Over
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Maddison's POV
Days after the photoshoot in Busan, I ignored all messages I received from Song Hee and Jimin. What's the point? I have to cut my ties to them.
I was actually contemplating whether to resign or not but everytime I try, my boss tears my resignation letter in half. He says he doesn't allow me to leave the company until I accept his offer to transfer to the nature & landscape photography department.
Isn't this slavery at this point?
But if I do leave and be a true freelancer no one will hire me as an architectural photographer and I won't accept offers in the field I'm good at which kind of sucks.
"Maddison come here," a sunbae called who works across my desk. Hwayoung is a grumpy sunbae who looks older than her real age. When I look at her, it feels like she always has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her lips curling down, her eyebrows that never seem to get farther than one centimeter. Life definitely sucked all the happiness from her.
How ironic for me to say this.
She eyed me with a bored look over her thick rimmed glasses that she pushed with her middle finger when I got closer.
"Jumin sunbae told me to edit all of these pictures," she said pointing at her monitor full of pictures of different architecture. Her eyes never leaving mine, "is it okay for you do it all? I have something else to do."
Her lips tugged into a smirk when I slowly nodded, reluctant to even take the job.
"That's right. You should thank me I gave you something to do." She leaned her back on the swivel chair and lightly moved it from left to right. "You are such a waste of space here."
I bit my lip to stop myself from cursing at her. I repeated the words, "I deserve this" in my head. I stared at her blankly keeping my calm.
She snapped her fingers at me. "What are you still here for? I'll send you the pictures jeez. Don't mess it up like you always do." She twirled her chair facing back on her monitor.
I bowed my head taking one glance at her monitor. She was scrolling through Facebook smiling to herself.
Tss. Lots of things to do my ass.
I went back to my desk and opened the applications necessary for the job she gave me.
Editing the pictures she sent me will have to come first since I think it's the easiest. My report about the photoshoot of Song Hee will have to wait. Gods, I have so much things to do today.
With my left elbow rested on top of my desk and my cheek resting on my palm, I started working through the pictures. My right hand on top of the mouse navigating the editing process.
I opened the first picture yawning, completely bored. The sound of my mouse clicking is the only thing keeping me awake.
The first one is a photo taken from a bird's eye view which is a spiral staircase, leaving a slight illusion.
Click. Click. Click.
I started with adjusting the exposure. I lowered the bar down seeing as the picture is too bright for my taste. Then proceeded with the contrast.
Click. Click. Click.
Oh. This one doesn't need too much contrast.
I toned it down a little bit. After that I settled on playing a little bit on the colors with the tone curve.
Click. Click. Click.
Satisfied with the picture I proceeded to the next and the next until I was half way done through the pictures.
Can someone stop me from doing this?
My eyes were nearly drooping and my head was slightly bopping up and down when something rang. The sound stopped me.
I let out a huge sigh of relief.
Thank the heavens! I needed a reason to stop.
angel dude
The recital is drawing near!! I'm even more nervous because you'll be watching ☉ᨓ☉
My phone almost slipped from my hands reading his text. His recital has been on my mind for days. It's the main reason I've been ignoring their texts. I couldn't refuse, my habit of saying no in this company must've rubbed on me talking to Jimin.
"The recital, will you please come and watch me perform?"
When I didn't reply, he held my hand closely together, his eyes getting bigger showing me his best Puss in boots impression. His lips pushed into a pout.
"Please for me?"
I stayed silent. My eyes fixed at our hands. My lips twitching wanting to smile because of how cute he looks right now.
I should've brushed his hands off but somehow I didn't.
"I practiced hard for it and I want to show it to you."
"Why?" I breathed out.
"I want to hear what you think!" he exclaimed, his feet slightly bouncing at the same time our hands going up and down, "I know we just met but I already consider you as my friend."
"And I want my friends to see me perform..."
A sigh escaped my lips before agreeing.
I should've refused. I should've run away and went on my way but Jimin made it hard to do so.
"Thank you Maddison!" He beamed at me. His eyes disappearing as his small hands gently squeezed my undeniably callused hands.
"Hey, are you okay?" My deskmate, Min Jung snapped me back to reality. She's a lady in her late 20s who loves to wear a huge flannel shirt tucked in her jeans. A necklace hung around her neck.
Her skin is as pale as snow, She was like a porcelain doll the complete opposite of Hwayoung. Her blonde hair covered with rainbow highlights that was twirled into a messy bun. A few strands of her hair was hanging at the side.
A pen spun around her fingers as her lips curved into a smile. "Your phone's going to melt if you continue that," she continued.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm fine. Guess I'll need a new phone if it ever does."
She chuckled as I put down my phone continuing editing the pictures. My hands once again covered the mouse.
"Maddison, I'm free today. Would you like to have another lesson after work?" Min Jung asked.
"I'm sorry but I didn't bring my camera today," I replied not looking at her.
"That's weird. You always bring your camera but I only see you actually use it when I teach you."
"Really? I didn't notice that."
She hummed as a response going back to her work.
==
After finishing the last picture, I glanced at the time on my desktop.
12:15 pm
I decided to grab lunch but before I could even stand up, a hand stopped me. I looked up. A man in a suit was towering over me. A polka dot necktie caught my attention.
His raven black hair was brushed at the side. His slanted eyes were narrowing down at me as if I'm a pest. His aura screamed intimidating.
Piles of photographs were on top of his other hand. With difficulty, he placed it on top of my desk. The whole pile seemed to hide my monitor from behind. The tower of photographs were slightly shaking that some fell down.
He tugged his sleeves and looked at me.
I knitted my eyebrows as I stared at the pile in awe, my jaw dropping.
"Jumin sunbae, what's this?"
He clicked his tongue. Jumin was not even trying to hide his annoyance. He was looking at me as if I'm the most stupid person in the whole universe.
He then pointed at the pile and picked one up, "This is called a photo paper. P-a-p-e-r," he said slowly as if he was talking to a baby, "are you too dumb to even realize this?"
My hands frantically searched for my camera or just the strap but then I remembered--shit. I left it at home.
Breathe, Maddison. Breathe.
"I was just--"
His hand went up making my mouth close.
"Now that's out of the way." He clasped his hands together. "I have a meeting with a client later and I won't have time to sort all of these. You have nothing to do right?"
No, I have lots of things to do number one being, punching your unfairly handsome face.
"Actually she--"
"Who told you to speak?" He snapped his head towards Min Jung cutting her off.
Min Jung's face flushed in anger but she kept her mouth shut and looked down. She was just like me.
"She was just saying that I will do my very best doing your job--" Jumin arched an eyebrow. "-- I mean my job." I continued clearing my throat.
He nodded. "Leave it on my desk when you're done." He glanced at my sticky notes posted on the side of the monitor. "And finish all your tasks before leaving."
After he left, Min Jung started scolding me.
"You can't let them treat you like this! It's always been this way and you're refusing to let me tell boss!"
My right hand automatically went up to cover her mouth. She was still speaking, her voice muffled behind my hand. I was afraid that someone might hear her. Who knows what will happen if they do?
"It's my choice. I'm fine. I'll fight back when it comes to it." which probably won't happen.
After removing my hand, I raised two thumbs up. "Just please don't tell boss."
"Why? I can't stand it anymore! You're fine?" I looked down as my fingers played with the hem of my blouse. "Ever since you start working here, I never even saw you smile. Not one bit. You don't deserve it here."
"I do," I said shutting her up, "how many times did we talk about this?"
"Maddison--"
"I'm busy, Min Jung-ah. Let's not talk about it anymore." I turned my chair away from her. Usually this will be her cue to drop the topic if I just agree to pay for her food but surprisingly, it didn't.
"Okay I will not. But you can't stop me from caring and telling boss."
From my peripheral view, I saw her stand up. My heart hammered against my chest, nervous. Anxiety crawling in. Min jung never acted like this before.
I grabbed her arm stopping her. She faced me. Her mouth turning into a frown as she looked down at my hand.
"Don't," I said, my voice completely different. It felt like it didn't belong to me, "you agreed to let me do this right? What changed?"
Her eyes soften as she shoved her hands inside her pockets as if getting something from it. It revealed a small sticky note. She did not need to show it to me as I already know what it was.
Lots of scratches and doodles were written but I couldn't forget the words that I wrote in there.
My grip tightened making her yelp, "Maddison you're hurting me."
But I couldn't hear anything. I was focused on the sticky note.
sav e mE
someone end this for me
happinesss??? im not happy
im so sorry im sorry sorry
i want to be happy but i shouldnt be
this job is slowly killing me
i hate architecture
i dont deserve shit
"Maddison, let go--"
"Where did you get this?" My hand never left her arm, if any I was holding unto it too hard. My jaw clenched as our eyes met. She flinched.
"Y-you're scaring me, Maddison. I j-just found it on your desk and you don't know how worried I got! This looked serious. I want to help you," she pleaded. Her hands were trying to remove mine from her arm.
I looked around at the office. The people were on their own bubble not even noticing a dramatic fight brewing around them. Hwayoung has her earphones plugged in so it was safe to say she couldn't hear anything.
I removed my hand and she heaved off a sigh as she rubbed the part where my hand was. It left a bruise.
I took a step closer. She gulped and looked away.
I'm so sorry Min Jung.
"Don't meddle with my life and don't tell our boss," I whispered, my voice once again scaring me, "why the fuck do you even care? I don't need your pity. Pity yourself for being stuck here like a housegirl for so long because you were a coward for not taking a risk."
My heart pounded against my chest. A sickening feeling brew inside my stomach. Gods, I want to puke.
She backed away a little bit from me blinking a few times, looking up.
"M-maddison. You don't know what you're talking about. Take it back."
Her lips were trembling. Her hands shaking clutching unto her necklace as a tear escaped her eye. I was far from over.
I harshly stole the sticky note from her hand and ripped it. Her eyes never left the bits of paper flowing down. The paper was not the only thing flowing down, her tears as well.
"Why?" I took a step forward. "I was just telling the truth. Does it hurt?"
Another step. Another tear.
"You're just like me. You let people walk all over you. That's why you're still here right?"
"I get it now. Thanks." She smiled through her quivering lips. "But that's where you're wrong." The back of her hand roughly wiped the tears continuously falling.
I stayed quiet letting her continue. I just stared at her blankly letting her know that I don't give two shits on what she's about to say.
"I stayed here because of you. I rejected the promotion because of you."
W-what?
Maddison, just jump off the cliff right now.
"W-wow. So you're guilt tripping me now?" I scoffed, "unbelievable."
She shook her head. Both of her hands are now trying their best to wipe the tears. It was like she was on a competition not letting the tears win.
"I can't believe--" she hiccuped, "y-you thought of me like that?"
She was like a lost puppy left by her owner.
People were starting to notice. This, however, did not stop her from crying. Her shoulders were violently moving up and down.
"I'll just say that whatever it is that you're doing, it's never the right way. It never was."
"What then Sherlock?" I put my hands on my hips as I tilted my head at the side bored.
Just die Maddison.
"Don't ask as if you don't already know it yourself. I'm just done with you depriving yourself of happiness that you really deserve."
I stayed silent taking all of her words. She smiled sadly taking a glance at the huge pile of paper on top of my desk.
"I don't get you. The people who treat you right, you push them away and the people who don't, you wag your tail and--you know what forget it."
Min Jung turned on her heel leaving me devastated and horrible.
--
so how was this chapter? we get to see another side of maddison aah
what are your thoughts?
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