The Corporate Vitamin

The bottle of multivitamins sat on Mara's desk like a small judgment. Take us, it seemed to whisper, we'll fix what's breaking inside. She popped two—bright, candy-colored lies—and washed them down with cold coffee.

Her phone buzzed. Another message from Julian: 'I know what you did.'

Mara's stomach tightened. She wasn't a spy, though she spent her days gathering intelligence on competitors, dissecting their strategies, predicting their moves. Corporate espionage with a polite veneer. But Julian—he didn't work in her industry. How could he know?

The bull of a senior partner, Richard, stormed past her cubicle, barking orders about the upcoming merger. He called everyone 'kid' even though half the floor was older than him. He'd built his career on sheer aggression, on being the biggest bull in the china shop. Mara hated how she flinched whenever he raised his voice.

She'd been having an affair with Julian for six months. It wasn't planned. It just happened—one drink after a conference, one too many nights working late, one moment of weakness multiplied into dozens. Julian didn't know she was married. He thought she was divorced, living alone in that sterile apartment she kept for overnights.

'I saw your ring,' his text continued. 'In that photo you sent. The tan line.'

Mara's hand went to her bare finger. She'd stopped wearing it after hours, but the evidence remained etched in her skin. A permanent mark of deception.

Richard appeared in her doorway, blocking out the fluorescent light. 'Kid, the Henderson file. Now.'

'Yes, Richard.'

She gathered her things, the vitamins rattling in their plastic prison. She'd started taking them three months ago when Julian had mentioned he only dated women who took care of themselves. Another lie she was living—popping pills to deserve someone she'd tricked into loving her.

The vitamin bottle promised wellness, energy, immune support. It should have promised to fix the holes in her soul. Nothing could fix that.

On her way out, she typed back: 'I can explain.'

The three dots appeared and disappeared. Finally: 'I don't think you can.'

Mara walked toward Richard's office, each step heavier than the last. Somewhere, a clock was ticking down on the life she'd built on secrets. Somewhere, someone was always watching. And all the vitamins in the world couldn't make her whole again.