Episode 6: A 24-Hour Mental Siege. Shattered Mind and Body, and the Final Defense
[Before You Read] This series is a **fictional drama** intended to share lessons on harassment and organizational trouble in business. For the sake of confidentiality and privacy protection, character settings, industries, and episodes have been significantly altered and abstracted, and have no relation to any specific real-life individuals or organizations.
Toward the end of my fourth term, the concept of "night" vanished from my world.
Communication from Mr. A had long since crossed the line of professional correspondence. 2:00 AM, 3:00 AM. The vibration of my smartphone echoed through the silent bedroom. The content consisted of endless, nitpicking criticisms of my decisions and character-assassinating remarks like, "You have no loyalty."
I live by a "1.5-year discipline," seeing through whatever I decide to do. Even my resilient self-discipline began to crack, bit by bit, under the pressure of a 24-hour mental siege that never allowed for rest.
The "Curse" Called Professionalism
Under normal circumstances, no one would blame me for walking away at this point. But there was a "final line" I absolutely had to defend.
It was the promise I made to the clients who trusted me with major projects, and the livelihoods of the employees who had asked me to "take responsibility for hiring them."
"If I collapse here, what will happen to that project currently in progress?" "If I run away, won't the remaining employees become targets for Mr. A?"
Ironically, my sincerity and sense of responsibility functioned for Mr. A as a "convenient punching bag that wouldn't break no matter how hard he hit it."
Footsteps of Collapse
One morning, in the middle of an important business negotiation, I was struck by a sensation I had never felt before in my life. My field of vision suddenly narrowed, and the other party's words sounded like distant noise. I experienced intense palpitations, as if I had forgotten how to breathe.
Even so, with trembling hands, I turned the pages of my documents and completed a perfect presentation. The client representative smiled and said, "As expected of you, [My Name]." Those words were the only cane supporting me as I stood on the verge of collapse.
As the Final Breakwater
When I returned to the office, Mr. A's persistent gaze and the cold atmosphere of his monitors awaited me. I no longer knew who was an ally and who was an enemy. The only thing certain was the ironic fact that the "system" I had built continued to keep the organization running, even beyond the limits of my own body and mind.
"Just a little longer, just a little longer..."
Telling myself this, I kept running through the darkness. However, the hands of fate's clock were ticking toward a forced "curtain call," regardless of my own will.
I hope this story can be a source of strength for those currently suffering under the chains of responsibility. If you "empathized" or are "curious about what happens next," please give me a "Like (♡)" or follow—it would be a great encouragement for my writing!