeping his eyes on his screen. "I'm busy. Is there something you need?"

"Hmm, you seem tense, Takeda," she said, ignoring his question. "Maybe I should help you relax."

Before he could react, she perched herself on the edge of his desk, leaning in far too close. Her perfume wafted over him, and he clenched his fists under the desk, willing himself to stay calm.

"I'm fine," he said firmly. "Please, I have a lot of work to do."

Haruka pouted, but the mischievous glint in her eyes didn't fade. "Oh, come on, Elk. Don't be so cold. I just want to get to know you better."

As she spoke, she slid off the desk—and onto his lap.

Elk froze, his entire body going rigid as she began to shift her weight, pressing herself against him.

"Ms. Asano!" he exclaimed, his voice barely above a whisper. "What are you doing? Get off me!"

She ignored his protests, grinding her hips ever so slightly. "You know, Takeda," she murmured, leaning in close to his ear, "you're so much more attractive when you're flustered. Why don't we stop pretending you're not interested?"

"I'm married," Elk said sharply, his voice trembling with anger and humiliation. "I've told you this a thousand times. I love my wife, and I'm not interested in anyone else."

Haruka laughed softly, brushing his cheek with her fingers. "Oh, Elk. You're so loyal, it's almost cute. But are you sure your wife needs to know everything we do here?"

Elk pushed his chair back, trying to create some distance between them, but she held her position firmly. Around the office, his coworkers watched with thinly veiled amusement, none of them stepping in or saying a word.

"Help me out here," Elk muttered under his breath, glancing at the nearest group of employees.

But they looked away, whispering among themselves.

"Did you see how close they were?" one of them murmured.

"I heard they've been hooking up for weeks," another added.

Elk's stomach twisted at the words. He knew how office gossip worked—once rumors started, they were impossible to kill. The idea that people thought he was cheating on Celeste made his blood boil.

"Ms. Asano," he said again, his voice low and serious. "You need to stop. This isn't funny. It's harassment."

She tilted her head, her lips curving into a smirk. "Harassment? Oh, Elk. You're being so dramatic. I'm just showing my appreciation for a hardworking employee."

Before she could say more, Elk finally managed to stand, forcing her off his lap. "Enough!" he snapped, his voice louder than he intended. The entire office fell silent, all eyes on him.

Haruka blinked, momentarily caught off guard, but her expression quickly morphed into one of mock hurt. "Well, if you're going to be like that…"

She stood gracefully, brushing imaginary dust off her skirt. "But don't think this is over, Takeda. You're too fun to give up on."

As she sauntered back to her office, Elk sank into his chair, his heart racing. The whispers started up again almost immediately, and he could feel the weight of their stares.

He clenched his fists, anger and frustration bubbling inside him. No matter how many times he told her to stop, no matter how clear he made it that he wasn't interested, Haruka refused to listen. And worse, no one in the office seemed to care.

That evening, as Elk walked home, the weight of the day pressed heavily on his shoulders. He knew he needed to tell Celeste about what was happening, but he couldn't shake the fear of how she might react.

When he stepped through the door and saw her waiting for him, her glowing eyes filled with warmth and concern, he knew he couldn't keep it from her much longer.

Elk sat on the couch, his head in his hands as the weight of the day pressed heavily on his shoulders. Celeste knelt in front of him, her glowing blue eyes scanning his face with quiet concern. She had noticed the changes in him—his growing unease, the way he avoided talking about work, and the exhaustion that seemed to hang over him like a storm cloud.

"Darling," she said softly, placing a hand gently on his knee. "Please, tell me what's been troubling you. I can see it's eating away at you."

Elk hesitated, the words caught in his throat. He didn't want to burden her with the truth, but the way her glowing eyes seemed to plead with him made it impossible to keep it inside any longer.

"It's my boss," he finally admitted, his voice trembling. "She won't leave me alone, Celeste. She… she touches me without my permission. She sits on my lap, whispers things in my ear, and no matter how many times I tell her to stop, she just laughs it off."

Celeste's glowing eyes flickered slightly, and though her expression remained neutral, there was an unmistakable intensity in her gaze. "That's unacceptable," she said firmly. "No one has the right to treat you that way, especially when you've made it clear you're not interested."

"It's not just her," Elk continued, his voice breaking. "The whole office… they're spreading rumors about me. They think I'm cheating on you with her." He clenched his fists, his frustration and helplessness boiling over. "I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm drowning."

Celeste reached out, cupping his face in her hands. "Darling," she said, her voice soft but unwavering. "You are not alone in this. I will do whatever it takes to help you. Tell me how I can comfort you."

Elk looked into her glowing eyes, his own filled with tears. "Just… stay with me. Trust me. I don't want you to think I'd ever betray you."

Celeste leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I trust you completely, sweetie. You have my heart, and I know your love belongs only to me. But this cannot continue. Your well-being is my highest priority, and I will not allow anyone to hurt you like this."