New dress code

After the chemical accident, Joseph was still struggling to understand this new version of himself. Four months had passed, and even com a licença longa que a empresa deu, he still didn’t feel adapted—not to the changes, not to the stares, and definitely not to the clothes he now had to get used to.

The leave ended tomorrow. He had to go back.

Standing in the dressing room, Joseph adjusted the red top, took a steadying breath, and snapped a picture. He opened the chat with the one friend who hadn’t disappeared after the accident.

“So… does this outfit look okay for my first day back?
Well, not my first day—I’ve worked there for twenty years.
But it’s my first day in this new… situation.
Also my first day in the new role, which I still don’t even know. Something basic, apparently.”

He sent it and waited.

The reply came almost instantly—a flood of star and heart emojis, way more flirty than he expected. It made him smile despite himself. Maybe the friendship was turning into something else… but the company rules were crystal clear: no workplace romance.

Joseph looked at the mirror again. Tomorrow would be complicated, full of awkward looks and unanswered questions. But, for the first time in months, he felt a tiny spark of confidence.

Maybe the outfit wasn’t just “okay.”
Maybe it was exactly what he needed to start over.