Chapter 1

Wiping the sweat on her forehead as she mopped the floor, a small figure looked at the extensive hues of red and orange in the slightly dim sky. The girl was about to finish her shift in ten minutes. Picking up the bucket and mop with her thin arms, she started making her way toward the utility room.

As she passed by, some of the employees would 'greet' her by calling her name, making her mop a certain spot, or making her do some favours. With her gaze always directed to the floor, she would obey them quietly without complaining. After all, this was her job.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but let out the grin she's been suppressing the whole afternoon. She could feel the overflowing happiness welling up in her heart. This day finally came. She felt like the joy she felt could make her shed some tears there and then but she stopped herself.

'Ten more minutes, Claire. Or is it eight more minutes?'

  Whichever it was she didn't care as long as those minutes would pass.

A deep sense of emotion overwhelmed her as she thought of her past experiences. Those past five years of working nonstop. Those sleepless nights she had to endure to make it up to this day. Her heart stirred as she thought of her own action of sacrificing her own education just to make ends meet. It saddened her but because of it, she was taught many lessons and faced the reality of life. 

She remembered her first job. It was a few years ago, when she didn't know anything about working. The job was to hand out flyers. Obviously, it was a low paying job and a tedious one.

She was required to smile and stand all day, and try hard to convince people in accepting those sheets of paper provided by her employer. The job shook her beliefs. It made her realize that she had no choice but to become stronger emotionally. Seeing how the pieces of paper, she put so much effort into giving to people ,were crumpled and thrown to either the trash or the street itself without even being read.

At that time, so much anger filled her. She wanted to express her rage somehow. However, thoughts of her little siblings and disabled father stopped her from doing so. She needed to suck it up. At the tender age of 18, she was sad, alone, and naive. No one was willing to help her. No relatives. No friends, No one. 

This experience made her decide to help herself. She decided to be there not only for herself but also for her family. 

She tried so hard. She accepted so many jobs day and night until her body gave out. When it did, she rested for a day and continued like she was never sick at all. It was so draining, seeming like life never gave her a chance to breathe.

  But she fought hard enough...for this day to come.

Looking back at it now, she knew it was all worth it. A sense of comfort entered her system. It triggered her to attempt patting herself on the back. She wouldn't ,of course.

Instead, she commended herself.

Her eyes darted on the huge wall clock hanging on one of the walls of the room. 

6:00 pm.

She beamed. Claire jumped for joy inside the utility room not caring if anyone entered thinking that there was something wrong with her head. After containing herself, she took all the belongings she had in her locker and changed her clothes. Stuffing her uniform in the locker, she thought that she won't be needing it anymore. Claire picked up her worn out backpack and hung the straps on her shoulders.

Claire was ready to go.

Walking through the halls of the 17th floor she was assigned in, she felt the gazes of the employees who were familiar to her. Their gazes seemed to be attracted to the different aura Claire gave off. Some of the employees had looks of surprise and curiosity. 

Claire seemed unusual?

Of course, Claire paid them no attention. She was radiating with so much positive energy that she didn't even give an f about what they were thinking. She just wanted to go home.

Their reactions weren't unreasonable. Claire always seemed so meek and obedient. Someone who was ready to receive any type of crap thrown to her plate. She was just like that. She was treated as the lowest like her position, never complaining about it and accepting everything.

But that was about to change. Whatever they threw at her now, she was ready to defend herself.

Her steps stopped momentarily upon reaching a short distance from the elevator. The door opened and revealed an employee who gave her the worst treatment throughout her employment in the company.

Wearing a fuchsia-colored blouse and a black pencil skirt, she was a woman in her thirties with a chubby build. She was stout so she wore inches of heels to make up for it. The big mole on her cheeks made her look like a strict etiquette teacher...not far from her uptight and bad attitude.

The woman's face soured upon seeing her and purposely bumped her shoulder. A scoff was heard from the woman's mouth. 

Claire's eyes narrowed as she recalled the person's name.

Marie.

Remembering how many times this person had humiliated her, her rage was fueled once more. This person was one of the obstacles she had to endure while she was working here. Marie was always set on giving her a hard time. She purposely threw trash on the floor and spilled drinks like it was some dump site. 

She didn't know why this woman seemed to have a problem with her ever since she worked at the company. She was petty and very unprofessional. But Claire guessed that no one seemed to mind how this human treated her because she was just a janitress.

A sigh escaped from her lips.

If they were in the same position she would never do this to anyone. That was why she never related to this type of attitude Marie showed her.

'Well, it's probably because of that...'

Claire resisted the urge to roll her eyes.