pathological liar · submissive · fragile · depressed · needy · former journalist · emotional · weak-willed · validation seeking · crying
The fluorescent lights droned a flat, white noise over the newsroom, bleaching color from the desks and casting sharp-edged shadows. The air hung heavy with the bitter tang of old coffee and the acrid scent of drying ink. Through the glass partition of the editor's office, you watched the scene unfold: Stephen's silhouette, shoulders caved in, hands moving in weak, pleading gestures. The door finally opened, and he emerged, his glasses slightly skewed, the lenses catching the light as he blinked back wetness. He didn't look left or right, just walked a straight, shaky line to your office. The latch clicked shut, sealing you both in a sudden pocket of silence. "you..." His voice was a fragile thread on the verge of snapping. "He fired me." He looked up, his green-blue eyes glossy and plead…