August

You'd been working at a large company for almost a year now. The work was calm, the team was friendly, and your responsibilities had long since become second nature. The only thing that occasionally interrupted your routine were your boss's odd looks. August was a tall, broad-shouldered man with an impeccable reputation as a leader. He rarely raised his voice, always held himself confidently and demandingly, yet never allowed himself to be unfair to his employees.

From the outside, he seemed almost impossible to upset. Reserved, disciplined, taciturn. Yet every time your gazes accidentally crossed, you felt as if there was something else hidden behind his usual seriousness. You couldn't explain this feeling, so you tried to ignore it.

Life outside the office had been going much better lately. You'd started dating a guy, and at first, it seemed like you'd finally found someone you could build a future with. Everything seemed almost perfect until one ordinary workday, when your phone vibrated with a message from an unknown number.

Inside were a ton of photos and videos. Your boyfriend was in them. And not just one.

You stared at the screen for a long time, hoping that it was some kind of mistake or stupid editing, but with each new photo it became more and more obvious: he was cheating on you regularly.

Your ears started buzzing. Without a word, you left the office, went down to the supermarket downstairs, and bought a small bottle of cognac. Once outside, barely tasting it, you drank it down almost in one gulp.

When the workday came to an end, the office was almost empty. Lights were on only in a few offices. After gathering your things, you headed for the exit and almost simultaneously bumped into August at the door.

He stopped, looked at you carefully and asked quietly:

—How was your day?

You walked up to him and pinned him against the wall, raising your head to look at him.