Lahat ng Kabanata ng I Quit Being Her Emotional Support Toy: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

The laptop flew out of Jeannie Gray's hand, grazing the head of finance's scalp before crash-landing at the floor-to-ceiling windows just across from me. Web-like cracks spread across the tempered glass.The screen was still lit, and the net profit column in the third quarter's financial report was lined with jarring red.I sat in the furthest corner of the conference room and watched as everyone stiffened in their seats.The dozen-something high-level executives occupying both sides of the long conference table dared not even draw a breath.The head of finance's necktie was askew. He'd raised his hand, which hung in midair, but dared not adjust his tie.The head of marketing's pen had dropped on the table with a thud, its ink spilling red across the A4-sized paper. He dared not pick it up.Even the air coming through the vent of the air-conditioning unit seemed to go quiet.Jeannie stood at one end of the long conference table with both hands braced against the edge, her knuckl

Angela had no idea that the only thing I loved was the money Joseph wired to my bank account.The get-together ended some time after midnight.After I walked Jeannie to her car, I stood in the parking lot by the club entrance and took out my phone. I sent Joseph a text."Hi, Joseph. I was insulted twice in front of everyone today and kicked on the calf twice."I was also called a 'medical consumable' and suffered emotional abuse. That'll be 300 thousand dollars. As usual, wire it to my account."In under a minute, I saw the bank notification on my phone: "You've received a transfer of 300,000 dollars."I leaned against one of the parking lot pillars, chuckling as I stared at the figure on my phone screen. So what if I was a walking tranquilizer? I was consumable for 300 thousand dollars each time. No job in the world paid better than this.Alas, I knew this job was coming to an end. Joseph had texted me last week. "Lately, she's been refusing her medication. She stays cooped u

I wasn't selling lessons. I was looking for a new emotional support companion, a walking tranquilizer, for Jeannie.On the day Tristan left for Elmsdale, I saw him off at the train station. He thumped his chest with a fist in a show of confidence and promised me solemnly, "Don't worry, Gregory! I'll tame Ms. Gray and give her all the comfort she needs! I'll treat you to a king crab buffet once I get paid!"I waved him off, then turned and made my way to a barbecue restaurant. I ordered 50 lamb skewers and two bottles of chilled beer, indulging in a greasy, flavorful feast.Tristan sent me daily updates after he was hired."She smashed three glasses today, Gregory! I gave her orange candy, just like you taught me to, but she threw the candy in my face!" He added a crying emoji to make a point."Gregory, I added three cubes of ice in her black coffee, and she told me to get lost! Did I do something wrong?""She asked me where you were today, Gregory. I told her you quit, and she al

"Then, I grabbed my phone and called Joseph." I met Jeannie's stare. "Three years, Jeannie. Do you know which of the things I've told you over the last three years were true?"She glowered at me, her eyes rimmed with red, but she didn't shed a tear."The 'Good morning, Ms. Gray' texts I sent you every day weren't genuine. Those were just check-in notifications on my part. Whenever you asked me how the coffee was, I couldn't care less. I was never a fan of hand-brewed coffee."I didn't mean it when I told you I was fine after you shoved me against the gravestone at the cemetery that one time. My lower back hit the corner of the gravestone and hurt for a whole month, but I kept that to myself."All because it was stated clearly on the contract that the Employee shall not express his dismay or any other negative emotion when the Employer is experiencing turbulent emotions."I locked my phone and watched the screen turn black. Only the sound of the rain lashing against the window fill

Jeannie had handled the first customer complaint with more professionalism than she'd shown in board meetings.I brought two plates of pasta from the back kitchen when lunchtime rolled around. She held her fork and spoon delicately as she ate at the front desk, chewing each bite without making a sound.I slid the bottle of chili flakes toward her. She glanced at it but didn't touch it."Can't take spice?" I ventured."I can, but not in the past. Ian doesn't take spice." She speared a piece of bacon, pausing in thought. "But now, no one can tell me what to do anymore."She sprinkled a spoonful of chili flakes onto her pasta and mixed it in. One bite was all it took to bring tears to her eyes. She choked on the spice and burst into a coughing fit but didn't stop eating.She spooned one mouthful of pasta after another and didn't bother wiping the grease from the corners of her mouth.When Jeannie had finished eating, she looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes, the corners of her mout