Chapter 1 A Mischance And A Mess

I walked briskly out of the hotel lobby after I finished helping my Head of Department drop off the papers he had forgotten at the office and picked up some extra ones from him. I walked with the intensity of a child late for school as I made my way down the stairs without even looking down, completely buried in my thoughts, when I missed a step. I tripped and was falling onto a man who was about to climb up the stairs and he could have caught me, but instead, he shifted out of the way and with vigorous force, I came crashing down to the ground.

The documents flew out of my hand and scattered around me like autumn leaves in the wind.

He observed the scene before him with a subtle smirk. He chose not to extend a helping hand, enjoying the sight of me groaning in pain and embarrassment. It was as if he found amusement in watching me fall. I looked up, ready to express my annoyance, but before I could say anything, he walked off without saying a word

I muttered to myself, "wow, how rude and heartless can someone be? What kind of person just watches someone fall and does nothing?"

Feeling indignant, I got up from the ground and knelt to gather my documents. The man overhearing my remark, stopped in his tracks and turned back to face me.

"Heartless? That's quite an assumption to make."

"Well, your actions speak volumes. You didn't even bother to apologize!" I said irritatedly as I stood up to him.

"Apologies are overrated, don't you think?" He responded nonchalantly as his guards tried to step in but he dismissed them.

"No, common courtesy is not overrated and it's basic human decency to help someone in need. Maybe you should learn that!"

"Decency is subjective. Besides, in the grand scheme of things, a little fall caused by your clumsiness is hardly worth getting upset over."

He walked a bit forward in my direction with his left hand tucked in his trouser's pocket, demonstrating with his right. "I prefer observing the world from a distance. It saves me from unnecessary complications."

"It's not just about the fall. It's about respect for others, something you clearly lack. Humanity is not a weakness."

"Now if you don't mind, I have a meeting to-"

"Whoa! Actually I do mind" I cut him off.

"You know, it's considered rude to interrupt someone when they're speaking."

My eyes widened in disbelief as I caught my breath with an open mouth.

"Excuse me? You let me fall earlier without apologizing, and now you're lecturing me on manners? How hypocritical."

The man chuckled, finding my audacity oddly refreshing.

He smirked, "you're quite bold, aren't you? I find your determination amusing."

I got furious, "this is not amusing! It's infuriating! People like you think you can get away with anything just because you're rich and powerful."

"Power is relative, my dear. Some wield it wisely, others not so much." He played it cool.

Realizing I was getting nowhere with the conversation, I shot a glare at him and decided it was best to walk away.

"You might have wealth, but you lack basic kindness. I hope someday you learn the value of treating people with respect. Empathy and kindness makes the world a better place." I turned and walked right away after saying that.

The man smiled at me while watching me walk away.

"Such an interesting lady!" He commented and then continued his walk into the hotel.

***

My shoulders were slumped with exhaustion as I stepped into my apartment. I knew what to expect when I took the job, but the workload was overwhelming. I couldn't understand why I felt deflated. As much as my work was demanding, and as stupid as it might sound, I liked to work. That was the only thing that distracted me from everything else piling on in my life.

I had to endure not only the lack of sleep but also the added burden that comes with it.

I threw my bag onto the bed, realizing I needed to take a shower and find what to eat. I groaned at the thought of that.

As soon as I undressed and almost got into the shower, I heard a sharp knock on my door. I rushed to open the door, I saw my Landlord, Mr Jacob, an elderly man in his fifties, standing right in front of me, a stern expression took over his face.

"As your former landlord. I hate to do this..." his voice was firm.

"Former?" I was surprised. Not possible.

"Yes, that's what I'm here to talk about. I noticed your rent is due."

"About that, I'm working on it." My voice was polite.

"Since you're making plans to pay, note that the rent has been increased since it's not according to today's rent standard. So to fit in the current times, I went ahead and raised it accordingly."

"You can't just raise my rent out of nowhere," my tiredness turned into a blaze of anger.

"If you have an issue with that, feel free to move out. The truth of the matter is that you shouldn't even be here by now. Your rent is already expired."

"Huh?" I gasped. I couldn't believe his choice of words.

"I know a lot of people who will be dying to live here. I'm doing you a favor because we've never had any issues and you've been a good tenant."

"Do you honestly think I'll let you get away with this? I'll make sure I let everyone living in these apartments know exactly what you're trying to do! We don't deserve to be treated this way!"

There was no way I could pay for my new rent. Fuck! I was barely able to pay for my old one. One of the reasons that contributed to me working so hard.

Mr Jacob and I were locked in the battle of will for a moment.

"It's within my right to do that. Like I said, if you're unhappy, find another place to live.

With that, I slammed the door shut.

"Urrgh! As if the day couldn't get any worse." I mumbled in frustration.