Christmas was just around the corner, and the head of the company asked us to choose between a bonus and a Christmas gift box for chocolate. I was not much of a sweets person, so I was the first to vote for the bonus.

The intern collecting the votes immediately called me out by name in the team chat.

"Ella, Christmas is supposed to be about the holiday spirit. Isn't choosing the bonus a bit materialistic?"

Even the department manager tagged me.

"Ella, the company values team spirit more than anything."

In the end, everyone else picked the gift boxes. I was the only one who did not.

When the Christmas party arrived, the intern had bought gift boxes filled entirely with nut chocolate.

She knew I was allergic to nuts, yet she forced me to try some in front of everyone to show my team spirit.

"Ella, this was bought with everyone's bonus money. You cannot just refuse, can you?"

The next moment, I was struggling to breathe and a rash spread across my body.

The intern looked at me with pure disgust.

"Seriously, Ella, do you have to ruin the mood when everyone else is having fun?"

I frantically searched my bag for my allergy medicine, but all I could find were a few pieces of chocolate.

Seeing me in such a state, the intern laughed.

"Medicine is only one part of it. You need more sweets anyway. I swapped your medicine for the chocolate in the gift box."

My breathing was getting worse by the second. I quickly grabbed my phone and texted the CEO.

[Dad, I'm having an allergic reaction. I'm at the…]

A couple of days before Christmas, our department head surprised us in the work chat with a holiday reward.

Then came the follow-up message.

[Team, you've all been amazing! With Christmas right around the corner, the company wants to show its gratitude with two special gifts.

[Choose between an $800-holiday bonus or an exclusive company-branded Christmas gift box for chocolate.

[Vote within the department. The majority rules, and the department head will report our decision.]

The chat went wild.

[Wow, our team lead is the best! Totally in love with this!]

[That Christmas gift box sounds so luxe! I'm all for the gift box!]

[Come on, who wouldn't want the $800? Think of all the stuff you could get!]

I stared at my phone and did not think twice before voting for the cash.

I could not help but think, who in their right mind would skip the cash for some company swag?

However, no sooner had I cast my vote than Yvette Sullivan, the intern tallying the votes, pinged me in the group.

[Ella, looks like you're the lone wolf who went for the cash. Might you have voted by mistake?]

I scrunched my eyebrows, but before I could type a response, she sent another message.

[Isn't Christmas all about the vibe? The company's gift box is meant to be a heartfelt token. Going straight for the cash, doesn't that seem a tad materialistic?]

The lively banter in the chat came to an abrupt halt, and the mood shifted subtly.

I inhaled deeply and responded, [I just voted based on what I personally need, that's all.]

Right after my message went out, Keith Johnson, our department head, joined the conversation, tagging me.

[Ella, Yvette's making sense here.]

[We youngsters should look at the bigger picture, not just the quick buck.]

[The company was all about team spirit and sticking together, and that fancy gift box? It was like the department's collective face.]

Keith had a way of steering the crowd. Once he chimed in, the whole mood shifted. Those who had been hollering for cash bonuses did an about-face.

[Mr. Johnson's got a point! I was thinking too small!]

[All for the gift box! Nothing beats team spirit!]

[Yvette is such a gem, always keeping us on track with the team vibe!]

Right on cue, Yvette dropped a cutesy emoji in the chat.

[Thanks for the praise, but really, I just believe we've got to stick together. Can't let personal choices mess with our department's groove.]

Watching the back-and-forth in the chat, with everyone rallying behind the gift box, I felt queasy.

I was the one who had dared to vote for what we all truly wanted, and I suddenly became the bad guy, labeled as selfish and short-sighted.

The vote was a foregone conclusion. Everyone but me went for the gift box.

Keith was all smiles in the chat. [Excellent, this shows our department's rock-solid unity!]

[I've sent off the results, so get pumped for the company's Christmas gift box!]

The chat lit up with cheers and a parade of brown-nosing: Keith was a genius, the department unbeatable.

Yvette even slid into my DMs with a smiley face. [Ella, don't be mad, okay? I'm just thinking of the team.]

I forced a smile, left her on 'Read', and shut the chat. I had had enough.

The next day's Christmas team event was at some swanky hotel's banquet hall. Keith was there, wine glass in hand, glowing and talking about the same old spiel–unity and sticking together.

I was tucked away in a corner, quietly nibbling on my food, doing everything I could to blend into the background.

The party was in full swing when the doors to the banquet hall swung open. A waiter rolled in a cart heaped with Christmas gift boxes, each one wrapped up like a little treasure.

Yvette was on it in a flash, tearing into one and hoisting it up for all to see.

"Wow! Check this out, everyone! It's a gift box! And it looks like it cost a pretty penny!"

My stomach dropped.

Those Christmas boxes were a disaster for me: nut chocolate.

Nuts were all triggers for my allergies, walnuts being the worst offender. A mere brush against my skin and I would be covered in red welts, and I did not even want to think about what would happen if I ate one.

The rest of my colleagues were all too eager to grab a box and dig in, their praise for the contents filling the air.

"Mr. Johnson sure knows his stuff. This Christmas gift box is something else!"

"Yeah, beat the heck out of that 800-dollar bonus!"

I kept my gaze low, praying I would go unnoticed.

However, luck was not on my side.

Yvette, with an open box in hand, made a beeline for me, her smile so sweet it was almost nauseating.

"Ella, why aren't you having some? We all passed up our bonuses for these. You've got to try it, it's out of this world!"

She slid the box closer to me, and I stared down a battalion of chocolates.

I gripped my hands tight, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace.

"Thanks, but I'm not much for sweets."

"Oh, nonsense, you've got to try at least a little." Yvette's voice climbed, pulling the spotlight right onto us.

"This gift box is all about our team spirit, Ella. You wouldn't want to disappoint everyone, would you?"

The phrase 'team spirit' felt like a vice around my head, squeezing tighter with every second.

Keith strolled over, wine glass in hand, and gave my shoulder a friendly pat.

"Ella, Yvette's got a point. It's all about the gesture, showing we care.

"Look, everyone's digging in. You can't just sit there not eating. Don't be a party pooper."

The others started to back him up.

"Come on, Ella, what's the harm in just one bite?"

"Don't be a loner, we're all having a good time here."

"You're not still hung up on that measly eight hundred bucks, are you? Let it go already."

I felt like I was in the hot seat, the odd one out on trial for the crime of not fitting in.

I inhaled deeply, ready to make my last stand.

"Mr. Johnson, I'm allergic to nuts. I truly can't eat it."

The room went quiet for a beat.

Then, Yvette let out a loud, mocking laugh. "Oh, Ella, that's the oldest excuse in the book!

"First it was booze, now nuts. What's next, you're allergic to bread?"

She turned to Keith with a wounded expression.

"Mr. Johnson, I just wanted Ella to feel part of the group. How could she lie to reject our goodwill?"

Keith's expression turned stern, and his look was one of sheer disappointment.

"Ella, I never pegged you as someone who'd stoop to lying just to sulk."

He pressed a chunk of nutty chocolate into my hand, his voice firm.

"Today, you're going to eat this, like it or not. It's about showing the right attitude."

I tightened my grip on the nut chocolate, still trying to refuse politely.

Yvette noticed my lack of enthusiasm and shot a glance at Alicia, a colleague she was close to.

Alicia slipped behind me and jabbed me in the waist with a stealthy finger. The sudden pain made me gasp out loud.

Seizing the moment, Yvette crammed a piece of the nut chocolate into my mouth.

With a triumphant grin, Alicia grabbed a drink and started pouring it down my throat.

As the chocolate and nuts went down, my throat felt like it was being scraped raw, and a fiery sting spread fast.

Then came an overwhelming feeling of swelling, choking me from the inside.

My breaths turned shallow and rapid, and my face and neck broke out in a rash that was both itchy and painful.

"Ugh! Ack, ack!"

I coughed violently, trying to clear the blockage in my throat, but it was useless.

Yvette watched with folded arms, a sneer playing on her lips. "Wow, what a performance, huh?

"Ella, you're wasting your talent. You should be in film school."

Alicia joined in the mockery, "Seriously, you're all red in the face, really giving it your all. People might think we're poisoning you or something."

Keith let out a disgusted snort. "That's enough, Ella! Quit the drama, you're ruining the vibe! If you can't stand being here, then just leave!"

I tried to push myself up from the table, but my legs were unbearably heavy.

My sight grew foggy, as if I was looking through a thick curtain of water.

I clawed at my neck frantically, feeling my airway closing up, inch by inch.

"My medicine. I need my medicine..."

Words forced their way through my clenched teeth as I mustered every ounce of strength to reach for the handbag perched on the chair.

The bag tumbled to the floor, spilling its guts–lipstick, keys, tissues...

Frantically, I pawed at the ground, my fingers finally closing around the small medicine box: my lifeline.

My hands shook as I clawed open the box, only to be met with something else.

The white pills that should have been there had vanished, replaced by a few shards of chocolate.

How could this happen? Where was my medicine? Panic surged within me.

I was sure there had been at least three spare pills when I checked before leaving home.

Despair clutched at my heart like a vice.

Yvette's laughter rang out, cruel and merry. She crouched down, flaunting the empty medicine box before my eyes.

"Ella, is this what you're looking for?" Her voice dripped with glee. "Give up the search, I've disposed of it for you."

I snapped my head up, glaring at her through eyes streaked with red.

"Why?" I wheezed, each word etched in pain.

"Why?" Her grin widened, gleaming with malice. "You're always so delicate, so quick to suffer allergies. It's surely from all those drugs you take.

"They say every medicine has its poison. You'd be better off with sweets to boost your energy. That was why I sweetly swapped your pills for chocolate. Aren't I thoughtful?"

Her words, though soft, struck like lightning, reverberating in my ears.

She had tampered with my medicine!

She had known about my allergies all along, and with that vile act, she sought to end my life!