My Psychotic Boss

Mr. Velvore...

The morning sun poured in through the office windows, reflecting off computer screens and bouncing lightly off the metal trim of cubicle walls. Seren had arrived early, her dark brown hair tied in a sleek ponytail and a pair of reading glasses resting on her nose. She sat quietly at her desk, fingers moving over the keyboard with practiced rhythm. Today was just another workday. Or so she thought.

Delaney swept into the office with her usual flair, lip gloss perfect, curls bouncing, and a new necklace gleaming around her neck like a trophy. She wore confidence like perfume, offering snacks and laughter as she made her rounds through the office. The male coworkers noticed, offering light compliments and playful banter that Delaney soaked up effortlessly. But she hadn't brought anything for Malrick.

And she was doing her best not to look in his direction. Malrick, perched silently in his office at the far end of the floor, had been watching. Eyes half-lidded, fingers steepled beneath his chin. He said nothing at first, just listened, just watched. Then, calmly, he stood up and opened his door. "Delaney. My office, please." The words dropped like a pin in the middle of a quiet room. A few heads turned. Delaney froze mid-laugh, her stomach flipping as if she'd just stepped too close to a cliff's edge. Her smile faltered, but she nodded and followed him in.

The door closed behind her with a soft click.

Inside, the lights were dimmer than usual. Malrick gestured toward a small wooden chair placed oddly low in front of his desk, like something from a kindergarten classroom. It wasn't her usual seat. She hesitated. "Have a seat," Malrick said evenly, his tone unreadable.

Delaney lowered herself into the child-sized chair, her knees awkwardly bent, her eyes scanning the room. Malrick walked around the office slowly, closing the blinds one by one until the outside world disappeared behind slats of shadow. He finally settled into his leather chair, crossing one leg over the other, his fingers gently tapping the armrest. Then silence. He studied her. "You know..." he started, his voice low and composed. "The world is a very...scary place, a very scary place, even big girls sometimes need to be cautious about where they go. You know what I mean... sometimes the wrong person can just walk into your life, you wouldn't even know it." He exhaled slowly. "Buuut, luckily for you... I'm one of the good guys, Delaney... tell me Delaney, do you think I'm a good guy so far...?"

Delaney said nothing. Her throat felt dry. Malrick leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering as if sharing a secret. "Say it..."

Delaney blinked. "I... I didn't mean anything by—"

He held up a hand, cutting her off without a word. "Tell me, Delaney," he said, "do you think I'm a good guy?"

She hesitated, eyes darting to the blinds. "Y-yeah... I think so."

"You think so?" he echoed, smiling faintly. "Say it."

She swallowed. "You're a good guy."

His smile deepened, but there was no joy in it, just calculation. "Ahh, but I don't feel like a good guy. I feel more like a boy. Can you say I'm such a good boy instead." He said.

Delaney's fingers twisted in her lap. "Yes..."

"Please..." his voice lingered in a low rumble.

Her heart thudded in her chest.

"Just for me... say it..."

"Y-your s-such a good boy..." Delaney's face flushed of embarrassment.

"I'm not threatening you," he added casually, as if reading her mind. "I'm just letting you know, how easy it is for someone to take your job... I like these little moments between us... Delaney..." He stepped aside and unlocked the door. "Go on...," he said.

Delaney stood up quickly and made for the exit, but just as she reached the door, he added without looking at her, "make sure you be good... very good... Delaney."

She didn't look back. The door closed behind her with a gentle click, but it may as well have been the slam of a prison cell. Back at her desk, Delaney was all smiles again, but they didn't reach her eyes. And from across the office, Malrick watched.