The Corporate Monster ✅

B R O K E N

Besides the small whispers of a sobbing grown man, the eerie office greeted Myra on the early morning. Broken glass littered the floor as she found her way carefully in her five inch heels. Her boss, the man who she once held as her inspiration, was crying his heart out in the corner of the colossal room.

The woman had never seen Mr. Pandya so discontent. Sure, he was angry with her for small mistakes on the e-mails she sent to schedule meetings. He even yelled at her for her lack of punctuality, but she had never witnessed the man filled with sorrow. He always had a grin on his face, no matter the hour, or the consequence of his decisions.

To see him so lost made her want to do something to help. She wanted to call out to him, even to let him know that she was there for him. Except, she did not want the wrath of the powerful man. Myra never feared her boss, for she knew he was kind.

He always finished matters of business at the office and never dragged work outside of the four walls. Their relationship was strictly professional.

How could she help him if he did not want any help?

Myra thought of her two beautiful children, probably sitting in class with a joyous look on their faces. She could not disappoint them by losing this job. Besides, it wasn't like she had life support to help her out of her current debt. Her husband was long gone, warming other woman's beds.

"Sir?" She called. Aniket didn't look up. Around his feet, a thousands shards of glass made a fortress, entrapping him in his sorrow. Wallowing in his sadness, the man did not look up to see his perky assistant. "There is a man outside claiming to be your friend, sir." She said, her voice wavering as she spoke.

Aniket did not reply, his head still in his hands. His posture sagged and his eyes blurry from crying, he lifted his head, wanting to know who had the audacity to disturb him from his misery-filled state. "I will not be seeing anyone, today." He paused. He didn't have the intention to hurt her feelings, but he did not want his pesky assistant to see him this way. "Get out, Ms. Saini." He growled, trying to clutch onto his reputation.

For the first time since her hire, his assistant looked taken back, her pupils darkening from the mere tone of his raspy voice.  "P-Pardon?" She stuttered.

"I didn't know you were deaf." Aniket grunted.

Myra opened her mouth again, still unaware of the extent of his internal pain. "Do you want me to get a janitor to clean this up?" She asked, eyeing the contrasting white glassware on the black marble floor.

"Out!"

Myra jumped back in shock. Without another word, the assistant rushed out of the office, her heels protesting as she ran to the elevator.

Another wail and loud smash resounded across the room, but she did not look back.

Aniket waited until the woman was out of the office, before he started to sob again. He doesn't wipe the tears as it rolled across his newly transplanted face.

He hated his life. It wouldn't have taken him three seconds to grab the nearest shard of glass and swipe it through the protruding veins of his arm. But another man had given his life to save his, and Aniket did not want to waste his life after a nameless man's mother had signed her son's death warrant to save him.

He had been taught better than that. His adoptive mother was a spiritual, and caring woman who only wanted the best for her son. The naive woman had never inflicted any weak thoughts into Aniket's mind, always careful of her every action. Knowing that her curious child was being influenced by her and her husband, she was wary around her innocent child.