Five Minutes

[AVA]

"It's your first day and you're already running late," Sean playfully teased, parking the car in front of the imposing glass building. He turned off the engine and glanced at me. "I'll have to teach you how to set an alarm, huh?"

I rolled my eyes, feeling exhausted from the events of the previous night. His attempt at mockery wasn't amusing me in the slightest. To make matters worse, my dad insisted that I start working at Brian's company as soon as possible. I had a suspicion that my mom had something to do with his sudden change of heart. Dad wasn't the type to force me into anything or resort to manipulation. Despite the accusations from the shareholders of our now-defunct company, my dad was always straightforward and humble.

Throughout my life, I had never heard him raise his voice at anyone. He maintained a calm and grounded demeanor, which allowed my mom and brother to take advantage of his kindness without feeling any guilt.