Grad school, wow, congratulations!! What will you be studying? I hope it can bring you a sense of acomplishment, pride... seems you have great skills and talent but perhaps don't appreciate yourself enough.

I'm sorry about the crappy situation at work! Your co-worker who is trying to get you fired is... vile!! What a thing to do and for such a silly reason (you getting paid more), that kind of spitefulness is truly ugly in a person, I hope it doesn't bring you down too much and that it gets sorted out asap. To lie to management about you is obviously wrong, I hope action is taken against them, perhaps they should lose their job? No place for that kind of behaviour in a work place.

I'm glad your other coworker was kind to you and recognised you would benefit from their kindness, how sweet to buy you breakfast and to let you go home, even paying for a taxi!

Keep hanging in there and doing what you're doing x