chapter 1

Ryan stood up from his desk, pushing his chair back as he rushed down the hallway coughing loudly with his hands clasped over his mouth. When he looked at his hands his

He staggered towards the washroom, his steps unsteady as his throat burned with each violent cough as he felt the metallic taste of blood fill his mouth, he was coughing out blood!

It's...hurts… badly," he stuttered as he pushed open the door, he leaned heavily against the sink, spitting out the blood that had gathered in his mouth. His eyes were filled with fear as he looked at his pale reflection in the mirror.

Suddenly, the door swung open with a force that echoed off the tiles. Ryan's boss, Mr. Carter, stood in the doorway, his presence looming like a dark cloud.

"Ryan, what do you think you're doing?" he barked, his voice harsh and loud "This is the third time this week you've slacked off by hiding here. Do you think we pay you to lounge around?"

Ryan tried to explain, his voice a mere whisper, "Sir, I'm not feeling well. I just needed a moment—"

"Excuses," Mr. Carter cut him off, his disdain palpable. "You know, Ryan, I'm tired of your constant failures. It's always something with you. You're lucky to have this job at all."

Ryan felt a knot tighten in his stomach, he had worked tirelessly for the company, often staying late and sacrificing his health, yet it was never enough for Mr. Carter.

"I'm deducting this from your salary. Maybe that'll teach you the value of hard work and dedication," Mr. Carter continued, his tone cold and unyielding. "Consider yourself lucky if you get a thousand this month."

His salary, already a meager $1,500, was the only thing keeping him afloat. Yet, Mr. Carter found any excuse to reduce it, leaving Ryan struggling to make ends meet.

Leaning against the sink, Ryan clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles whitened, he had the urge to punch his boss right in his face but he just took a deep breath. He needed this job, no matter how demeaning or unfair his boss was.

It was no longer a rumor that Mr. Carter illegally deducted employees salaries and took them for himself. "I'll report this to the higher ups," Ryan declared as he wondered what Mr. Carter would do if the higher ups found out.

"You do realize that you can never be promoted from your position in this company as long as you're under me?" The boss reeled with laughter. "I'll write in your employee report that you're lazy" His boss' lips curved into a smile.

"But I do my best sir?" Ryan clenched his fist harder.

"What do you want to do huh?" His boss looked at his clenched fist with disdain in his eyes.

Ryan shook his head, "Nothing at all," he unclenched his fist, steadied his breath, and forced an apology through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again," he muttered, as he looked up at his boss who just scoffed.

"I placed some documents on your desk I want you to process in an hour," His boss said as he walked out slamming the door behind him.

As Mr. Carter stormed out, Ryan's shoulders slumped, a sense of defeat washing over him. Ryan pulled out a Napkin and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Returning to his desk, Ryan tried to focus on his work, wiping away the remnants of blood with a rough napkin, a stark reminder of his deteriorating health. The office noise faded into the background, a distant hum compared to the storm of thoughts raging in his mind.

Suddenly his phone rang in his pockets and he pulled it out. The caller ID flashed his doctor's name, he felt his heart rate beat faster and his hands became cold.

He picked up the call with a trembling hand, his heart sinking as he listened to the grave tone of his doctor's voice.

"Ryan, I'm afraid I have some serious news for you," the doctor began, his words measured and heavy. "You have lung cancer, and it's advanced. I'm so sorry to have to tell you this over the phone."

Ryan's world seemed to stop spinning, the words 'lung cancer' echoing in his mind like a death knell. "How long do I have?" he managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper, trembling with the weight of his fear.

The doctor sighed, "With the current state, perhaps three months. There's a treatment available that could potentially extend your life by another three months, but it's very expensive—around $100,000."

"I would have to spend all my savings on my treatment." He muttered to himself a bit grateful that he had saved up about $100k earlier. But he felt his world collapse, even if he had the money he only had three months left to live.

Ryan felt a cold wave of despair wash over him. $100,000 exactly all his savings? "Doc are you still there? I—" Suddenly Ryan's boss dragged the phone from Ryan's ear.

"Taking calls at during worktime? I would have to cut your salary again." Mr. Carter smirked as he held onto Ryan's phone.

"Give that back!" Ryan took the phone from Mr. Carter's hands. Mr. Carter raised his eyes in surprise and stretched his hands to seize the phone but that pissed of Ryan.

"How dare you look at me with that eyes! You wanna be fired?" The boss grabbed Ryan's collar, said scornly.

Ryan calmed down, he couldn't be fired because he needed this job. Otherwise he will ran out of his money to treat his cancer.

"I...I'm sorry, boss. But I do have something important, can I ask a day off?" Ryan begged.

The boss sneered, he slapped Ryan's face slightly, "That's my boy. A day off? Of course...NO!" The boss smiled evilly, "Who do you think you are? You should apply for your day off in anticipate! Just sit there and continue your work! You lazy swine!"

Ryan felt so humiliated. Again, cutting the salary was the only way the boss made them yield. But Ryan still wanted to speak for himself, "But boss, I have a reason to leave...I...my doctor just told me..."

The boss's face turned, he sneered, "Ryan, you should be grateful to me, because I offered you a job here!I don't care what your doctor said, he is not your boss, I am! ..or you wanna be fired?"

Ryan felt depressed, but he had to leave for hospital. He sighed and fell on his chair heavily.

The boss looked at Ryan's pale face, sneered and left. Ryan took a deep breath, he looked around and found the boss was not in the office anymore, he decided to sneak out.