Is This Enough ||MxM || Lgbtq+ [ON Hiatus]

Chapter 29

Leonardo's POV

I was exhausted, beyond the point of fatigue. I hadn't slept a wink all night because of Rufus yapping. "Hey buddy!" I said, wrapping my arms around him in a loving embrace. "You ready to take a walk?" His bark of excitement was all the confirmation I needed.

We ventured out into the wondrous forest, the distant horizon painted with sweeping cirrus clouds. The air was filled with the pungent smell of the forest, and every crunch of twigs underneath our feet was a reminder of the magical world we were in. The trees towered above us like skyscrapers, and the sky was alive with the sound of howling jays. It was a true paradise.

As we ventured deeper into the woods, squirrels darted away from our path, and when we reached a clearing, I took Ruf's leash off and brought out a ball. It was time to make some memories.

"Ready boy? Fetch." I said, throwing the ball. Rufus pursued his target with an intense fervour, refusing to let anything stand in his way. I took out my cell phone and, in an effort, to prevent any possible conflict, I composed an email outlining my decision to leave the company. Without a moment's hesitation, my phone blared with my ringtone. Wow, that was fast.

"You can't quit! Are you out of your mind?" he exclaimed in utter shock.

My voice quivered as I spoke, "No, sir, I'm not. I am resigning, and it pains me to do so." A loud bang echoed through the phone, followed by a heavy silence. My heart raced as I awaited his response. It didn't really pain me to do, I can't wait to block his number.

Rufus came back with the ball in his jaws, and he was so eager for another throw that his barking was relentless as he dropped it at my feet.

"Oh, for Pete's sake, I knew you weren't cut out for this!" his voice causing the birds to fly away.

I exclaimed as I crouched down to rake through my dog's soft coat before I managed to grab the ball. "Find someone else to do it." Rufus's barks were becoming louder and more difficult to conceal. I attempted to make a gesture indicating for him to be quiet, yet he got even noisier.

"Brown, what's going on? Why am I hearing a mingy mutt?" Mr. Walker inquired with intensity.

Standing up, I threw the ball and watched Rufus run. "My dog isn't a mutt, you dick."

He released a long, slow exhale of exasperation, and I could envision his forehead vein throbbing. "If you just come back now, I'll forget about what you said and won't punish you."

The discipline at work could be harsh - from having to work without pay for a set period of time, to being demoted or the most severe form of punishment which seemed almost mythical - a week in solitary confinement. The only activities allowed were working and eating a single meal per day.

"I'm done dealing with your crap! I don't have to put up with it anymore!" I said.

"Brown, you're not there to play house - a job needs to be done!" Mr. Walker declared.

"No way! No way in hell! I can't believe I ever even thought about taking someone's life - his or anyone else's!"

"It's pretty simple, Leonardo. You can either do it the easy way or the hard way. No do-overs here. Choose wisely." He spoke in a calm tone, one that was in contrast with his loud, demanding persona.

I had reached the point of no return; all my choices had brought me to this juncture. No longer did I need to remain employed in this place, I had changed. I wanted to heal, to improve and the initial step in that process was to leave this toxic environment. Here I go...

"Fuck you, Chadwick." Speaking those words was a refreshing breath of fresh air. I'd endured so much mistreatment from this man, simply because I wasn't white. Owned by the company, less than a valued employee, I was more like a disposable cog in the capitalist machine. But in this moment, I was done with it.