Chapter 2

The storage closet had no windows. I couldn't tell if it was day or night.

I woke up to someone pounding on the door.

"What time do you call this? Still sleeping? The bathroom stinks so bad nobody can use it!"

It was Marcus's voice.

I checked my phone. It was only 6 AM.

I forced the door open. Marcus kicked a filthy bucket toward my feet.

"Go clean it! If you mess up our morning routine, you'll regret it."

I picked up the bucket and headed to the shared bathroom on the second floor.

Before I even stepped inside, the pungent smell of urine hit me.

The toilet seat was covered in yellow stains. Cigarette butts and used tissues littered the floor.

There was dried white residue on the sink.

These assholes did this on purpose.

Before, everyone at least tried to keep things somewhat clean.

Now they were dumping all their filth here just to humiliate me.

I put on rubber gloves and grabbed the toilet brush.

"Well, look who it is—our fancy auditor."

Derek walked in wearing nothing but his boxers.

He stood at the urinal, completely unashamed, and unzipped right in front of me.

The sound of him peeing echoed, accompanied by his intentional whistling.

I turned my back to him and scrubbed the inside of the toilet bowl vigorously.

"Claire, why do you have to make this so hard?"

Derek finished, zipped up, and walked over.

He leaned against the doorframe, checking me out from behind.

"Just sign that 'Beauty Rent-Free Agreement.' You won't have to do this crap work, and you'll get free rent too."

"We might be a little rough around the edges, but we've all got skills. We'd definitely make you feel good."

I tightened my grip on the toilet brush.

"Get out."

"Bitch, quit acting like you're pure."

Derek sneered and spat a thick glob of phlegm onto the sink I'd just cleaned.

"I'm waiting for the day you get on your knees and beg me."

He strutted out.

I turned on the faucet and washed his spit down the drain.

After cleaning three bathrooms, my back was killing me.

Back in the storage closet, I was about to change clothes when the door pushed open again.

It was Ryan Cooper this time.

He was wearing a suit, looking like some corporate hotshot.

Too bad looks are deceiving. Deep down, he was just another asshole.

"Claire, I brought you breakfast."

He handed me a couple pieces of dry toast.

"I don't want it."

"Don't be like that."

Ryan set the toast on a cardboard box.

"I know you feel wronged, but if you're going to live here, you need to go along with them."

"Marcus is actually a decent guy. He just cares about his reputation. You calling the cops yesterday embarrassed him."

The man I once had a crush on could actually say something like this.

"That was sexual harassment! It was degrading!" I kept my voice down.

"What sexual harassment? It was just a joke."

Ryan scowled.

"I saw that post in the group too. It was just a joke to lighten things up."

"Besides, that rent-free thing? If you don't want to sign it, don't sign it. Who's forcing you?"

"Now look what you did. Everyone treats you like the enemy. I'm embarrassed by association."

I let out a bitter laugh.

"You're embarrassed? What do you have to be embarrassed about?"

"I'm the one who told you about this place. Now you've created this mess, and Marcus is giving me grief because of it."

Ryan self-righteously pointed the finger at me.

"Claire, you're so selfish. You never think about how your actions affect others."

"If you really want to fix this, buy a couple bottles of wine tonight and apologize to Marcus."

Looking at Ryan's hypocritical face made me realize how blind I'd been.

This was the "nice guy." This was supposed to be "looking out for me."

When push came to shove, he had the backbone of a wet noodle.

"Take your toast and get out."

Ryan's expression soured.

"Claire, don't be ungrateful! I came here to help you as a friend."

"If you want to play janitor so badly, don't come crying to me later!"

He grabbed the toast, threw it on the floor, and stormed off.

I checked my phone. My supervisor had messaged me in the work group:

【Claire Bennett, where's today's report? Do you still want this job?】

I took a deep breath and replied:

【Sending it now.】