Chapter 1: Elevator

Leo 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.

Leo 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 strangers 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 Leo was confused.

Leo would later found 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 Leo was leading a meeting, when Ethan appeared and public announced that Leo is to be demoted with immediate effect.

His reason, Leo 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 task like making coffee, making photocopies or going to restaurant to get his co-worker orders.

The workload left him working late into the night, only to return early the next day, still drowning in unfinished tasks.

Leo 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 Leo didn't get a job anywhere else.

Leo 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.

Leo quickly apologized stating it was a mistake, but Ethan kick 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 Leo fingers twisting it.  “Son of a bitch treating me like a beggar. Who's on their kneel pleading now huh?”

Leo knuckles were burning in pain but he didn't so much as wince.

He didn't want to give Ethan the satisfaction on seeing him in pain.

All this suffering because he showed kindness to the wrong person. 

In the present, Leo 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. 

Leo was tempted to fight back but he held back but 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?

 Leo didn't know, his father 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 Leo glanced at the time on his computer 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 Leo getting most of the work load, their work life was lax, and they weren't about to sacrifice that, by standing up for him

Leo 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 Leo, but today she had invited him to the office cafetaria to eat with her. 

Leo 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. 

Leo got ready and head 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 Leo 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 Leo 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 this in public, at work at that? Leo thought with a frown.

The elevator descended and Leo thought they would stop, but they going at it even more aggressively.

Leo 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.’ Leo frowned

He then turned towards the flustered lady and was forced to take a double look.

His eyes widening as he realized who it was. It was his girlfriend Katie, the same lady he was on his way too meet.