The
kid will still call you Dad! I haven’t done anything wrong!”
“Divorce,” I repeated. This free ride of a
く
I left and went straight to the hospital. My
arm was throbbing, the old injury flaring up,
infected. I ran a fever and felt dizzy. I stayed
at the hospital for a few days, avoiding home,
focusing on work and the mountain of
paperwork required for my resignation.
Leaving work one evening after yet another
forced late night, I was headed back to the
hospital for a checkup when Ethan’s
secretary stopped me, thrusting a stack of
files into my hands.
“Mark, Ethan says these need to be done in
the next half hour. You’ve been here forever,
should be easy for you.”
Ethan being Sarah’s “brother” meant making
my life hell. Lately, it had been all late nights,
menial tasks, everyone dumping their work on
<
- me. I’d given notice, but I still cared about the
company, so I’d been playing along. Not
tonight.
“Can’t. Going to the hospital.”
“Oh, sick again? Convenient timing.”
“Old injury. My arm. It’s in my file.”
“An arm ache? Really? Don’t be such a
drama queen. This won’t take long. Finish it,
then go.
99
My vision was blurring with pain. “Do it yourself. Or dock my pay. I can’t.”
“You can’t just walk away from assigned
work! Ethan might fire you!”
L
Just then, Ethan and Sarah walked by. The
secretary pounced. “Ethan, Mark’s refusing to
work. He says he’s leaving.”
Ethan adjusted his glasses. “Yes, it’s a rush
job, important client, everyone’s working late.
Mark, if you have an emergency, you should
have just told me directly. No need for this.”
“Leaving work on time is a problem now? I’m
sick. I’m going to the hospital.”
The secretary smirked. “Oh, please. I haven’t
used that excuse since grade school.”
Sarah chimed in, her voice ice cold. “Just do
your work, Mark. Whatever “illness” you have
can wait. We don’t pay you to sit around
doing nothing.” She sounded harsher to me
than to any other employee.
く
Sweat dripped down my forehead. I dropped
the files at their feet and turned to walk away.
“Whoever wants to do it, can do it. I’m done.”
“You’re fired.”
“Mark! Are you insane? I correct you, and this
is how you react?”
“Don’t bother, Sarah,” the secretary sneered.
“Some people are just low–class. You can’t
polish a turd.”
Ethan stepped in, playing the peacemaker.
“Enough, Karen. That’s not appropriate.
Mark’s…position notwithstanding, regardless
of his performance, you will show him
respect.”
scending jerk
