Chapter 1: The Joys of Work

Horti, using a forearm crutch, limped uncomfortably toward her work building. The building, also owned by her boss, was a beautiful piece of modern architecture, perfectly suited for her narcissistic boss, the company’s owner.

Derek, the snaky, sneaky weasel-faced cousin of her boss, walked surreptitiously out of the entrance. He looked both ways before crossing the road and scuttling away in the opposite direction. She didn’t think he noticed her. Horti had heard rumors over the years he was involved in shady activities. Derek was an underhand, stab-you-in-the-back piece of scum. She had known him at school, and nothing she heard about him changed her opinion. Derek would never maintain eye contact, couldn’t keep a job, and treated girlfriends abominably. She failed to understand how he survived university and got his degree.

She suspected her boss was a polished version of the same beast. He was personable and charming, but she never trusted him.

Horti was grateful her boss employed her after the accident. She told him she struggled in the first few months, but he pushed her to work long hours, and her pay didn’t reflect her efforts. Conrad acted as if he did her a great favor.

Horti had heard rumors from several sources Conrad had stabbed his original partner in the back. The split had been acrimonious. The partners had split, but Conrad had kept the company as the police had found child pornography on Conrad’s partner’s computer. She remembered that part of the story from the paper. Conrad and his partner started the company, manufacturing custom electronic chips and developing software.

Horti worked on the custom software side of the explosively growing international business. Horti never understood how Conrad financed its rapid development.

Horti sighed as she walked in through the electronic doors and waved to the receptionists.

Midmorning, Horti was concentrating on the middle of her three screens when Conrad called her into his office.

It was a long walk to his office. Her stump was burning from the walk from the parking garage, and her back was aching. Conrad always called her when she was in the middle of something complex and never walked over to her desk to talk to her.

Conrad’s office was more ostentatious and pretentious than the other parts of the over-decorated office. He wore an impeccable bespoke Italian suit and a lustrous but understated silk tie. Horti couldn’t see Conrad’s shoes, but she was sure they were highly polished.

She chose not to sit as he had once again placed a chair without arms too far in front of his desk for her to be able to use the desk to help her get on her feet. She was increasingly convinced he was a psychopath and enjoyed subtly torturing her. He only used the armless chair when she came to the office.

“Agatha, I want you to visit the people from Beta Engineering. They are having some difficulty with your recent iteration of updates. Please make sure you go to their office. I want you to look after them like babies; they are one of our best clients.”

Conrad’s tone was pleasant and friendly. He had fooled her with his friendly manner at her employment interview. Under the surface, this pleasantly delivered instruction was a setup. He was deliberately needling her. Conrad knew Horti hated to be called Agatha. Beta Engineering was five floors up in an old building with steep stairs. There was no elevator. The stairs were a nightmare. She had to use her good leg to go up every stair. She held on to the rickety handrail to pull herself up. Going down, even with her stick’s help, was worse. She couldn’t find a way to safely go down such steep stairs The people at Beta Engineering knew Horti well and were happy to meet her in a coffee shop nearby. The first time she visited them, several staff had passed her on the stairs going up and were helpful and considerate.