Sandra entered the company building the next morning, feeling a mix of relief and slight nerves.

She had only been gone for a few days after the incident—an unexpected ambush just a few steps away from the office.

She could still feel the adrenaline whenever she thought about it, and her hand reflexively reached to touch her shoulder, where the bruise had finally begun to fade.

Yet, coming back today, she felt a wave of warmth. Her colleagues greeted her with beaming smiles, claps on the shoulder, and nods of approval.

Even the receptionists, who barely looked up most days, smiled as she walked by.

As she neared her department,...