Alex Hunt truly believed that good things happened to bad people and bad things happened to overly good people, after his life had turned to hell, all because he decided to be generous.
He had seen a man standing before a vending machine confused as to how it worked.
Alex was in a good mood that day, after getting paid his salary, so he decided to get a drink for himself and another for the stranger.
But when he handed it over, the stranger's expression contorted in disgust, and swatted it to the ground.
"You...are you looking down on me?" the man asked in an arrogant tone and Alex was confused.
Alex would later find out the man was the new owner of the company, Ethan Hunt.
The previous owner--the man who hired him, had fallen ill and Ethan his grandson was to be the new boss.
The next day while Alex was leading a meeting, when Ethan appeared and publicly announced that Alex was to be demoted with immediate effect.
His reason, Alex was a poor bastard who graduated from a lowly university and had no idea of his place.
After that, things start to become worse.
More work kept being handed to him, to the point where he was assigned menial tasks like making coffee, making photocopies, or going to a restaurant to get his co-worker's orders.
The workload left him working late into the night, only to return early the next day, still drowning in unfinished tasks.
Alex contemplated resigning, hoping to escape this ordeal.
However, when he attempted to hand in his resignation letter, Ethan tore it to shreds, issuing a warning that he held the power to ensure Alex didn't get a job anywhere else.
Alex panicked, if he couldn't work in an organization how was he going to pay the massive loan his drunk excuse for a father had left him?
How could he keep up with his bills? Survival seemed possible only in a big corporation with a steady monthly income.
Alex quickly apologized stating it was a mistake, but Ethan kicked him on his shin causing him to kneel--and said with a mocking grin:
"If you're going to beg don't do it half-heartedly you bastard."
Ethan then placed his shoes on Alex's fingers twisting them.
"Son of a bitch treating me like a beggar. Who's on their kneel pleading now huh?"
Alex's knuckles were burning in pain but he didn't so much as wince.
He didn't want to give Ethan the satisfaction of seeing him in pain.
All this suffering because he showed kindness to the wrong person.
In the present, Alex came early to work as usual, his eyes heavy from little sleep. As usual, he had so much work to do and he wasn't able to finish the ones from the previous day.
His manager had kept adding the task of his co-workers to his and when he complained it was too much, he received a slap on his face.
Alex was tempted to fight back but he held back, if he acted out now, he was sure to lose his job.
As much as it hurt him he would hold on. Getting ridiculed was better than losing all of your organs to loan sharks.
But for how long?
Alex didn't know, his father's debt was way too massive, and he hadn't even paid up to half yet. He wondered if he could do this forever.
Sometimes, he wished an apocalypse would happen.
In that scenario, his debt would be meaningless and he could finally get his revenge on his rich boss.
But it was all his imagination.
He entered his office and began his work.
Later Alex glanced at the time on his computer and realized it was already afternoon.
He hadn't even realized none of his co-workers were in the office and had gone for lunch break.
They kept their distance from him afraid they'll also be targeted if they got close. Besides, due to Alex getting most of the workload, their work life was lax, and they weren't about to sacrifice that, by standing up for him
Alex didn't mind this, especially not today, because his girlfriend, Katie, finally wanted to have lunch with him.
Katie was a receptionist in the building.
Usually, she didn't have lunch with Alex, but today she had invited him to the office cafeteria to eat with her.
Alex had once suggested they had lunch together, but she had told him she wanted to keep their relationship a secret in the name of professionalism.
So the sudden invitation now came as a pleasant surprise.
Alex got ready and headed to the elevator with a hearty grin.
Katie was one of the few sources of happiness in his life, along with movies, video games, and football.
As Alex waited for the elevator he noticed his worn-out shoes and sighed, realizing he needed to set aside some money to get new ones.
The elevator door then arrived and Alex walked in with a sigh.
But as he looked up, he saw two people inside locked in a passionate kiss.
'Who in their right mind would dare to do this in public, at work at that?' Alex thought with a frown.
The elevator descended and Alex thought they would stop, but they going at it even more aggressively.
Alex hurriedly faked a cough to get their attention, before they pulled a fifty shades of grey with him inside.
Now that would just be wrong.
The two of them separated and Leo shook his head.
He then got curious and peeked to see who they were.
No surprise the man was Ethan, his boss.
'Of course it is. Who else in their right mind.' Alex frowned
He then turned towards the flustered lady and was forced to take a double look.
His eyes widened as he realized who it was.
It was his...