Amb's Diary

I want to be free.

I want to be free from all this stress, this boring and suffocating routine that I must go through every single day from now on to the day of my retirement.

I never wanted to be an office worker anyways. An office job? Pshaw. Seriously. Me, Amber Josephine Liu, working an office job? It's the unthinkable thing that has happened, something all my friends in college and I would never be able to imagine.

But alas, that's what happened, and that's what is slowly killing me day by day.

It's indifferent. Always the same. Nothing ever changes, even what I eat. I'm getting so tired of it. 

I wake up at 5, get ready, eat the same breakfast because I have no time to buy new stuff, and go to work and work, eat while working, work even more, then get the dinner the boss always prepares for us for "working hard." Then he gives us a speech, which he gives out literally every. Single. Suffocating. Day. I could drone on and on with him when he's doing it. I actually sit in the back and mouth along because that's the only fun I can get out of it. Then I work some more, finish, catch a cab and go home, get ready for bed right away, then go to sleep at 11. Replay the whole thing in the morning again.

I got a degree in music and performing arts. So why am I stuck with this boring office job? Where I do nothing but repeat the same process over and over again?

Well, I guess I should consider myself lucky that I even have this job. 'Cause my sister is still looking for one, even if she's older than me. I would gladly give her this job, but she refuses. Why? Because she's insufferable, that's why. Like this job. Which is why I would give her this job.

I don't want to live like this for even a day more. But my fate, I guess, is to suffer all my life until I finally retire with lots of money to travel all around the world. Yet I'll be old then, and have nothing good to do.

I should be having fun. I'm still in my 20's, for goodness sake! I should be traveling here and there, having cups of coffee with my friends, go shopping. All my other friends are.

You know what, I don't want this life. I want to do more, see more, and actually be something, someone. I'm going to quit my job. I'm going to stand up to that big fat boss of mine, who does nothing but nag and scold and scoff and hit and yell and shout and eat and watch. I am going to find out what love means, since I never dated (I know, right? Ugh.), and I'm going to do things people with time and money do. And I'm going to find myself a new job that is interesting and fun, related to music.

I'm going to move, too. I'll move to... Korea! Yes, Korea, where my sister and I went once and was entranced in. Korea, the place of wonders, where everyone's moving around so quickly, which matches my taste, thank you very much.

I'm moving to Korea. I can speak it, though my pronunciation isn't awesome. I'll get by.

Well then, that's my plan of action. I'll be free, like a bird soaring through the clouds. It will be awesome. Bye, diary. I'll see you after I have started.

"Ms. Liu! What are you doing?" Boss boomed.

I sighed, then held my breath before he came near.

"I thought I told you to do this instead?"

"Mr. Billson, you asked me to do this though--"

"I know what I said!" I involuntarily smelled the pizza he had probably consumed in his office before getting bored and coming here. "Now stop and do this. Finish everything!"

I sighed again, but quieter this time because he was near. Then I remembered my plan of action. Yes, I was going to do it. I will stand up to him!

"Actually, Mr. Billson," I stood up and looked at him. "I will not." Usually I would just nod and do whatever he said to do, but not today.

For about five seconds, he stared at me stunned. Nobody, as long as I know since the 4 years I've been in here, had stood up to him. Everyone else in the place was also listening, I could tell, from the sudden stop of the clicking of keyboards.

"What did you say?" His eyes were becoming squints, which happens whenever he gets angry. "Did you just talk back to me?"

I nodded, sweetly smiling back at him. "Because if I do what you say, this part of the company you are in charge of will fail again, as we have 4 years straight, because we never get to finish the work we are supposed to do," I added. Probably fueling the inner fire of Mr. Billson.

"Why, Ms. Liu! This is unacceptable!" he roared in anger. His face was getting redder and redder, which just made me feel like I was getting paid back the suffering I, as well as the other workers, had done in the past.

"That would be what you will hear when you present the work to the directors above you." His face became even redder, if that's possible, which I enjoyed.

"You don't know anything!" he spit out.

"You mean you don't know anything."

"Ms. Liu!"

"Yes, Mr. Billson?" He was huffing with anger, practically breathing out smoke.

"You are--" Before he could say the "f-word," or even "suspended," I cut him off.

"I quit." The stunned silence resumed again, for I was the first one to quit. After all, the company paid well, and many wanted this job. The workers listening had started to whisper now, as if wondering what in the world I was doing.

"What?" Mr. Billson whispered, his face becoming pale. Since I was a perfectionist, he knew that I was one of the best veteran workers here. Me quitting meant a newbie worker that nows nothing.

"I quit, Mr. Billson." Again, I smiled sweetly at him, then gathered the small amount of my possession I always kept here and grabbed my bag, and walked right past him. I didn't even say a thank you, because there was no reason to thank that ugly, fat monster of a guy.

Just before I left, I called back, "I will be expecting my paycheck by this week in my bank account, Mr. Billson."

And as I walked out of the building, I heard an enraged shout-scream thing. I smiled, both in relief and triumph.

Amb's Diary

I did it! Finally! I stood up to that smelly and unrespectable Mr. Billson!

And I quit, too. I found that he put in my worth of money just yesterday, the day after I quit. Well, he is a fast one with money. Should've been a bank teller. Except maybe they have manners as a requirement. Ha!

I heard some satisfying news as well from my fellow workers--a bunch of the veteran workers quit as well! They had also wanted to do so forever, but finally found the courage to when I did. Take that, mean Mr. Billson!

...I sound like a kid.

But who cares, it's Mr. Billson! Who doesn't hate Mr. Billson? He'll sure have fun dealing with unexperienced newbies. Ha to that, too!

My parents freaked out at first, but calmed down a bit after because, well, they personally met Mr. Billson, so they understood. My parents are awesome.

My sis, oh my sis, decided to try out for it, though. She just doesn't have the intelligence, I guess. Or she's getting really desperate.

Anyways, I'm leaving to Korea within the week (Yay!), where I've already arranged a place for me to stay. Aren't I such a fast worker? I was wasted on that office job, really. No, seriously.

I'm still undecided about my future career. For the first two days, I'm planning to settle in and have some fun that I've been missing, then start finding a job, perhaps. Maybe I'll work as a musician. Or a composer? I don't know, and I don't care at the moment. I'm done with boring, and it's going to be an adventure. It's going to be fun! No time to waste on worries.

I'll be back (2PM! Speaking of 2PM, when I go to Korea,  I'm going to go to so many concerts and K-Drama scenes.) when I reach Korea. Bye, diary!

So, first chapter up. It's probably going to be, like, 5 chapters. But you never know--my friend thought one of her stories was going to be about 10 chapters, but now it's up to 20. So no promise there. I originally was going to make it a one-shot, but I thought of another way to write it, so I changed the 'one-shot' mark. Anyways, enjoy. I will probably update this week or next week. Depends.