A Little Lie at Work

I told a small lie today that I hope will never come back to haunt me. At work, we have this little rule where if you're running late, you call and let your manager know so they can adjust schedules or cover shifts for you. But yesterday was my birthday, and it was the first day in months I could celebrate alone without feeling like everyone expected something big from me. So when I woke up this morning past my usual alarm, knowing I'd have to leave early for a dinner reservation with friends later tonight, I hesitated about calling. In the end, I just sent an email saying I would be five minutes late instead of thirty. Maybe it's silly to feel guilty over such a tiny thing, but now every minute running late feels heavier than before.