I woke up, checked the clock, and found it was already noon the next day. The ache in my head and my body had subsided. I looked around, noticed that the air conditioner had been turned on, and that there was a tray of food and medicine left out for me like yesterday. Chay must have cleaned up after me last night—my room looked spotless.
I poured myself a glass of water. As I took a sip, I saw a yellow sticky note on the rim of my plate. It was a short message from my brother:
Don’t forget your food and meds, hia. I’m worried.
His messy chicken-scratch made me smile. I was hit by the realization that I needed to stop myself from sinking deeper into this nightmare—I didn’t want my brother to worry about me like this ever again.
I called Tem.
“Is class over?” I asked.
“Jom and I didn’t go. We’re glued to the bed, man,” Tem said. His sluggish voice told me just how hammered they must have gotten after I left.
“Are you free around six?” I asked. “Pick me up at my place, please.”
“Where are you going?”
“Can you take me to that house? I’ve got some unfinished business…”
“Uh-huh,” Tem affirmed. “I’ll be there around five thirty.”
Once I finished my meal and took my medication, I showered and got dressed, then waited around for Tem to come pick me up. I’d thought everything through, and I couldn’t stand it anymore.
Tem came to pick me up and Jom tagged along. I guided them to the house where I worked. Tem didn’t ask me much, just let me sit with my thoughts. Jom didn’t bother me either—he was so hungover that he passed out in the backseat.
Once the car pulled up to the fence, I told Tem to stand by—this wouldn’t take long. Tem nodded and told me to call him right away if anything happened.
I walked straight toward the familiar front door. The bodyguards who recognized me said hello along the way. I acknowledged them with a nod, then headed toward a certain room with haste.
✦ ✦ ✦
Knock. Knock.
I took a deep breath and waited for an answer. By this time, he must be home…
“Come in,” P’Chan’s voice answered, so I turned the doorknob and stepped in.
“Oh, Porsche? What is it?”
I greeted both P’Chan and Mr. Korn with a wai gesture. They looked busy with a bunch of paperwork piled up on the desk.
I approached them with a solemn expression on my face.
“Have a seat,” Mr. Korn said. I sat down in the chair in front of his desk, pressing my lips into a thin line.
“What is it?”
I filled my lungs with another deep breath, closed my eyes for a second, then spoke firmly: “I’d like to quit, sir.”
As soon as I said it, both P’Chan and Mr. Korn looked up at me, completely abandoning their paperwork.
“What happened?” P’Chan asked in a stern voice.
“Uh… I just want to quit, sir,” I said, addressing Mr. Korn. “I don’t think I belong here.” I couldn’t look him in the eye. The entire time I’d worked here, he’d been so kind to me—I respected him.
“Did Kinn do something?” he asked.
I flinched a bit when I heard the name, then shook my head slowly.
“No… I just…don’t want to do this anymore,” I said calmly.
“Why? If there’s a problem, you can tell me.” Mr. Korn put down his pen and folded his hands on the desk, his eyes still serenely focused on me.
“I really don’t want to stay here. As for the termination fee, I promise to pay it back,” I said. I let out a sigh, relieved to get the words out, but I felt uncomfortable from the eyes staring at me.
Mr. Korn sighed wearily. “If anything is bothering you, you can tell me. If you’re stressed out or exhausted, then go get some rest. I’ll let you take a leave of absence, but I’m not terminating your employment right now,” he said.
“I’ve thought it through… I really don’t want to do this anymore,” I stubbornly insisted.
“You know, I care for you like one of my own sons. If you need to, go get some rest. Think about it carefully… Try separating work from personal matters. Give your mind a break. After that, you can properly think it through.”
“Why…?” I asked weakly.
“I’ve seen a lot of things. Just one look at you and I can tell. If something is bothering you, take some time off to rest. Let’s say seven days,” Mr. Korn said. “After that, if your answer is still the same, I won’t hold you back. I don’t want to force anyone to stay against their will.” Mr. Korn took a sip from his coffee mug.
I became even more tense. Today or seven days from now, my decision would be the same. I’d thought it over thoroughly, and I knew I wanted to quit.
“But I…”
“In seven days, come meet me. I’ll be waiting for your answer,” Mr. Korn said, standing up from his chair.
“Seven days won’t—”
“Get some rest. I don’t want to hear anything else right now. And I really do hope that in seven days, your answer will be different,” Mr. Korn said, ignoring my protests. He disappeared into a smaller room in the back.
P’Chan gestured to the door. I watched Mr. Korn leave, then bade P’Chan farewell with a wai gesture before exiting the room.
“Hey, Porsche! Let’s grab dinner,” Arm called out to me. I really wasn’t in a good mood, so I just made a beeline to the front door and got in Tem’s waiting car.
I didn’t get it. Why couldn’t Mr. Korn just let me leave? It was clear that I couldn’t work here anymore. I even promised to pay them for terminating the contract. Why did nothing in my life ever go how I hoped? I should have left today, to save myself all this trouble—for my sake and my brother’s. But nothing went my way at all. Mr. Korn refused to listen to me, saying I had to come back in a week. I wanted to cut them out of my life right now, so I wouldn’t have to be reminded of all the trauma I’d been through. I wanted to forget it all.
Tem drove me home. He did ask me what happened, but I refused to answer, and thankfully, he didn’t press any further.
“If you’re in trouble, you know you can always call me,” Tem said with concern in his voice. I nodded, then waved him goodbye until his car took off.
I walked into my house in a miserable mood. I noticed Chay on the couch playing on his phone. He looked up at me in surprise.
“Eh? I thought you were at work, hia… Hia, I’ll go around the corner. What do you wanna eat?”
I ignored him and went straight to my room upstairs. I needed to lie down. I was so pissed off that my head was throbbing again.
✦ ✦ ✦
Chay came up and shook me awake. “Hia, please come eat.”
I blearily awoke. After I lay down last night, I had passed out cold. Now it was already past eight. Both the fever and the side effects of my medications had completely jumbled my head. I was exhausted.
I washed my face, then followed my brother downstairs. I found out that he had already set the table and prepared my food.
Chay stared at me expectantly as he ate, but I was too tired to explain anything to him. Let’s just wait seven days. When I quit for real, I’ll tell him. I didn’t know if Mr. Korn was trying to come up with some convincing speech right now, but there was nothing he could say that would make me stay.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Someone was pounding at the door. Chay and I both looked up in confusion. It was such a violent knocking, like someone was trying to break down the door. Whoever was doing it better cut it out, or I’d kick their ass. They could have been gentle—we’d still have heard it. Damn!
“I’ll get it,” Chay said, running out of the kitchen to open the door. I was worried for him, so I followed close behind.
“Hia! It’s your friend!” Chay hollered before I left the kitchen. I walked up to see who had decided to visit us this late at night.
As soon as I recognized the broad figure in front of me, my heart skipped a beat. Kinn was standing at the entrance, his face a picture of rage.
“Porsche!” he exclaimed when he saw me. I took a few steps back and looked at him, stunned. I didn’t know what to do.
“Who said you could quit, huh?!”