THE SECRETARY'S REVENGE

Chapter 13

✨✨JEREMY WHITE✨✨

The recliner was nice, I loved how it curbed my anxiety to a degree. Today seemed like one of those days where I needed to talk to someone about something, anything. So here I was, waiting on the older lady to be done with her scribbling.

She knew I was only here by grace. I didn't believe in therapy. They were invented to dull your pain, make you feel less guilty about your pathetic self that you begin to build an illusion to soothe your conflicted mind. And at a point, if you're willing, you may get to stay longer there—but when it all ends, you become worse than before and they just make some cash off of you.

"You look healthier than before Jeremy, May I call you that?" Mrs. Newman asked. The wrinkles on her face were becoming apparent, I guess she needed therapy too.

"And you don't," I retorted without emotions. I gauged her face for any sign of weakness. If she could preach therapy and anger management skills then she'd better be a guru at it.

She seemed to perceive my intentions, she replaced it with a smile. "I'm not getting any younger dear, but we're here because of the love of it. I'm surprised to see you here Jeremy, it's almost a miracle." she said, point made on the casual use of my first name, I didn't mind.

"I'm as surprised myself, you can call me Jeremy."

Her shoulders relaxed and she looked into the file before her. "How have you been? Is there any light in your life now? Or is it still dark?"

"Gray, it's still gray."

"And your eating habits?"

"Same as always,"

"Great, what of the assignment I gave you the last time we sat together? Did you carry it out?"

"Not really,"

"Why not? You couldn't find a suitable candidate?"

I sat still, my gaze fixed on the window screen. There was a little insect stuck in between the rails, it's fragile legs struggled to make it through the holes but it was a difficult prospect. I thought of myself in that moment and how I was in a box, an icy gray box filled with nothingness, yet struggling to grab unto something.

"Mr. White, have you no answer for me?" She asked again. "The books weren't as helpful as you thought they would?"

"One of them was, I had a self reflection at one point,"

"Which one of them?"

"The deep search by Calvin Hannan. I did the assignment as well but it didn't turn out fine."

"You did? That's great to hear. Who was it?" Her chirpy voice startled me.

"What?" I seemed to be lost on her last question.

"Who did you choose for the assignment?"

"Annie_ Annie Wembley,"

"Sweet name, why Annie?"

My eyes searched the air for an answer, I never really thought of that until now "Because, she's my secretary."

"She's your secretary?" Mrs. Newman asked shockingly. "Is that why you chose her? Because she's closer to you?"

"She was just in the way at that time," I muttered dryly.

"And how is that going for you?"

I shrugged. My lips in a tight pout, thinking of my next words "Not bad when I started, I wanted to help, be selfless—yuuno be a little more humane than numb but..." I sighed dejectedly, I was a bag of mess.