Theressa sat in her dimly lit apartment, her mind mired in the fog of heartbreak, when the intrusive beep of her phone pierced through her melancholy thoughts. It was a message, an unexpected one, from her team leader at work. This alone was perplexing enough to pull her away from the abyss of her emotions. The team leader rarely ventured into personal conversations, and his messages typically pertained strictly to work matters. The fact that he was reaching out now, especially during her approved sick leave, filled her with curiosity and a hint of apprehension.
She reached for her phone, its screen lighting up with the message. Theressa had never bothered with a password for her device; the simplicity of swiping her lock screen was enough for her. Passwords felt like an unnecessary hassle, a layer of complexity she could live without.
As her eyes scanned the message, a sense of urgency washed over her. The text was unusually terse and demanding, bearing none of the usual brevity that characterized her team leader's communications. It simply read, "Come to the company building now."
Theressa knew her team leader was a man of few words, a trait that had become synonymous with his persona. On most days, you could count the number of words he uttered on one hand. But this message was different, it carried an unmistakable weight and urgency that she couldn't ignore.
Reluctantly, Theressa heaved herself up from her disheveled bed, her thoughts of heartbreak momentarily pushed to the sidelines. She began the ritual of getting dressed, her movements slow and mechanical as she tried to make sense of the situation. The lingering pain of her recent breakup was temporarily overshadowed by the enigma of this summons.
Within a short while, Theressa had left her apartment behind, the door clicking shut behind her. She stepped out into the world, heading towards her office building, her mind filled with a mix of curiosity and trepidation, unsure of what awaited her at work.
"How is she the one getting fired? It's such a plot twist" Theressa's ears perked up hearing the statement from a worker as she entered the building. The word "fire" made her heart race. She walked briskly into the elevator, her anxiety palpable as she tapped her feet impatiently while waiting for it to ascend to the fourth floor where her destination awaited. As the elevator doors finally opened, revealing the corridor leading to the meeting room, she couldn't help but notice the somber atmosphere that hung in the air.
Her colleagues, usually animated and chatty, had their heads bowed, their expressions etched with worry. It was as if something tragic had occurred, casting a shadow over the workplace. She swallowed hard, as she approached the meeting room, preparing herself for whatever news or situation awaited her inside.
"Theressa" Collins, the colleague that sat right next to her called out her name in an almost hush tone. "What's going on?" Theressa questioned, roaming her eyes round the meeting room in curiousity. Collins passed a letter to her.
With haste, Theressa eagerly tore open the envelope, fear dancing in her eyes. Her fingers trembled as she unfolded the letter, but just three lines into reading its contents, her world seemed to shatter. The letter slipped from her trembling grasp, fluttering to the ground, forgotten in the wake of the shocking words she had just read..
In disbelief, Theressa turned towards the team leader, Fred, desperately seeking confirmation that the words in the letter were not real. Her eyes locked onto his, searching for any sign of reassurance, but she found none. Fred's head hung low, and that silent admission was all she needed. She was indeed fired.
"But why?" Theressa's voice trembled with a mix of frustration and disbelief, her eyes welling with emotion. In truth, she had been putting in an extraordinary amount of effort within the marketing team. She had sacrificed her evenings, sorting through files and meticulously going through customer reviews, all by herself. Her termination felt painfully unjust. Theressa was undeniably one of the company's most dedicated and capable employees.
"The director had passed the letter directly to me. I'm sorry Theressa" It definitely wasn't Fred's fault, Theressa knew the source of the problem. Why didn't she see this coming? if only she wasn't working late that day. Maybe she wouldn't be getting a letter of termination. Maybe if she had allowed the director to have his way with her that day she would not be losing the only source of income.
Theressa lifted her head, feigning a smile at her colleagues "I'm fine guys" She's not. But she despised the pity on their faces, they never actually cared for her, she was their coverup. Without another word, Theressa exits the meeting room, walking to her work table to get her things.
"You'll need this" Theressa couldn't help but roll her eyes at the owner of the voice that had interrupted her. With an exasperated sigh, she chose to ignore him completely and resumed packing the few belongings she could manage on her own.
"You know, you won't have to be going through all these if you had just stayed still and let me show you love" After hearing such disgusting words from the director, Theressa found it impossible to remain still. Her body quivered with a mix of indignation and outrage. The need to take action and confront the director's offensive remarks burned within her.
"I rather eat shit than sleep with a goddamn fifty year old man like you Mr Lee…" Mr Lee was taken aback by the informal tone.
"Wanna know one big reason? Because your dick is paralysed and dry already. Definitely not my taste, get the hell out of my way" Theressa pushed past Mr. Lee, who stood there still in shock, clearly taken aback by Theressa's forceful words.
Just when Theressa believed that everything had taken a turn for the worse, fate had an unexpected twist in store for her. An SUV came hurtling down the road, its driver seemingly oblivious to the muddy water that lay ahead. In a rush, the vehicle sped through the muck, sending a rooster tail of dirty water splashing forcefully onto Theressa. It was an unforeseen and rather unfortunate turn of events that left her drenched and even more bewildered by the tumultuous day she was experiencing "hell!!"Theressa cursed.
Her entire body was now stained with muddy water, every inch of her clothing drenched and muddied. The frustration and despair had reached their peak within her. It felt as though every part of her had been broken, emotionally and physically. In that moment, it seemed like there was practically nothing left for her in this world.
The SUV had reversed back, which Theressa would have found nice of them but she was far from a good mood. A man stepped out of the car, genuine concern etched across his face as he inquired about Theressa's well-being. His voice seemed like a distant murmur amid the tumult of thoughts in her head and the bitterness that had taken root in her heart.
"What else do you want from me?" Theressa's voice erupted in a passionate outburst, a torrent of frustration and despair pouring forth. "Haven't you guys ruined my life enough?!" The man who stood before her was taken aback, his surprise evident in his wide-eyed expression. He stammered in response, attempting to offer a conciliatory gesture. "I'm sorry," he began, "you can come with us, and we-"
"George we do not have time for that, we need to leave now"
The man's statement seemed to ignite a spark within Theressa's head. Her gaze snapped up, eyes now ablaze with simmering rage. "Oh, because now I'm unemployed, I'm the one with all the free time, right?" Her words were charged with bitterness and sarcasm. "Y'all really are heartless." Her attention shifted to the one who had made the insensitive remark, but before she could take a step toward him, a firm hand held her back. It was another man, dressed in a black suit, his eyes hidden behind dark shades. He exuded an air of authority, clearly playing the role of a bodyguard. Despite this, Theressa couldn't help but cast a piercing glance at the man who had triggered her outburst, her anger burning hot and unrestrained.
"Oh I see, rich ass fellas, well go on with your lives " Theressa stated getting herself out of the bodyguard's grip. The nice man had tried saying another word but Theressa walked away before he could.
Biting her lip fiercely, Theressa struggled to hold back her tears, but her emotional dam eventually gave way. The tears she had been desperately trying to contain streamed down her cheeks, betraying her inner turmoil. She couldn't hold it in any longer.
She sank down to the ground, her bag forgotten beside her, as she let her emotions flow freely. She didn't care if there were people watching; their prying eyes were inconsequential in the face of her overwhelming grief. Her heart felt as though it had been shattered into a million irreparable pieces, leaving nothing to pick up.
As the rain began to pour down from the heavens, Theressa remained where she was, her cries of anguish merging with the sound of the raindrops. She screamed her heart out, releasing her pent-up frustration and sorrow into the storm, tears mixing with the rain as she continued to sob uncontrollably under the relentless downpour.