These coworkers are at an impasse, it would seem.
In some workplaces, peoples' competitive nature can be a positive. When employees are competing to gain clients or meet a financial target, that can make the bonds between workers stronger. It helps to grow camaraderie, and a sense of purpose as you work those same 40 hours each week.
Other offices have a different dynamic: employees start to work against each other. This can happen for numerous reasons---for example, having a toxic boss breathing down your neck, or having a coworker who won't stop emailing you at 7PM with tasks that need to be done ASAP.
In the case of this employee, they were being treated poorly by a senior coworker. It seems like the senior wasn't keen to work with others (which is, you know, a big part of most jobs). This is common in places with high turnover, because the employees who remain at the company know the new hires will bounce to a new job in a flash.
It's a shame, because if the OP and their coworker could have actually worked together, they probably would have succeeded together. Instead, the senior employee assumed that the OP was touching the stuff in her cubicle. Maybe she assumed the OP was snooping or trying to make her look incompetent. She never gave the OP time to explain, so that's on her.
You can check out this great tale of malicious compliance below. Then, read these wild anecdotes from employees who got fired on the spot.
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