Chapter 2

The elevator doors slammed onto my shoulder, and a sharp pain shot through me. But I gritted my teeth and refused to take a step back.

"Ms. Brown, the service elevator is down for maintenance, and the regular elevators are stuck on the first floor!

"He's really not going to make it. This is a matter of life and death! Please make an exception and let us in!"

My forehead throbbed with bulging veins as I looked at her, practically begging.

Marvin suddenly convulsed on my back, letting out a faint, painful groan.

"That's none of my business." Alexis took a step back, recoiling in annoyance.

She snorted. "He's just a janitor. He can die somewhere else for all I care. Why did he have to ruin my air with his stench?

"What if he passes some disease on to me? Or gets this designer suit dirty? Do you have any idea how much this costs? Could you afford to pay for it?"

"How can you say something like that?" I shouted, burning with rage.

I couldn't believe those words were coming from a highly educated executive.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Alexis's face darkened.

She jabbed the elevator intercom button and barked an order to the person on the other end. "Security? This is Alexis Brown. There's a crazy man with a stinking janitor causing a scene on the 21st floor. It's seriously affecting my work and my mood. Get up here now and throw them out!"

"Alexis Brown! How can you be so cruel? You're unbelievable!" I yelled, trying to force my way into the elevator.

Just then, heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. Three burly security guards burst out of the emergency stairwell.

Leading them was Colin Herbert, the head of security, who was always eager to kiss up to the higher-ups.

"Ms. Brown, we're here!" said Colin.

"Get them out of here. Just looking at them makes me sick." Alexis waved her hand in disgust, as if shooing away a fly.

The security guards stepped forward and grabbed me.

"What are you doing? Let me go! He needs medical treatment!" I desperately tried to break free, but Colin ignored my pleas.

Desperate to impress the new COO, he twisted my arm behind my back and slammed me hard against the floor.

The violent impact sent Marvin crashing to the ground with a dull thud.

"Let me go! He's dying!" I roared in fury.

Standing inside the elevator, Alexis looked down at me as I struggled helplessly on the floor.

"You want to go downstairs? Well, I'm not letting that happen," she said with a shrug.

As the elevator doors were about to close, I watched in disbelief as Alexis pressed the buttons for every single floor.

"Have fun waiting, you pathetic trash." With her contemptuous sneer, the elevator doors slid shut with a soft chime.

"Let me go! You bastards! Let me go!" I bellowed, writhing frantically on the cold floor.

"Knock it off! Ms. Brown gave the order. You're causing a scene at work. Do you want to get fired?" Colin snarled at me, tightening his grip further.

"He's going to die! Mr. Brown is going to die! You're killing him! This is murder!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, sweat stinging my eyes as I clenched my teeth.

A few feet away, Marvin lay curled on the ground. His face had turned ashen. His lips were blue, and his eyes had rolled back. His chest, which had been heaving with labored breaths just moments ago, was now barely moving.

A younger security guard noticed something was wrong and said in a trembling voice, "Mr. Herbert... I think the janitor is really dying..."

Colin froze for a moment before looking down at Marvin, and the color drained from his face.

His grip on me instinctively loosened.

I broke free and scrambled to Marvin's side.

"Mr. Brown! Mr. Brown, wake up! Stay with me!" I cried out, shaking him.