"Happy anniversary!" Hazel shouted triumphantly while popping the cork of a champagne bottle. They technically weren't allowed to have alcohol, but Hazel decided to make an exception for them on that particular day. There was a shine in her eyes that hadn't been there before, and Krystal couldn't help but feel proud.
Krystal grabbed a glass to avoid talking to anyone. She was generally good at drinking and could drink up to ten glasses of whisky, which had about 250 ml of pure alcohol content. Hazel shot her a worried glance and gestured towards the champagne, but Krystal shook her head. The irony was that she didn't actually like drinking, opting for drinks such as mocktails when she could, but work parties were an exception for her as well.
Across the room, Jonas made eye contact with her, and his gentle smile contorted into a scowl. Krystal looked away quickly. For some reason, ever since last Christmas, Jonas seemed to detest her completely. They hadn't been on good terms earlier either, but he had at least been professional with her at work. However, their present situation was rather pathetic as they could hardly even stand in the same vicinity as the other. Hazel had noticed and tried getting them to reconcile since the project would last for at least a couple more years, but it had been to no avail, and the rest of the team had similarly given up and agreed to let the bad blood simmer until someday, it would settle down naturally.
The project in question was the sole purpose of the team's assembly, with Hazel as its lead researcher. Abruptly, a strange ringtone with a very strong saxophone presence echoed through the room, which was then immediately silenced. Hazel's eyes narrowed with displeasure.
"Jack, a word, please." She said in a rather chilly tone as the brown-haired man shrank in on himself. Jack shot Krystal a pleading look as if begging for her assistance. Krystal didn't know exactly what was happening, but it seemed her sentiment was shared by the majority of the room as they all turned to each other in confusion.
"What's wrong?" Liam asked timidly, but Hazel ignored him, grabbing Jack roughly by the arm and dragging him out of their office. The door slammed shut behind them in an ominous way. No one knew what to make of the situation as it was so out of the blue and uncharacteristic of the typically easy-going and laid-back Hazel.
Krystal contemplated between going outside or staying inside, but they were all collectively rooted in place as if the bystander effect had come in full force.
"Let's give them some space." A voice suddenly said in such an assuring tone that everyone took notice. It was Jonas, unsurprisingly. In a matter of seconds, he instantly got everyone to calm down. The colour returned to people's faces, and slowly, the party kicked back in, but in a much subdued manner.
Krystal wasn't fully sure why, but a foreboding sensation filled her mind. It was their one-year anniversary, and it should have been a moment of celebration as it was also the company's fifteenth anniversary. Instead, there was a shadow on everyone's faces all of a sudden. The different reactions of her team members befuddled her. Some people simply looked anxious, others looked guilty of something, and there were still some others who seemed as if they felt absolutely nothing or were trying their best to avert their eyes.
In that room of people who all seemed to be in on a secret that was unknown to her, only one person mirrored her lost expression but in a very subtle way and that was Jonas. Feeling an oncoming headache, Krystal quickly bid everyone goodbye and decided to drive back to her apartment. It was a shabby, small place that was recommended to her by her younger sister Caitlyn, who was a tech-savvy genetic researcher.
The alcohol was exerting its effect on her, and as she finally drove into her apartment parking lot and parked her car, she suddenly collapsed in her seat, falling into a deep and dreamless sleep.