“What the hell is wrong with me?”
Her eyes stare back like laser beams; face stern in a way that makes you think you’re the reason for everything wrong. How did I get here? She used to trust you. Her warm smile and comforting demeanor was the reason you took the job in the first place. Her dark eyes almost hypnotic, as she explained she convinced you to be apart of her mission.
No, I can’t get down on myself, I am doing my best. Eleven hours a day! Eleven hours a day of work I am required to be here and not a single drop of respect. I should be getting compensation and a half based on what I go through. Why did she hire me in the first place? Was it because she thought she could control me like a robot? Tell me to do exactly what she wanted? I’ve always been kind of a push over… Maybe she could see that in me.
Seconds feel like hours as that once warm smile has become more of a stern grimace. Her lips begin to move and a cannot think of a place that isn’t more stress ridden at the time.
I’d rather be in shackles in the town square for murdering a man. At least that way I would deserve what is coming.
“Can you fill me in on what happened with Maravious and Shannon?”, she inquires.
Here we go
“Well, Maravious had called Shannon a bitch. So we all sat down to discuss what proper office etiquette was,” I explained
“Did you report it?”
“No, after our discussion we all agreed that everything was ok.”
“Well, Shannon obviously doesn’t think it is ok,” she proclaimed sharply; her voice so strong with confidence it could stop a train like a brick wall. She could tell I was puzzled as she continued, “Your ignorance and oversight led to Shannon reporting this to HR.”
“Ok? As she should.”
“Well, HR is saying that you should have filed a report, and your lack of doing so is quite concerning. Did you know you were supposed to file a report?”
“Well, yeah…”
“YOU DID?”
“But I thought…”
“It doesn’t matter what you thought. Shannon is threatening to sue. Is that something that you can pay out of your pocket?”
“Well, no.”
“I didn’t think so.” The room falls silent as the stern glare has become a look meant for a rapist.
“Mark, I like you, but this is kind of the last string.”
“What did I do wrong? Shouldn’t you be talking to Maravious?”
That must have been the wrong thing to say. Her posture instantly changed. No longer did she look mad, but she had returned to her normal demeanor. With those warm dark eyes and a smooth calm voice she began, “Maravious has been with this company for 20 years. HR would have to go through too many hoops to let him go, and Shannon hired an outside lawyer. Their coming for us if we don’t do anything about it. I’m sorry”
Thoughts start rattling around my head.
What the hell did I do? I must be a terrible person. How am I going to go home and raise a family. No one is going to hire me, But I didn’t do anything wrong! Fuck this. I might as well be thrown in jail for doing nothing. Not like that doesn’t happen already. I hate myself.
Another fatality of corporate life. Denigrated for the sole purpose of having to put one’s head on a steak. No one will care in a couple days. No one will think about Mark’s life and what he has to go through.
Poor Shannon.
Our Age is Retrospective 