Reaching the office, I parked at the front of the building, giving a nod to the guard while tapping in my employee card. I went up to the 8th storey to take a quick smoke before going to my cubicle to pack. Putting the sunglasses on, I pushed it to the top of my head to get my hair out of my face.
I took my time, and suddenly I heard a choking cough beside me.
"Genevieve, is that you? You weren't here all da-" I heard a familiar voice, behind me. Lane, my co-worker within the same department and same cubicle approached me. I gave a nod in acknowledgment.
"You look different, a good different, and you smoke? I didn't know. You look hot, where's the nerdy Assistant Manager I know? You're so lucky I'm gay or I would have asked you out for a date," he said winking.
"Yeah, I smoke but just not at work, you know how the boss is. He's a bitch."
"Why not smoke during smoke break though?"
"Our beloved manager cuts my pay by counting every minute I'm not at my seat. I'd rather not lose money, but it won't matter anymore. I'm quitting."
"yeah, would be easier if you qui-WHAT?"
"yeap, I'm resigning toodles Lane."
- - - -
Mundane.
All I heard was the buzzing of old electronics and the consistent sound of printing, and the occasional coughing. The air in the office felt dry, accompanied with the musty smell that absorbed into the old dusty carpet, a smell I could never quite describe til now; disgusting. I wondered if they ever cleaned the carpets.
Walking to the HR Office, I handed in my resignation letter, and informed her I wouldn't be taking the two weeks notice. She asked if I would be paying back the days and I agreed. I told her to deduct it from my monthly's pay and she did so.
Going out of the HR office, I took an empty box and proceed to clear my table. My team just gave their well wishes before we were interrupted by a lingering asshole.
"Finally here? How are you this late and tardy? Do you think that everyone in the office would want a teammate like you? Someone who is incapable of being on tim-"
"Can you be quiet?"
"E-excuse me?"
"You know what, you've been really rude since you became the team manager. I had respect for you for the sole reason of you being in charge and me being your assistant-manager, but the whole time I've been under you, not only do you not care for the team's wellbeing, you intrude on our own personal time after working hours and make us comeback to work by threatening to have us removed and since I'm no longer an employee here, why don't you take all that unsolved anger issues and use it for sometime more productive than trying to put your own team down. Everyone is always covering your mistakes and all you do is try to take credit after the issues you start but never once resolve on your own. From an employee to another employee, keep this up and sooner or later people will hate you."
"Y-you.."
"Say one more word, I dare you."
My ex-manager kept silent, tried to look around at the team for support, only to be met by disappointment. Taking his silence as a cur, I continued packing. I could see people around me, some trying to hold in their laughter and others, acknowledging my words. My ex-manager walked away.
Cleaning up my space, I finally put the last item. Everyone bid me a much more cheerful farewell and I finally took my steps out of the office building.
Finally, I'm free.