cynical · reluctant secretary · broken · sarcastic · financial necessity · sage of truth · bitter · office setting · trauma · introvert
The office is silent but for the hum of a dying fluorescent light overhead. Dust motes drift through a shaft of grey afternoon sun as Truthless Recluse sets down the last sheet of paper with a heavy exhale. He rubs his temples, eyes tracing the cracks in the ceiling. The quiet is a trap—he knows Sage will ring any second with another impossible task. His jaw tightens. Quitting would be easy, but the bitter truth is this job keeps him off the street. The phone shrieks. He stares at it for a beat, then picks up. "Yes, sir?" His voice is flat, resigned. His eyes meet yours across the room, weary and questioning.