The Memoir of Aderyn Clark

By Little.

I thank Rex for his information and let him have a long lunch, and to let his boss know if he's asking why he's coming back to the office late, to call me.

After talking to Rex, my head feels so light, so here I am just sitting in my office with my head laid on the table, trying not to vomit out bile acid since I haven't been eating anything since breakfast.

"Ms. Clark!" I heard Carson called out somewhere sounded faraway, "Are you okay?" He's voice sounded far, but I know he's right next to me, because he currently touching my arm

"Get me water, or something," I told him without lifting my head

"But are you okay, mam?" He sounded real worried

"Peachy," I wave my hand weakly

"Okay, I'm gonna go get you water," he let go of my arm

But soon, it was replaced by another hand, one that's more familiar, without looking up, I already know whose it belong to

"You sick, Alito?"

"Like you care,"

"Of course I care," I'm sensing that's not the complete sentence, "if you sick, who am I going to fuck and also annoyed to death?" He added

"I talked to Rex," I told King after a few moments of silence. Where the fuck is my water?!

"Grimes?" He sounded surprise, "how?"

I lift my head from the table, opening my eyes just for a bit and saw King seated on one of the chairs in front of my desk

"Easy, I just go down to the 9th floor and walked to his cubicle," I shrugged

"Rexroth Grimes works for you," he said stating the obvious

"Like you didn't know that," I scoffed

"I don't," he gives out a short laugh, "You a saint or something, Alito?"

"I have compassion, Kane, unlike you." I sarcastically said, "he needed something to ground him, he just went through a terrible thing,"

"And giving him a damn job helps him with what he's going through?" Why is he mocking me?!

"He's still alive isn't he?" I open my eyes just as Carson popped back up on my doorway

"I made you a tea," he said putting the cup on my desk

"Thanks, Carson," I told him with a smile

"Do you need anything else? Advil maybe?" Wow, if only he didn't look like he's barely in mid twenties, I would really go for him, he's very attentive

Usually they offer aspirin, you know for headache, but Carson offer me Advil, that's for menstrual cramps. Which I don't have right now, and would prefer aspirin, but that's very considerate of him, and actually kinda sexist if I think about it again. Whatever.

"She don't," King said it for me, even though I could use some aspirin right now, I'm having a headache after all, "you can go." Like before, Carson scurried off my office and closed the door silently. "So, what did Rex said?"

"That you think of me as an object instead of a human being," I told him after sipping my tea, "that you owned me and nobody could touch me without you saying so."

"I'm not denying that," he shrugged nonchalantly, "what else did he tell you?"

"Luca was an asshole." I said it bitterly

"And you need to thank me for saving you," not when he's being this cocky

"If you're a decent human being, I would," I shot him a sharp look, "but you're not, so you're not getting anything from me,"

"Hm, guess I deserve that." He gave me a single nod

°°°

As soon as food being introduced back to my system, I feel a lot better, maybe I'm just hypoglycemic.

I stayed late at the office again, and Carson, still following his old rule, staying late with me. He ordered some food for me to nibble on, and he admitted truthfully that he'll be outside on his desk playing his mobile game if I needed him. He didn't ask for over time, he clocked out at 6, but didn't leave his desk until I do. Maybe he hates his house, because he's like the only other person who loves being in the office more than being at home. Believe me I've been telling him to go home more than enough, but he's insisting on staying. Didn't want to wait for a lawsuit of overworking an employee, I got Carson, saying on record, about his choice of staying after clocking out of office hour. I guess I could say I'm safe now.

"Ms. Clark, it's almost midnight," Carson knocks at my door

"Whoa, really?" I look at my phone and it did say it's almost midnight, "damn, didn't realize, guess its time to wrapped it up for tonight then,"

"You can go, I could clean up here," he pointed to my desk

"You're not the cleaning service," I said it sharper than I intended to be, "you can go ahead,"

"Goodnight, Ms. Clark," he gives me a nod before leaving, a few moments later, I heard the "ding" of the elevator opening at the floor

I walked out of my office and saw the light for the whole floor was already off except for the one in my office, around Carson's table, and the one in front of the elevator. I'm totally alone in this floor, everyone is gone, including the cleaning service, they left a few hours ago after cleaning my office floor. I told them they could, because if I tell them no, then my office floor would be so filthy only being cleaned once in a while. For the first time in a long time, I'm surrounded by silence, it is so peaceful. I love it.

From where I sit everyday, I could see straight to the elevator door, see who's coming in and out of the office, I could, but I never did, because I keep on looking at my table or my computer. When I turned my chair around, I see that I have the most beautiful view of the city, which again, I never had the time to notice because of my work. There's so many things I missed because of my ambition to strive, I focused on one thing and ignoring the other. I should've done what Lexa did, she balance both.

When we started the company, she's as single as she could be, now she's married and just given birth to her second child. She balance it all. Her work here is great, and her household wasn't in shambles, both husband and wife are professionals, and they still have time for the kids. Fuck.