Emily Meyers knew something was off the moment she walked into the office. Instead of the usual hum of keyboard clicks and casual chatter, the sound of muffled sobs and sniffling filled the air. She stopped mid-step, scanning the room.

At first glance, everything seemed normal. Then she noticed her coworkers. Several of them were sitting at their desks, tissues in hand, their eyes red and puffy. Others were huddled in small groups, openly weeping. On a nearby table sat a stack of used tissue boxes, and someone had scribbled "It's okay to cry" on a whiteboard.

"What the hell is going on?" Emily muttered under her breath.

As if on cue, a soft piano melody began to play from the breakroom. Recognizing the soundtrack from The Fault in Our Stars, her stomach sank.

"Luke," she whispered, her tone dripping with dread.

The breakroom had been transformed yet again. This time, it was a tearful homage to the weepiest of teen dramas. A projector screen displayed a scene from The Fault in Our Stars—the one where Augustus and Hazel discuss infinity in Amsterdam—while a buffet table offered Dutch-themed treats: stroopwafels, bitterballen, poffertjes, and several bottles of Heineken. Nearby, a movie trivia station challenged employees to match quotes with characters, while a large sign above it read: "Welcome to The Fault in Our Workplace!"

And at the center of it all was Luke Edmunds, wearing a blue hoodie and looking every bit like a fake philosopher as he handed out tissues to teary-eyed coworkers.

"Feel your feelings!" he declared, dabbing at his own eyes with a tissue. "Embrace the tragedy!"

Emily's fists clenched. "LUKE!"

He turned, his face lighting up when he saw her. "Ah, Emily," he said, dramatically clutching his chest. "Have you come to join the crying circle?"

"What is this?" she demanded, gesturing to the chaos around them.

"It's The Fault in Our Stars Day," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We're exploring the beauty of pain, the poetry of love, and the tragedy of—"

She cut him off, her voice sharp. "Why is the entire office crying?"

He shrugged. "It's a tearjerker, Emily. That's the point."

She glared at him. "You've turned the workplace into a therapy session for a fictional movie. People are sobbing at their desks! How is anyone supposed to get any work done?"

"Sometimes, the heart needs to heal before the brain can work," Luke said sagely, offering her a tissue.

"I don't need a tissue," she snapped. "I need you to stop this madness."

He sighed dramatically, as if her resistance pained him. "Emily, you have to let go. It's okay to cry."

"I'm not crying!" she shouted, her frustration boiling over. "You're derailing the entire office—again!"

Luke stared at her, his expression softening. For a moment, she thought he might actually take her seriously.

Then, to her shock, his eyes filled with tears. His lips quivered, and he clutched the tissue in his hand like a lifeline.

"You're right," he said, his voice trembling. "I've gone too far."

Emily blinked, thrown off by his sudden display of emotion. "Uh... what?"

"I just wanted to make people feel something," he said, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "But I didn't think about how it might affect you. I'm sorry, Emily. Truly."

She stared at him, suspicious. "Are you... crying?"

"Yes," he whispered, dabbing at his eyes. "Because I care."

For a brief moment, she almost believed him. Almost. Then she noticed the subtle twitch of his lips—the telltale sign of someone holding back a smirk.

"You're faking," she said flatly.

"No," he said, his voice cracking. "These tears are real."

"They're as fake as this entire party," she shot back. "You're not sorry, Luke. You're just trying to mess with me."

He gasped, clutching his chest like she'd stabbed him. "How could you say that? I'm pouring my heart out here!"

Before she could respond, the office door swung open, and Veronica Lodge strolled in. Dressed in a sleek black suit and heels, the HR rep looked like she had stepped straight out of a glossy magazine. Her eyes swept over the scene, landing on Emily and Luke.

"What's going on here?" Veronica asked, her tone sharp.

"Emily's accusing me of faking my feelings," Luke said, pointing at her dramatically. "I'm just trying to make the office a better place."

Veronica raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. "Emily, care to explain?"

Emily threw up her hands. "He's turned the office into a crying festival! People are sobbing everywhere, my work is piling up, and he's faking tears to make me look bad!"

"Is that true?" Veronica asked Luke.

He shook his head, his tear-streaked face the picture of innocence. "I just wanted to create a space where people could process their emotions. Isn't that what HR is all about?"

Veronica's gaze shifted between them, her lips pursed. Then, to Emily's horror, she nodded. "He's not wrong."

"What?" Emily shouted.

"Creating a supportive, empathetic workplace is important," Veronica said. "And Luke's events boost morale."

"Morale?" Emily repeated, incredulous. "Everyone's crying!"

"Sometimes, that's part of the process," Veronica said calmly. "Maybe you should try embracing it."

Emily's fists clenched. "I'm not crying over a stupid movie!"

"Your resistance to vulnerability is noted," Veronica said, jotting something down on her clipboard.

Emily's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? He's manipulating all of you!"

Luke sniffled loudly, dabbing at his eyes for added effect. "I just wanted to make a difference."

"You're unbelievable," Emily muttered.

"And you're predictable," Luke replied, his smirk returning.

Emily glared at both of them, her frustration boiling over. "You know what? Screw this. And screw both of you."

With that, she stormed out of the breakroom, leaving Luke and Veronica standing amid the chaos.

Back at her desk, Emily sat down, her hands trembling with anger. Her phone buzzed with a notification.

Luke Edmunds: Instagram Story

She groaned, opening it.

The video showed Luke holding a tissue, his face a picture of mock sorrow. "Breaking news: Emily Meyers rejects empathy and chooses rage. We'll cry for her."

The caption read: "#FaultInOurOffice #CryBabyChronicles "

Her blood boiled as she typed out a reply:
"You're unbearable."

His response came almost immediately:
"And you're predictable, Hazel Grace. "

She threw her phone onto her desk, glaring at the mess of tissues scattered around her workspace.

The feud wasn't over—not by a long shot. But as Emily sat there, plotting her next move, she vowed that Luke—and his HR enabler—would regret underestimating her.

Because if they thought this was the end, they were sorely mistaken.