Rich White Beast

Chapter 1

Kana

         Squinting my eyes, I lean closer to my laptop screen, somewhat baffled by the bold message at the very top of the rest of my emails.

         From Sue Dougherty: Come to my office right now.

         I lean back in my seat, letting out a deep sigh. “What the hell does she want from me now?”

         Sue is the accounting manager in my department, a small white woman with a massive ego. She’s on a power trip, which means more work for the rest of us while she gets to schmooze with the superiors.

         “You can do it, Kana,” I mumble, rising from my seat and closing my laptop. “Maybe it’s not that bad.”

         Who am I kidding? Sue has a tendency to ruin my day, mood, and vibe all in one go. All she has to do is open her mouth.

         “Yikes. Feeling okay, Kana?” Matty asks, brushing past me as I make my way through the halls. I jut my thumb in the direction of Sue’s office and his smile sinks. “Oh, shit.”

         “Yeah. Pray for me.”

         “Will do,” he replies, bowing his head as he returns to his desk.

         Knocking on the door, I receive a brusque response. “Come in!”

         Alright. Here goes nothing.

         “Kana, good to see you,” Sue says in a monotone voice. She taps her phone violently, not even looking up from the screen. “See that file on the edge of my desk? Take it. I need that report finished by the end of the day, so if you can get on it, I’d appreciate it.”

         I hold back the urge to roll my eyes. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Placing my hands behind my back, I clear my throat.

         “Sue, you know that’s not part of my job,” I say slowly, trying to stay polite. “I have other important things that need to be prioritized first –”

         “I don’t give a shit about that stuff, Kana,” she interjects with a scowl. She snaps her fingers and points at the file. “Get it done.”

         Pressing my lips into a thin line, I fight the urge not to turn in my resignation notice right then and there. Instead of arguing with her, I keep my head down while she gets up from her seat, smooths out the wrinkles in her clothing, and makes her way out of the office with an iced coffee in her hand. She swirls it loudly, ice clinking together in the cup.

         “Remember,” she says, wiggling a finger. “I need it done by today. No exceptions!”

         Once she’s gone, slamming the door on the way out, I let loose. “Fuck you, bitch.”

         With no other choice, I snatch the file off her desk and rummage through the contents. To no one’s surprise, I see a half-completed report that was clearly thrown together in a few minutes by someone who doesn’t care too much about her job.

         Why should she? She’s going to make someone else do her work, anyway.

         “What the hell,” I whisper, shaking my head. “I shouldn’t be doing this.”

         This little gift from Sue means I’ll have to work overtime today. My plans to lounge at home and watch some TV tonight vanish before my eyes. There’s no way I’m clocking out before eight o’clock, and that’s being generous.

         “It’s fine. It’s okay. It’s not like you have much of a personal life to begin with,” I mutter to myself as I make my way out of the office. It takes everything in me not to kick over her dogwood plant while I exit the space.

         Instead of going to my desk, I head for the break room instead. There’s a fresh pot of coffee brewing and I pounce on it, snatching a bright green mug with a smiling donkey face on it. I snort quietly as I pour the dark liquid into the mug.

         “Fitting. I feel like an ass right now.”

         “Save some coffee for the rest of us, sheesh,” Monica quips, nudging my elbow. She’s a white woman with dark hair, blue eyes, and a nice way of cheering you up when you need it. “How’s it going, Kana?”

         “Eh. It could be better.” I stare down at the liquid that blows steam into my eyes. “Do you think I should add an espresso shot to this?”

         Monica perks a brow. “How long are you planning on staying in the office?”

         I glance at the clock. It’s currently noon. “For like another eight or nine hours.”

         “Damn! I’d add three.”

         “Good idea.”

         With my coffee and the file tucked underneath my arm, I make my way back to my desk and plop down into my chair. My laptop powers on again and I take a sip of my caffeine concoction. This might just keep me up for the next forty-eight hours. Already, I feel my heart start to hammer against my ribcage.

         “You’ve got this, Kana,” I say to my laptop screen, flipping open the file and getting to work. “Overtime money is good money. Think about the money.”

         I also think about all the time I’m wasting while putting up with this shit. There are some pros to my job, the main one being my coworkers. There’s Jenna, who’s one of my best friends. The people in my department are all pretty cool, aside from Sue.

         Marcus, a few desks down from me, was born in Chicago like me. Trinity and I are two Black women with some of the best productivity levels in our department. That’s something to boast about.

         What do I get in return? A boss who disrespects me and talks down to me like a dog.

         By the time I finish her lousy report, it’s nearing ten o’clock and I’m the only one left in the office. My eyes water from staring at the screen all day. I twist myself in the chair, trying to get my joints moving, and some audible cracks in my arms and legs are heard.

         “Fuck. That was a lot.”

         Slipping the file underneath Sue’s office door, I sigh and make my way out. Another unnecessary overtime session. Another day consumed entirely by work.

Things won’t be like this forever. Right?