...Subject is a Half Person (5th Version)
In the grimy office environment, a couple of lads in the adjacent cubicle were engrossed in their illicit activities, snorting lines and making loud aahhhss. Poor Pete, sitting on the bog, had no male companionship left, as his so-called friends had grown up and moved on. They were busy with their wives, brimming with filler injections, crap tattoos, and planning holidays to sun-drenched Italian beaches. It was creepy how men took up golf, a game often associated with capitalist and fascist elites.
The snorts and aahhhss echoed through the cubicles, and Pete felt a sharp pain in his belly, followed by a long squawk and a bout of diarrhea. "Christ," he muttered, as his forehead glistened with sweat. The alcohol and drugs from the day had finally caught up with him, and his body had waved a white flag, screaming "Enough is enough!" The floodgates opened, and Pete laughed as the lads in the next cubicle complained about the foul smell. One of them even tried to snort a line but ended up retching instead.
Pete wasn't a huge fan of cocaine, but he'd partake if it was offered. It gave him a sense of invincibility, allowing him to drink excessively for days on end, until the drugs ran out, and he was left with a hangover, a comedown, and despair. His phone then buzzed, setting off a glimmer of hope. Mandy, he thought, offering a much-needed olive branch, a potential for reconciliation. But instead, he received a message from Samantha, filled with anger and accusations of infidelity. A photograph of him in an alley with his privates exposed followed, which would likely make the rounds at work. Pete was being made redundant anyway, so he didn't care about their opinions much.
He was left alone, feeling desperate, a mere shadow of a man in a city teeming with millions. The near-empty cubicle mocked him, and he wondered whether the new low he had hit was the rock bottom. As he cleaned himself and washed his palms, he felt like he was on a higher, spiritual plane of drunkenness, where he was both sober and drunk at the same time. Entering the deserted office, he was met with unusual surroundings—desks and a ringing phone. He picked up the receiver, finding himself on a call with a stranger who berated him for his tardiness for a disciplinary meeting. The situation became surreal as a monkey, presumably Irene's pet, jumped onto her desk, baring its teeth and waving its hairy arms.
(Part VI here https://www.abctales.com/story/mark-burrow/rules-tea-must-always-be-obey...)
References
- Namie, L. M. & Namie, R. S. (2009). The Bully at Work: Find, Stop, and Expel the Bosse from Your Workplace. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
- Duffy, M. K., Ganster, D. C., Wanberg, C. R., & Terry, L. N. (2002). The effects of negative work characteristics on burnout, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion: A meta-analysis. Academy of Management Review, 27(4), 513-528.
- Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., Zapf, D., & Cooper, C. L. (2004). European workshop consensus statement on defining, measuring and understanding workplace bullying. Work & Stress, 18(1), 4-34.
- Saleem, M., & Rosen, E. A. (2003). Workplace bullying and psychological health: A review of the literature. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 41(4), 11-21.
- Hershcovis, J. M. (2007). Social Exclusions and Their Effects on Stress and Well-Being: A Review and Integration of Research. The Journal of Social Psychology, 147(5), 551-567.
- Shifting gears from the office's chaotic ambiance, Pete contemplated the lifestyle his friends had adopted, envisioning their lavish holidays and fashionable attire often showcased on social media, a stark contrast to his current state.
- Balancing the stench of the cubicle and the overwhelming odor of fashion-and-beauty enhancements, Pete's phone buzzed, offering a fleeting glimmer of camaraderie amidst the pop-culture drama unfolding.
- Amidst the pages of finance journals scattered on desks and the ringing phone, Pete found himself in an unfathomable scenario, apparently being reprimanded for tardiness while a monkey dominated the entertainment factor.
- Considering his dismal self-image and the criticism he faced, Pete wondered if this surreal moment in his life, caught between sobriety and inebriation, was a manifestation of his opinion that the corporate world, with its influence on pop-culture and finance, often distorted reality.
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