~"What the hell am I doing here! And what do you mean I died?!"
Eli ran his hands through his damp hair in turmoil, trying to understand what was happening.
He stood in below a dias, in front of a lady who’s form was sculpted by the gods and skin was the definition of perfect.
Her face however, did little to show her detest of him.
All it took was hours, and that was it—everything changed for him, and now, this is it...
How did it all start?
Eli stood in front of the polished office door, his heart thumping fast.
This was the first time he found himself so tensed, not everyday you’re called up to your manager’s office.
Why did his boss suddenly call him up?
He had completely no idea.
And that scared him a lot.
This was one of the times in his life where he calmed down to actually think if he had done anything wrong without knowing.
Because with his position in the office, although very crucial, it wasn’t something that required a direct call from the boss.
Practically, all he had to do was listen to the draggy customers complain all day long, bringing the most stupid and annoying complaints to the office.
And try to do it all without losing his shit and going off at the idiots who don’t read instructions.
Sometimes, he couldn’t help but ask himself if the customers were all stupid.
But of course, what was the point of customer service?
At the end, he had to swallow down all his words and attend to them.
There were a few times he had scuffles with a few customers, but that definitely wasn’t enough for the boss to suddenly call for him...
Was it?
’I guess I can’t find out by standing here all day,’ he thought to himself, drawing a deep breath.
He moved towards the door, giving a gentle knock.
"M— Mr Kane. It’s Eli," he said, the tension clear in his voice.
"Yes, come in." A cold voice came from the inside.
Another long breath to loosing the nut in his gut and calm his nerves, he stepped in.
He straightened his suit, ran his fingers through his hair, sweeping it back, trying his best to look as good as he could.
"Alright," he nodded to himself, having prepared himself mentally.
He pushed the door open.
The door slowly creaked open.
He stepped inside cautiously.
The air was tense.
His boss, Samuel Kane, sat behind the polished desk.
His laptop placed in front of him, a cup of coffee kept not too far from it.
Plancs from awards sat on the walls and shelf, a glass window overlooking the city like his own personal wallpaper.
The constant clicking and tapping sound from his laptop echoed through the room, adding to the already tense air as Eli could only wait for him to finish.
Eli’s eyes instinctively darted around the room.
He wasn’t too familiar with the place, since this was also the second time he had been there—first was when he applied for his job, and then now.
Samuel’s office was anything but modest.
On the other shelf were several antiques, and on the other were some books he’d never read and fake potted plants that had more life than his boss did.
The green added a natural touch to the entire room.
He didn’t fail to catch the faint smell of the brewing hot coffee.
But with the unnerving silence in the room, Eli could hear the sound of his own heartbeat.
He just had a bad feeling.
And then, after what felt like an eternity, the clicking sound from the laptop came to an end.
His boss calmly stretched out his hands, grabbing the cup of coffee.
He took a long slow sip before dropping it back on the table.
His face was stone-cold, no expression.
There was no hint, nothing at all.
And that look scared Eli all the more.
His palms suddenly felt sweaty.
"Alright... thanks for coming on such short notice." Mr Kane said finally.
"No sir, it’s nothing at all... Don’t bother yourself," Eli immediately cut him off.
Samuel looked at Eli, drawing a deep breath, as though contemplating something in his mind.
"Eli." He began, after a long minute of silence.
"You know you’re a very dedicated worker, and if that was enough..." Mr Kane continued, taking another pause.
His method of approach...
Eli couldn’t help but feel his heart race a beat faster.
’Am I getting promoted?’
Mr Kane just mentioned that he recognized his hard work.
What could that possibly mean?
"And as far as I can remember, you’re one of our oldest employees. You’ve been with us for five solid years..."
’Yes?! ... It has to be it, right?’
Samuel’s words—they were all pointing to a promotion.
It had to be it. Eli was sure.
It was just what he needed.
A promotion could potentially give him enough money to fund his wedding with Isabel.
He had to make low-budget plans, thanks to his meager earnings.
But with a promotion? He could switch plans instantly. He could give her the wedding of her dreams.
The initial tension was now replaced with deep expectations.
Excitement could be seen in his eyes as he calmly waited for Samuel to continue.
For a moment, it was almost as though sparkles formed in his eyes.
Eli held his breath and prayed silently.
"Well... that was the reason why I called you here."
Eli’s chest tightened.
’This is great news! I’ll tell Isabel as soon as I’m out of here.’
"Eli... There needs to be vacancy for new intakes... I called you to tell you that we appreciate the work you put into this company all these years."
The room darkened.
Eli’s expression dropped, his excitement now replaced with a lost gaze.
He felt as though his ears had played a trick on him.
He had to ask.
"Sorry sir? What did you say?" Eli asked, his voice a bit shaky.
Fear of hearing the same words again.
Mr Kane didn’t reply immediately.
He could see the pleading look in Eli’s eyes.
’New Corp... the money they’re willing to put in for the investment is just too much... I can’t let my company fall just because of one person.’
New Corp was one of the top hero agencies in the nation. He’d heard about them acquiring companies and firms but...
It felt wrong.
But Samuel steeled his heart.
’This is business... it’s for the growth of my company... his sacrifice will lead to the wealth of others.’
Samuel locked gaze with Eli.
His expression stoic as fuck.
"Elijah Payes, let me put it in words you’ll understand. You’re fired," he repeated, his voice dripping with a cold intensity.
"No point begging... it’s for the benefit of the company. Get your things and leave." Samuel finalized. "It’s nothing personal, man. It’s just money."
Eli turned towards the door.
He said no words. He could only tighten his fist.
He went right outside the door, resting his back on it.
He felt the tears welling up in his eyes...
He wanted to let it all out, but he held it in...
Suddenly.
Ring...
[Caller ID: Isabel]