I just have to get this report done in thirty minutes and then I can go home, Loren thought. She had spent all day working on several technical reports and her brain was fried. It had been such a busy and stressful day that Loren had to skip lunch just to get everything done. Everyone in the small office was feeling the pressure of getting all of these reports and forms done for the management team. It was an everyday occurrence that no one could escape.
The sound of fingers racing across keyboards was so very loud that it actually drowned out the hum of the fans above. Not that the fans did much at all but make the hot office even hotter. Loren's clothes were already sticking to her from the heat in the windowless room. The office's policy was business attire and Loren hated it because the last few days there had been a heatwave in Jackson Falls. The business suits that she had to wear during this time were always drenched with sweat by the time she got home to the apartment she shared with her roommate. She would literally have to peel the clothes off of her and throw them in the laundry bag because there was no way she could wear them again until after they were washed.
Loren heard running behind her and she glanced up to see Sheryl moving fast to her desk with an anxious look on her face. Her face was covered in sweat and her hair looked completely frizzy and stuck out from the sides of her head. In her hand was a cup of coffee and it splashed about as Sheryl ran to her desk. Loren felt a sharp pain in her stomach from seeing Sheryl in disarray. The poor woman had worked at The Millwood Corporation for five years and always seemed on the edge of a nervous breakdown. She was just two years older than Loren as she was 24 but she looked like she was in her 40s with streaks of gray hair beginning to appear in her hair due to the stress of the job.
There was a sigh and then a frustrated noise from the cubicle next to Loren. She knew that Dallas was struggling to get the work done before the end of the day. He had just started working at Millwood a few weeks ago and was already having a terrible go at it. The first day that he was introduced to the team, Loren had felt sorry for him because he was all bright-eyed and eager to work for the company. He had no idea what he was getting himself into as they all did when they were offered a position.
It did not take long before Dallas discovered the never-ending work, deadlines, and micromanagement that was Millwood Corporation. His bright and sunny demeanor quickly changed to one of fear and anxiety. His dark skin had actually become pallid since working in the office and he even seemed to have a skeletal look. Loren even noticed that he walked hunched over now like many of them did from the stress and also trying not to be seen by the managers.
The managers of the Millwood Corporation were a brother and sister who had inherited the company from their parents. Michael Millwood was the younger of the two as he was 31. He was cold and mean. He always had a smile that seemed to revel in the pleasure of making your life hard. He was short with balding hair and a thin frame. His suits always seemed to be too big for him like he was playing at being grown up.
Janet Millwood was 34 and she was just as cold and mean as Michael but always through email where she sent the employees emails throughout the day asking about the status of their work. The micromanagement was too extreme where Loren would find herself constantly being interrupted by an email ping from Janet as she raced to get her work done. Janet was tall and chubby and never smiled. There was always a perpetual scowl on her face.
The Millwoods treated their employees terribly as they knew that they could get away with it. There was no HR department and the economic crisis in Jackson Falls where so many people were out of work made everyone desperate to keep their jobs no matter how they were treated. Loren had been working at the company after graduating from college with a degree in business administration a year before. Like everyone in Jackson Falls, she had struggled with getting a job. The pressure from dwindling funds and paying rent made her apply for a position at Jackson Falls as a technical data entry operator for very low pay.
Her experience from day one was terrible as she saw how the Millwood siblings treated their employees. There were many times throughout her year of employment that she thought about quitting but she knew she couldn't. She needed the job. So, she put up with the hostile work environment as best as she could even as her anxiety grew and she started to have stomach pains.
The door to Michael's office opened and Loren tensed up. The sound of fingers racing across keyboards got even louder including Loren's. There were five data entry operators at the company; Loren, Sheryl, Dallas, Beth, and Wanda. Beth was in her mid-50s and had been working at the company for two years. She had a haggard look and always looked scared. She never seemed to leave her desk. Loren would arrive at work and find Beth already at her cubicle working away and when she left for the day, Beth would still be there. There were times that Loren wondered if Beth lived in the office.
Wanda was in her 30s and she had a perpetual cough that never seemed to go away. She had been working with the company for a year and a half and always seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She was always drenched in sweat no matter the weather. It could be below zero outside and Wanda would walk into the office already sweating. She had two children that she was trying to support on the meager salary she was getting from the company and worked her ass off to keep this terrible job.
Loren did not know her coworkers well because they did not have time to socialize at all due to the work. She could only find time to say a quick good morning before diving into the endless work. Even when the Millwoods were out on vacation, they all had to maintain their workload because there were always deadlines.
Now, Michael walked to Dallas' cubicle which was right beside Loren's. She sat up straighter and typed even faster while trying not to make a mistake. Beads of sweat ran down her face. You are almost there! Come on! She thought.
"Are you done with the report, Dallas?" Michael said in a cold tone.
"I'm almost done, sir! I'm about there!" Dallas' voice was so tense as he responded. There was fear in it that Loren could hear.
"You know that you can't leave until it is done, right?" Michael said in a threatening voice. Loren could imagine the smile on his face.
"Yes, sir! That is fine, sir!" Dallas piped up.
"Good."
Loren then heard Michael approaching her desk. Her heart started to beat so very fast in her chest. She felt like she was about to have a heart attack! She typed even faster with sweat pouring from her forehead. Michael's footsteps got even closer and Loren finished the last line of text right when he appeared behind her.
"Did you complete the report, Loren?" Michael asked as he stood near her. His eyes were on her computer screen.
"Yes, sir. I just finished it," Loren said in a nervous voice.
Michael leaned over to look at her screen to make sure that she had. She hated that he always had to check her work to make sure as if she was lying. He looked over the report for a few seconds with Loren sitting there with anxiety.
"Send the report and then you can leave. You have two big reports tomorrow that you need to complete," Michael said.
"Yes, sir!"
Michael walked over to Sheryl's cubicle where the sound of the keyboard's keys were deafening. Loren relaxed a little and quickly sent the report to the client. She was so anxious to get out of there before Michael told her to work on another report.
"Are you done with the report, Sheryl?" He asked her from the adjoining cubicle. Loren shut down her computer.
"I…I…I have a few more to go, sir," Sheryl said in a shaky voice.
There was a momentary pause. "You have more than a few to go. You will need to stay late until it's done, Sheryl. Will that be a problem?"
"No, sir! That is perfectly fine! I will get it done!" Sheryl squeaked out.
Loren felt so bad for Sheryl as it was the third time that week that Sheryl had to stay late. Loren walked quickly to the front of the office. She passed by Dallas' cubicle where he was hunched over his keyboard and typing so very fast. His dress shirt was damp in the back from sweating.
Loren saw Janet in her office where she had her feet up on the desk and had her cellphone in her hand. There was that scowl on Janet's face as she looked at the screen of her cellphone. Loren quickly grabbed her coat from the coatrack and then exited the office. She walked quickly to the stairs and not to the elevator bay. She knew that she could still be called back if she lingered too long. That had happened to her several times as she waited for the elevators and she vowed to never take the elevators again.
She went quickly down the three flights of stairs and opened the door to the outside. It was raining hard which made Loren let out a frustrated sigh. She had forgotten her umbrella. There were huge puddles everywhere. Loren put the hood of her coat over her head and then ran towards the train station which was four blocks away. Her shoes quickly got drenched as she could not avoid several of the puddles.
The sound of the train approaching made Loren run even faster. I can't miss this train! She thought. She ran so very fast and did not even avoid the puddles now. Her shoes were squeaking from how soaked they were. It was an elevated train station and Loren glanced up with rain pelting her in the face to see that the train had arrived.
"No!" She shouted and ran even faster. She got to the stairs and ran up them as people descended. She avoided them as best as she could but was bumped and collided with umbrellas. She got to the platform just as the doors closed on the train.
"No! Wait!" She shouted but the train departed the station. Loren stared after it with a long defeated sigh. People walked around her as she stood there.
The platform became deserted except for Loren. The next train would not arrive for another 45 minutes. She turned and walked to a bench and sat down but quickly stood up with a shout. She had sat down onto a puddle of water! Her pants were wet from the water.
"Shit! Can this day get any worse?!" She shouted in frustration.