Chapter 1

John and Rita are siblings John is 18 and Rita 23. They are siblings although they don’t look like one.they live in a run-down, inner-city neighborhood that’s seen better days. The area is plagued by crime, drug use, and poverty, and the buildings are old and dilapidated. John and Rita’s house is a small, cramped apartment on the fourth floor of a rundown building. The walls are thin, and they can hear the sounds of their neighbors arguing, fighting, and partying at all hours of the day and night. The apartment is dimly lit, with flickering fluorescent bulbs that cast a sickly yellow glow over everything. The furniture is old and worn, with peeling upholstery and rickety legs. The kitchen is tiny, with a rusty old stove and a sink that’s constantly clogged. There’s no air conditioning, and in the summer the apartment is sweltering hot. In the winter, it’s freezing cold, and the heating barely works. The overall feeling of the place is one of decay and neglect.John enters home after his first day at his work everything was overwhelming all he wanted to do was just plop down and sleep.He enters the living room and sees Rita watching TV. He notices a delivery of an expensive pair of shoes and confronts her, “Are you serious? You bought another pair of expensive shoes with dad’s life savings?”

Rita looks at him with an annoyed expression, “Yes, John. What’s the problem?”

“The problem is that dad worked hard for that money, and you’re just spending it recklessly. You sold his equipment just last month, and that was so meaningful to him,” John replies with frustration in his voice.

Rita rolls her eyes, “Oh, come on. It’s just a pair of shoes. Besides, I’m trying to get into a higher circle of friends, and that requires some money.”

John shakes his head in disbelief, “Is that really important to you? What about dad’s memory and the things he cared about? Do you even care about that?”

Rita scoffs, “Of course, I care about it. But I also have my own life to live. You’re just a nerd who spends all his time with books and projects. You don’t know what it’s like to have friends or to fit in with people.”

John’s frustration grows as he listens to her, “That’s not true, Rita. I have friends, and I have a life outside of my projects. But at least I have some respect for dad’s memory and the things he cared about. You’re just selfish and don’t care about anything but yourself.”

Rita stands up, “You know what, John? I’m tired of your constant nagging and lectures. I can do whatever I want with my life. Just mind your own business.”

John sighs, “Fine. Do what you want. But remember, you’re not just wasting dad’s money, you’re also wasting his memory”

As John lays on his bed, he can’t help but think about the unfairness of the situation. Their father’s property wasn’t much, but it was all they had, and now Rita has complete control over it. John feels like he has no say in anything.

He closes his eyes and tries to push the thoughts out of his mind, but they keep creeping back in. He thinks about all the times Rita has made him feel inferior, mocking him for his interests and intelligence. He remembers how she never cared about their father’s work and sold off his equipment without a second thought.

Despite his anger and frustration, John feels a sense of helplessness. He doesn’t know how to change the situation or make Rita understand the gravity of their father’s legacy. He slowly drifts off to sleep, feeling lost and alone in his own home.

Next day John wakes up and Rita was gone probably with her friends.John had his breakfast and went to work. John had been working at the manufacturing plant for several months now, and he was starting to feel worn down by the long hours, physical labor, and toxic work environment. He was called into his manager’s office for a performance review.

“Sit down, John,” the manager said, gesturing to a chair across from his desk. “I wanted to talk to you about your performance here at the plant. You’ve been falling behind on your quotas, and your quality control numbers are well below our standards.”

John felt a knot form in his stomach. He knew he had been struggling to keep up with the demanding pace of work, but he hadn’t realized it was this bad.

“I’m sorry, sir,” he said, looking down at his hands. “I’ve been trying my best, but it’s been tough lately.”

“Tough?” the manager scoffed. “We all have to work hard here, John. If you can’t handle it, maybe you should think about finding another job.”

John felt a surge of anger and frustration at the manager’s dismissive attitude. He knew he couldn’t just quit, but he also didn’t know how he was going to keep up with the demanding pace of work.

Later that day, during his lunch break, John sat down with some of his coworkers to eat and chat. But even this small moment of camaraderie was tainted by the toxic work environment.

“You guys hear about the layoffs?” one coworker asked, digging into his sandwich.

“What layoffs?” John asked, feeling a knot of anxiety in his chest.

“Oh, you know, the ones they’re planning for next month,” another coworker chimed in. “I heard they’re going to be cutting a bunch of jobs, and if you’re not at the top of your game, you could be on the chopping block.”

John felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. He couldn’t afford to lose his job, but he also didn’t know how he was going to keep up with the relentless pace of work and demanding quotas.

As he returned to his station on the manufacturing line, John felt a deep sense of despair and hopelessness. The toxic work environment was wearing him down, and he didn’t know how much longer he could take it.

As John enters their home, notices the strong smell of alcohol and sees Rita and Jessica laughing and giggling on the couch. He rolls his eyes at their drunken behavior but tries to ignore them and head to his room.

But as he passes by them, he hears Rita and Jessica’s mocking comments about him being a nerd and dressed in dirty clothes. His anger boils over, and he turns around to confront them. “What the hell is your problem? You two are acting like idiots, and you have the nerve to mock me for my clothes i work my ass off because i have ... you know what just forget it “ John exclaims, his voice rising.