This better be the end.

If today was a great day, I would've been at my home tucked on my soft floral blankets, singing to an old Frank Sinatra music while lying paralyzed on my bed, and burning my mouth with a bottle of gin. But unfortunately for me, it isn't. I stepped on the marbled stairs my hand trailing on the steeled banister. With every step I took, I could feel my heart racking on my chest. I tried to calm myself by breathing through my mouth. Calm down, for goodness sake! I muttered while hiding my quivering hands in my coat pocket. As I made it to the landing, a woman with a short bob hair greeted me with a bored look. She rolled her eyes and sighed as I sauntered towards the receptionist desk. "Can I help you?" she mumbled rather unenthusiastically that I had to crane my neck in order to hear. "Pa-pardon me?" I asked, I could feel my knees trembling that I had to lean my hands on the receptionist desk for support. The woman sighed and repeated rather loudly and sarcastically, "I said can I help you?" "Ah, yeah right, Im-ma," I cleared my throat and added, "I'm here for the job interview, I had uhm sent my resume last week, and my, my interview is today at ten." The woman glanced at her clock and scowled. "Well it's ten-o-five," she wrote something on her notes and said, "The interview is at ten sharp, and your five, uhm no, your six minutes late." I stared at her in disbelief. The woman pulled her phone from her pocket and opened her Instagram account. I gasped stunned by her blatant display of impertinence. I could feel my insides boiling as she proceeded on scrolling her phone. "Excuse me?" I grunted in disbelief. The woman rolled her eyes and pointed at the stairs. "What, why?" I asked bewildered. "We value punctuality more than any other ma'am, and our boss is not a man who would pat you on the back for your tardiness. And besides, the position has already been filled." I stood stunned by the rejection. I stared at the marbled floor beneath my high heeled shoes. I could feel the throbbing pain of my ankles. I had been walking for what? For like fifty blocks for half an hour. I had skipped breakfast for this, what would David say? How could I explain this to him? The woman must have seen my disappointment for she guided me to the stairs and mumbled a hollow apology.

I opened the door of our apartment. I had my own key. David locked this door even when he is around. The door cracked open and I was greeted with the stale smell of sweat and dust. I walked and shut it carefully behind my back. David was as usual sunk on the cushion. He had both of his feet on the table while watching the tv. The windows were shut and the only light that emerged from the room was the dim flashes of the television set. "Hi hon," he said, his eyes fixed on the tv. "Hi," I replied. I slumped on the cushion beside him and sighed. "So, how was it?" He asked as he glanced at me and stared back at the tv. He was watching the same old James Bond film. He had been like this since he lost his job at a previous law firm. He told me it was because of his shitty boss. I asked him why, but he did not offer an elaborate explanation. I knew David enough for me to press the topic. We had been together for three years. But despite our lengthy relationship, I could still feel the distance he put between his job and his personal life. I understand David. I knew that he is a very private person. But concealing me from his previous life and whereabouts, had resulted to a growing pain and disappointment on my part. "Well, I-uhm," I shrugged and drank a bottle of water, "The position has been filled," I said while watching James Bond drove his lavish car. "Let me guess," David snickered. "The position has been filled by-" he paused and grinned. "By Georgia Cameron." "I wished," I replied. David scowled. I swear I could feel his eyes trailing on my face. He craned his neck and said, "Come again?" I sighed and leaned my head on the cushion. "Look I-ahh," I groaned and burrowed my face on my hands. "I was rejected, they said someone already had the position. They didn't even let me proceed to the interview." "My goodness David, imagine my disappointment." I felt David's callused hand on my neck. "It's alright hon, at least we're on the same team, no job, no responsibilities, nadda." He cackled at himself and snorted. I tilted my head and squinted at David. "No David, there is nothing humorous about being unemployed. You're broke and this job was supposed to be the only thing that can prevent us from drowning in bills." "Come on hon, I was just kidding. You don't need to take it seriously," David cackled. "Actually David, yes I do, and so do you!" I shrugged his arms off my shoulders. "You know what, I'm gonna go take a shower and look for a freaking job," I stood from the cushion and groaned in exasperation. David held my wrist and dragged me to his side. "Come on hon, let's stop this fightin alright?" He cupped my face with his huge hands and kissed me on the neck. "David," I giggled feeling the warmth of his breath. "Why isn't it a good time to make a baby?" he whispered as he nibbled on my ear. "What?" I asked, stunned. "Baby, what do you say huh?" he unbuttoned my ruffled shirt with his hand while cupping my breast with the other. "David." He kissed my cheek and pressed his palm on my chest. "David, David stop please," I grunted. David stared at me and I was shocked by the tightness of his gaze. He slumped back on the cushion and shook his head. "Fine, go ahead Georgia, marry the hell whatever you find on the classified ads." "What?" He turned on the volume of the tv, his brows furrowed into a deep scowl. I groaned and trudged towards the bedroom.

David dozed off from a deep stupor, again. It was 8:34 am, he hadn't sleep in bed. Last night he got off and told me that he was going drinking with his friends. I waited for him till twelve. Thank goodness he had his own key, so I was guessing he probably went back around 3. I was typing on my laptop searching for a job. As I scrolled on my laptop, I felt my hope withering into smoke. All of the jobs required at least three to four years of experience. I wiped my face in frustration. How could I attain job experience, if no one in this forsaken world will accept my applications? Why are human minds so messed up? I had my degree in communication from a good community college and had a solid 3.7 GPA for goodness sake! Pretty much almost every company that I applied to only accepts graduates from Ivy Leagues. I shut down my laptop and stared blankly at the window. I remembered what my Dad told me when I was still in college. You're wasting your time Georgia. Back then I would reason with my Dad and tell him how utterly wrong he was. But looking at myself now, the way I turned out. Living in a shit hole with an unmotivated man, I couldn't help but agree with him now. Ohh, Dad is probably rolling on his grave and laughing at my mess. A hand grabbed me on the neck and dragged me away from my reverie. David kissed me on the cheek, his breath still smelled of alcohol and puke. I winced and shoved him away. "David, stop," I grumbled in frustration. David put his hands up and cackled. "No harm babe, no harm," he pulled a chair beside me and sat. "So, what's for breakfast?" he asked. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned. I felt my muscles tighten. I was not in a great mood, I am tired and exhausted and this man who had done nothing but drank for the whole night is asking me for breakfast? I frowned at David. "David, you're a grown man, you have a complete set of feet and arms, your vision is clear, you are clearly physically sound, (except mentally, I thought), I think you can handle your own breakfast, yeah?" David snorted. He shook his head, stood up from his chair, and trudged back towards the bedroom. He mumbled something as he passed through the door. "Bitch." I rolled my eyes and whispered "Asshole," when he was out of earshot.

It was mid-afternoon when I received an anonymous call. "Hello?" I hoisted my back on the bed. I had been on the bed all day and I could already feel my muscles freezing from the lack of exertion. "Hi, is this Georgia Cameron?" a deep throaty voice replied. "Yeah, who's calling?" I asked. "This is from the DHTV, I just want to confirm your application ma'am, and inform you of your scheduled interview tomorrow at ten." "Wait- I thought the position has been filled?" I held the phone tightly in my hand. "It was ma'am, but unfortunately the former employee was- fired," I stared at my blanket and pondered for a moment. Here was my chance to prove myself, to have a job, to renew my life. Not every day do I received this kind of opportunity, so I answered without hesitation, "Yes, I'll be there at ten, sharp."

The interview was done after fifteen minutes. The HR, a broad-shouldered man with a deep throaty voice shook my hand and welcomed me to the company. I walked back to the apartment still drunk with the euphoria. As I opened the door I was woken with the realization that David was not at home. I opened the windows and breathe in the dusty scent of the room. I put my bag on the couch, tossed my shoes against the wall, and tiptoed mirthfully towards the bedroom door. As I opened the door, I was stunned by the sight of a woman sitting on my bed wearing a blue flimsy dress. David emerged from the bathroom door wearing my robe while combing his wet hair with his hand. He was in midst of his sentence when stopped and meet my gaze. His mouth parted slightly, his face pale like he'd just seen a ghost. The woman glanced at us like a clueless three years old child. "What the hell..." I muttered. David shook his head and said, "It's not what you think hon." He walked to my side and held me at my shoulder. I shrugged him off and replied sardonically, "I'm not an idiot David!" The woman stood up from the bed and walked warily towards the door. "All this time, all this freaking time that I was out searching for a job, you've done nothing but this?" I gestured to the bed where the woman had left. I could still smell the trail of her revolting scent. "Come on Georgia, it was just a fling. She just-just reminds me of you.." I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you mocking me?" I could feel the ruckus inside my chest. "Look here hon, I missed you and ever since you been obsessing about that job, it feels like you're gone," "I love you hon, I don't love her, she-that woman is just a prostitute I met on the street." The woman outside the door replied, "Hey!" "Come on hon, let's just go to bed alright?" I breathe deeply and glared at David. His face inches away from mine carried a faint scent of alcohol, his pupils dilated. It was at that moment I realized how terribly mistaken I am for wasting three years of my life with a pompous douchebag. I crossed my arms in my chest and muttered in a calm yet firm voice, "Get out." David snorted. "Come on hon," he was about to hug me with his filthy arms but I took a step back. David glowered. "Georgia Cameron, don't do this to me," he warned, his lips in a grim line. "Or what David?" I replied with a coldness in my voice. David smirked, he walked past me and mumbled, "Ugly bitch." "Get all your things David, this is my apartment," I remarked. David snorted.

An hour after his things had been packed firmly in a single luggage bag, David stared at me behind the door frame in the hallway and said, "You can't live without me, your dumb." I cocked my brows quite exaggeratedly and nodded. "Wait-before you go," I uttered and turned up my right hand in front of him. "The key." David scowled and after a moment of hesitation, he searched through his pocket and slammed the key on my palm. "Have fun living a miserable life." I beamed slyly at him and replied, "I sure will." He stood aghast. He glared and just as he was about to say something more, I slammed the door shut and walked towards the bedroom. I glanced around me, the room was quite with a new kind of stillness. I smiled and tossed the key on the floor. The room still smelled of sweat and dust. I'm going to clean this place tommorow. But not tonight. Tonight I'm going to drown myself with a gin and sing a few of Sinatra's songs. It will be my little commemoration for freedom and a new life.

End