Clarity Benefit Solutions Presents the podcast, Fatal Benefits: The Clarity Claire Murder Mystery.
Episode 4: Adlib
December has arrived, and the office is trying to fill with holiday cheer, but I don’t feel like myself anymore. The anxiety from everything that’s happened over the past few months has stolen the joy right out from under me.
This used to be my favorite time of year.
Despite my efforts, the puzzle remains unsolved, and I’ve been feeling like I’m running in circles.
I have been waiting to hear from Detective Arnold for two weeks.
I decided to stay late at the office tonight to keep digging. I poured over files on the company’s shared drive, desperate to find a connection—anything—that could explain what’s been happening.
I feel like I am losing my mind.
“Clarity Brand Initiative” I see a folder updated 17 minutes ago… by Kristen.
This wasn’t here yesterday.
It’s filled with the usual jargon about “strengthening brand identity,” but one slide jumps out at me: “Leveraging compliance processes to align employee status with brand expectations.”
My pulse quickens as I keep digging. The document references “strategic reviews” for key employees and “maintaining control over brand assets during periods of uncertainty.”
Something tells me to cross-check the “review” dates mentioned in the presentation with the encrypted emails, the COBRA letter, and even the Halloween party. They align perfectly.
I am overwhelmed. I must be just reading into things.
While packing my bag, I notice a faint light still on in the conference room. The office is nearly empty, but someone is still here. I walk over, curiosity pulling me in, and peer inside. There, I find Kristen reviewing some papers under the dim glow of the overhead lights.
I step into the room.
She looks up, unfazed, a faint smirk forming on her lips. “Claire. What are you doing here so late? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“What's going on Kristen? ” Kristen leans back in her chair, unbothered.
Silence.
“For some reason, I thought you would have figured it out by now…. Seen the bigger picture. I made you more clever than this, you know.” she says with a disappointed look on her face.
“Then help me understand,” I challenge, stepping closer. “The emails, the COBRA letter… the Halloween party.”
She sighs as if bored by my persistence.
“It’s simple.” She says.
“The Clarity Claire persona wasn’t just some marketing tool. It was the brand. You blurred the lines between who you are and who we created. When you started considering other opportunities, it was a threat. We couldn’t risk you leaving—or worse, letting our competition get hold of the ‘face’ of our brand.”
The truth hits me like a punch to the gut. “So, all this to trap me?”
“To protect the brand,” she replies coolly. “You were a valuable asset, and consistency was essential. The Clarity Brand Initiative wasn’t just about marketing—it was about maintaining control over everything tied to the brand, including you.”
I take a step back, my pulse racing. “And the attack? Was that part of your ‘brand protection’ too?”
Kristen’s expression doesn’t change. “The attack was an accident. It was meant to remind you who made you and where you belong. It went too far, but did you die?”
Her words send a chill down my spine. “You think that justifies it?”
She takes a step closer, lowering her voice to a dangerous whisper. “I needed you to remember who made you, Claire. And if I wanted to, I could make you disappear just as easily. Don’t ever forget that.”
I’m about to fire back, but she continues, her voice dripping with condescension. “And if you’re considering taking this to HR or anyone else, don’t waste your time. The is no paper trail of your existence except for that one brainstorming document we put together months ago.. You know, when we created you in the think tank.”
“I was so proud of my team that day,” she says with a smile.
My stomach drops. “What do you mean?”
Kristen picks up her bag and heads for the door. “You’ve always played your role well, Claire,” she says over her shoulder. “Don’t start ad-libbing now.”
She walks out, leaving me standing there stiff like a cardboard cut out, all alone in the dim conference room.
_________ [Final scene and narrator changes to Kristen]_________
Knock, knock.
I glance up from my desk to see Janice from reception standing in the doorway.
“Kristen, Robert Stein from Benefits Buzz is here to see you,” she says.
Of course he is. "Send him in, please."
A few moments later, I hear his thick Italian accent echoing down the hallway.
“Kristen!” Robert exclaims as he steps into my office, his voice brimming with energy. “How are you feeling after last night’s awards? It was a big day for Clarity.”
He drops the award onto my desk. The engraving catches the light: Best Brand Campaign of the Year.
“And to think, some of us almost thought she was real,” he says with a chuckle.
I raise an eyebrow, grinning. “Whatever do you mean, Robert? Claire is real.”
This concludes the final episode of season one. Please tell us what you think so we can improve season two of our Podcast series in the new year. Email us at [email protected].
