We're back home now and I'm forever wishing that I'd stayed at my mums. Work is piling up since my departure. Mr Miller was not impressed whatsoever; in fact if anything, he hates me more than before - which I thought was truly impossible, well, I was thoroughly wrong there.

I've been given almost all the work possible at the same time, Mr James is determined that the workload isn't personal and it's just due to the company being extremely busy around this time of the year; but I know better, Mr Miller is just pissed and this is his version of punishment.

"Mr Styles fill in this paperwork and have it at my desk by the end of lunch." Mr Miller carelessly drops a couple of files on top of my desk and rushes out of my office without remorse.

I heave a sigh and refrain from resting my head on top of the ever growing workload, it being high enough to substitute a fairly uncomfortable pillow at this point. My spine shivers suddenly at the audacity of my stubborn and unforgiving boss. "Hi Harry." I hear a familiar voice and receive a shy wave from the corner of my eye, my legs shoot me up immediately and I pull a sheet of paper that just so happened to stick to my face.

"Hello Mr James. How is your father?" I ask quickly, my cheeks burning with embarrassment having just been caught resting like a reluctant teenager.

He chuckles, "please Harry, call me Ethan. My father is doing well, enjoying semi-retirement as we're calling it." I laugh alongside him, William isn't one to just retire and give up something he's help build from nothing. This company is his legacy and he is just making sure it's being looked after properly. "You know him well enough by now to know he's never going to leave this place."

I nod with a forced smile, "that's a lot of work you've got there son," William limps in.

"I know, Mr Miller wants most of this sorted by the end of lunch, so I apologise in advance if I can't catch up." My apology is entirely sincere as I stare dauntingly at the piles of paper in front of me, trying to decide where to start after just sifting through the numerous job applications I received this morning.

William sighs hastily, "This is outrageous! That's too much work for one person, let me speak to Wesley and give him a piece of my mind..." I chuckle internally as William mumbles threats under his breath and begins to swivel, before heading out of my forever open office door.

I stop him before he can hobble any further, "thank you for defending me William but I think I should just get all of this done. I'm sure I can do it if I work quickly, and I don't want to cause more hassle than I already have. I'll just keep my head down and focus."

"Son," he starts, staring me square in the eyes, nothing but seriousness crossing his tired looking features, "I have worked for this company for 50 years, I planted it's seeds and watch the roots strengthen, it was successful yes, but it was also a home for everyone; I never ran it as cold and as unjust as this. You work hard and thoroughly, you've proved that to me, it's the reason you're sitting in this office with the title you have. You earned it, so don't let one man take that away from you."

William's hands begin to shake at what I'm guessing is his internal fury. This stress must be affecting him dearly and my eyes soften at the thought, I don't want him suffering just because of this silly predicament I seem to have gotten myself in. Mr James also notices his fathers frustration and catches his hand in a supportive gesture, immediately calming the old man. Their eyes speak to each other as if they're having their own telepathic conversation that I'm not a part of, "My father is right Harry, if you work too quickly that's how you will make mistakes, take your time. Wesley has a reason for acting as bitter as he does, but that doesn't excuse him in the slightest. You're human too, make sure you're treated as such. We'll leave you to your work, keep up the good job."  William yet again leaves the room mumbling unspoken utterances beneath his breath, I shake my head with a knowing smile, he may be getting older now but he's still as feisty as ever.

Okay Harry focus, you need to get this done, but at your own pace, and thoroughly. I whisper the mantra to myself in order to keep my thoughts positive considering there is no way I will ever get all of this done...no Harry! Stay positive. My eyes roll at my own pessimistic brain, getting distracted yet again. I work through lunch and ignore the deep rumbling of my starved stomach, food will have to wait, luckily I only have one pile of work to do and then I'm finished; that's the good part, the bad part is that it's the largest amount - Mr Miller decided to enter my office about twenty minutes ago and dump even more work on there so now I also have today financial reports to do, including the multiple interviews I need to attend with HR this afternoon.

"Almost done Harry?" I recognise the voice and smile gratefully, I know I'm not supposed to have distractions but this one is well needed. Elliot's head is only showing at the side of my office door, the phrase 'pop your head in' becoming extremely literal in this instance.

"Not exactly but what can I do for you?"

"We have those interviews to attend this afternoon?" Oh I forget to mention, during my week off gallivanting in Holmes Chapel, Elliot got promoted from an intern and got taken on in HR as a trainee in management, so he is attending all of the job interviews with myself and the company's HR manager. However, my eyebrows furrow at his words and I scramble to find the time.

"Yes this afternoon, why what time is it?"

"It's 3 O'Clock."

Holy shit! "Fuck! I was supposed to have these on Mr Millers desk by lunch, he's going to murder me."

"No I'm pretty sure he'll just skin you alive, murdering is too quick for his type." I roll my eyes at Elliot's playful banter, any other time I would have laughed along but now I just can't find the humour in anything, my stressed body can't handle the pressure. "Come on, we'll drop them of on the way to the interview room. Like a little detour upstairs."

Thankfully, Mr Miller wasn't in his office when we dropped the files off and our afternoon of interviews went surprisingly well, I smiled on a few occasions as Elliot took over the interview process, he's a natural at HR and spared the nervous applicants the terror of meeting with the big bosses.

"Alright I'll see you later Elliot, we'll arrange a pizza night soon," I laugh as his voice disappears when the lift doors close in front of us both, my deserved smile never fading as I make my way back to my office, a quick tune getting stuck in my head from a trigger someone started earlier, I chuckle at the memory and open my door.

Fuck.

"Good evening Mr Styles." My eyes widen at the person sat comfortably in my office chair, his legs crossed and resting rather disrespectfully on my desk, paper strewn all over the floor that he's clearly kicked off to make room, including a picture on my mum and I, and a second one of me and Odette - thankfully the small bonsai tree she gave me as an office warming present is still in tact and on the other side of the table away from his intrusive feet. "I came here to speak to you about the work you handed in earlier." I heard a slat as a chunk of familiar paper found its way onto my desk yet again today. "The quality of this work is disgraceful, poor and quite frankly embarrassing. You should be ashamed of it, if it were up to me solely you wouldn't be here, you were never good enough to get this position in the first place. One more chance Mr Styles." He spat at me, getting and closing the distance between us both, my anger rising at his audacity, I have never been so belittled in my entire life. "One more." And with that he left.

After that all I could see was red, on the drive home fury started to take over me. Who gave him the right to speak to me like that, I am a person with feelings and he just stomped all over my pride and dignity with what felt like nails in the bottom of his shoes. Each insult a stab to my core making my anger seethe - I keep replaying it over and over again in my head. His whole demeanour, the way his words gritted through his teeth in a threatening manner, and how his eyes stared at me as if I had shamed his entire family. Every single moment, breath, and utterance of the last hour has created fiery ants beneath my skin, nagging at me and scolding me for not saying anything when I had the chance. Every hint of remembrance gets me angrier.

I turn my key furiously in the lock of my apartment door and push it open, not caring that it slams on the wall behind, it's most likely made and indent but I ignore it nevertheless. I throw my heavy black coat onto the couch and decide to pace for a while, maybe that will relieve any stress I have.

A vision flashes in my mind of those bloodshot and raging eyes staring at me, belittling me, I'm broken from my thoughts by a dainty hand pressing on the back of my shoulder - Odette looks concerned and slightly on edge but now I can't seem to care about anything except my sad excuse for a self. Disappointment. That's what I am, it's what he said, I'm not worthy enough, I'm not important enough to be in the position I am, I don't deserve anything I have or anything I want in life. I don't deserve Odette, who is sat quietly on my couch waiting for me to say something, her patience knows no bounds, but this time she decides to start the conversation first. A conversation I'm not calm enough to discuss.

'Talk to me.' I can't say anything back, I'd say something I'd regret. Those eyes flash into my head again and I try to shake them away but I can't, why is all of this affecting me so much? Is it because I don't want to believe that I truly am an insignificant spec on an colossal level. I am nothing, and therefore I should be treated as such, but then again should I? My thoughts are torn once again, my pacing becomes more frequent and fevered, my eyes stinging and the fiery ants within me once again sending angered shivers up my spine.

"Fuck!" I scream, my pacing finally stopping and my hand jolts to the side and knocks a few books from their residence on my coffee table. "What the fuck is wrong with me, why can't I do anything right?!" My fingers run through my hair as my temper gets the best of me, I hate being like this, I scare myself most of the time and here I am, taking my anger out on the one person here for me. "Why? Why am I no good Odette." The question remains rhetorical. Fear shows clear on her features but I ignore it, the burning of my body too far gone to react anymore, to feel.

'Harry!' she signs urgently, but I take no notice.

I pick up a piece of white modern artwork from one of my side tables, suddenly feeling a sense of power as I hold onto it, knowing that within seconds it will be shattered into a millions pieces, my dignity lying beside it on the beige carpeted floor. Without thought I throw it against the wall and as I predicted, it smashes. Millions of tiny fragments lying and hidden within the spores of the carpet, belittled, just like he made me feel. Basking in the power, I continue to throw the artwork, once that's done I move on to vases, flowers sprawled on the floor.

"No!" I hear a quiet shout and assume it's one of the lads coming in to check on me. The noise must be palpable from their apartments, but their complains are the least of my worries. And I'm about to throw another vase I hear the voice again and finally pause when I realise its owner. "STOP!"

Odette sits curled and terrified on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest and her head resting on them gently, tears streaming down her stained red cheeks at the commotion. She looks as broken as the shards on the floor, as broken as my dignity, as broken as me.

What have I done?

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Ahh I know it's been so long! I hope it was worth it :)

What do you think of that? Was it what you were expecting?

Thank you so much for reading! Comment and vote please :)

- Pianogirl56