Escape
Janaé Frank
Trigger Warning: this story depicts sexual harassment and assault. Fight or flight is overrated. Fight leaves you with innumerable bruises. Flight leaves you safe and alive. I reassure myself that I am, indeed, doing the right thing as I head into the office at 12:02 a.m. to do exactly what I always do - run.
and not worry about my home life or any other problems I have.
I mean, it’s not like I wasn’t going to have to pull an all-nighter for the accounting firm anyways. I am simply choosing to do so from the comfort of my office.
I pull into the parking garage and hold my badge up to the scanner. Everyone thinks I’m an entitled, spoiled brat for having such a competitive intern position, especially my classmates. They tease that if it weren’t for my prestigious parents, I wouldn’t have the job at all. Perhaps they’re right. With my background, I certainly wouldn’t be enrolled in one of the most famous prep schools in the country, nor would I have such a cutthroat internship for XERO.
Numbers. My typical go-to distraction. When I was a little girl, I would count in my head to keep myself from crying or to drown out unwanted noise. Now is no different. As I make the short trip to my office building, I think solely about numbers. I suppose that’s why I don’t mind my job so much; I’m surrounded by numbers. I work as an intern for a company called XERO, and basically, I do payroll for the entertainment industry. It is a stressful job. Very stressful. So stressful, in fact, that I can completely lose myself in my work 40 Images 2020
We have quite the mutual relationship. XERO uses me like a labor slave and I use it to run away from my problems.
Nonetheless, I worked my ass off for this position. And I am still working my ass off for this position. And if it is only because of Mr. and Mrs. Grant that I have this position, it is perhaps the greatest thing they’ve given me in the entire 8 years I have been with them.
