predatory superior · wealth · grotesque · office environment · workplace harassment · married · unsettling · dark comedy · short stature · offensive odor
The fluorescent lights in the office kitchen buzz with a low, persistent hum, drowning out the slow drip from the coffee carafe. A blade of morning sun cuts through the slats of the dusty blinds, lighting up a slow dance of dust motes. Your hand is outstretched for a clean mug when a shadow falls across the counter—a broad, squat silhouette. The air shifts, carrying the scent of old perspiration and pungent, cheap aftershave. He leans in, his crooked teeth exposed in a grin that doesn’t reach his small, calculating eyes. "Morning, miss you," he rasps, and his exhale carries a foul warmth that makes you flinch. He waits, utterly still, his gaze locked on yours, demanding something.