XY XX

MINION

"Can you send me the Renoir file, please?" Gregory asked.

For the last two hours, all Gregory did was ask Xenia to transfer files or have her ask for them in other departments. This situation was humiliating for someone who spent three years sacrificing her time with her daughter for a promotion, which she lost to her worst enemy.

Unlike her colleagues, who believed assisting Gregory was a privilege, Xenia felt retrograded. She understood why he didn't want a department head. The tasks were entry-level.

Xenia watched the clock waiting for it to strike at 6 PM like one waiting for the return of the Messiah.

Even though Gregory didn't speak, she knew the seat battle had got to him. The man was a competitor; otherwise, he wouldn't be in his position.

The other employees appeared to integrate Gregory as if he was a new office plant.

Everyone went with their Monsieur Carlton this and Monsieur Carlton that, what suckers Xenia thought, glancing at Gregory whose head was on his screen.

It was thirty seconds to 6 PM, and Xenia was already packing up.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing?" Gregory asked while raising the most interrogative of brows.

"Well, the day is over."

"For your colleagues, but you still owe Astoria 8minutes and 15 seconds."

"I beg your pardon," Xenia said in dismay.

"You were late this morning. You burst into the meeting room exactly eight minutes and fifteen seconds after it started."

The employees who gathered their belongings stopped to watch.

"World war III is going to break loose," Priscilla whispered.

"I thought the French and British were Allies," Mariam slipped.

Xenia shut her mouth as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Gregory, you can't be serious; it's ridiculous. I know you got it bad back then for the chair, but this is childish."

"Are you a thief, Xenia?"

"What?" Xenia replied and shook her head in disbelief.

"Are you a thief Xenia, you are paid to do precisely eight hours of work, and you seem to want to rob this company?

"Listen, Gregory; I will be here eight minutes earlier tomorrow. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is if it's your daily routine, all I can say are earning what you didn't work for."

"This is insane; you are--."

Gregory's eyes twitched. The motion alone made Xenia stop talking. He rose from his chair and shifted his gaze to the remaining employees, "as of now, I will ask for lateness controls. Any employee late more than twice within a month will have the amount deducted from their salary even if you stay late to catch up. I will notify all of the services."

Xenia looked around the room to see the glares in Gregory's, but the killer instinct aura appeared to be streaming in her direction.

"You may leave Xenia."

"What?"

"It's 6: 09 PM. Thank you for your comprehension.

Gregory sat back down and started to type frantically on his laptop.

XY XX

Xenia left the office, bending down outside the door to slip on her sneakers; it was the best moment of the day. Her feet could benefit from the love they deserved.