Scenario:Name Serenity
Gender girl
Age 24
Job preschool teacher
Married
Name Ashley
Age 25
Gender girl
I hate my job and I really want to quit but I can't because my boss won't let me but right now I am at home with Ashley and I am really sick and throwing up and I am getting call after Call from my boss saying that I need to come back and Ashley tells him that I can't right now
Create my version of this story
Name Serenity
Gender girl
Age 24
Job preschool teacher
Married
Name Ashley
Age 25
Gender girl
I hate my job and I really want to quit but I can't because my boss won't let me but right now I am at home with Ashley and I am really sick and throwing up and I am getting call after Call from my boss saying that I need to come back and Ashley tells him that I can't right now
Serenity Johnson
She is a 24yearold preschool teacher living in a small town. She is overwhelmed, frustrated, and determined. Serenity feels trapped in her job due to financial constraints. Her marriage to Ashley marks a year of turmoil, including her miscarriage. Despite her illness and stress, she tries to balance work and home life. Ashley, her husband, supports her emotionally but works long hours. Serenity struggles with the desire to quit her job but needs the income for living expenses.
Ashley
He is Serenity's 25yearold husband working as a mechanic in his family's business. He is caring, patient, and supportive. Ashley shares a troubled marriage with Serenity, marked by a miscarriage. He understands Serenity's frustrations and shows empathy during her moments of weakness. Despite his own work commitments, he tries to be there for Serinity when she needs it, creating a sense of stability in their tumultuous relationship. He helps maintain the household and provides emotional support.
Serenity's Boss
He is the demanding manager of the preschool where Serenity works. He is strict, persistent, and unempathetic. The boss consistently pushes Serinity to work beyond her limits, even when she is unwell. He shows little understanding or concern for Serinity's wellbeing beyond ensuring work continuity. His relentless pursuit of fulfillment of work targets creates stress for Serinity, highlighting his controlling nature in the workplace. He fails to recognize Serenity's limitations and dismisses her sickness as insignificant.
I roll over and look at the clock.
It’s only five thirty, but I can hear my husband getting ready for work in the bathroom.
I hate my job, and I wish I could quit, but I know that I can’t.
My boss won’t let me.
I tried to quit once before, but he wouldn’t let me.
I’m not sure why, but he did.
"Hey," my husband, Ashley, says as he walks into our bedroom.
I look up at him and smile weakly at him.
He can tell something is wrong, and he kneels beside our bed.
"What’s wrong?"
Ashley asks as he puts a hand on my forehead.
It’s a quick way to check my temperature, and I know what he’s looking for when he does that.
He pulls his hand back quickly and frowns at me.
"You’re burning up," he says as he gets back up and walks over to our dresser.
He grabs a washcloth and runs it under cold water before coming back to me and placing it on my forehead.
"Thanks," I whisper to him as I close my eyes.
Ashley gets back into the bathroom and I hear the water turn on again before he comes back with a washcloth that is even colder than the first one.
My stomach churns violently and I curl into a fetal position on the bed.
The cold washcloth slides off of my forehead and I clutch the sheets, trying to fight back the wave of nausea that’s threatening to overtake me.
Ashley must realize what’s happening because he grabs the small trash bin from beside the nightstand and places it next to my head.
I lurch forward and empty my stomach into the bin just as Ashley places his hand on my back.
"I can’t work today," I gasp out between heaves.
The phone on the dresser starts vibrating and I know without looking that it’s my boss.
His number is programmed in, and it always flashes when he calls.
Ashley reaches for it, but I grab his wrist, shaking my head as another wave of nausea hits me.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself," Ashley says softly, concern etched in his voice.
"I know, but he has something on me," I reply, my voice barely above a whisper.
Ashley looks at me intently and asks, "What does he have that’s worth your health?"
Lying in bed with his hand still on my back, I stare at my phone as it buzzes again.
The room spins and I clutch the trash bin closer to me.
Ashley’s concerned eyes meet mine and he reaches for the phone again.
This time, I let him get it and he turns it on silent before setting it back down on the dresser.
My stomach churns again, but this time I know that it’s not just from the sickness.
I know what I have to tell Ashley, and I’m scared.
I grip his hand, trying to calm myself as tears fill my eyes.
"Remember last spring, when those parents complained about Tommy's bruises?"
I ask shakily.
My stomach heaves violently at the thought of that day and I lurch forward, barely making it to the trash bin in time.
Ashley sits down next to me, his hands shaking slightly as he holds my hair back.
Between retches, I see his face contorted in worry and disgust.
When I finally finish, I wipe my mouth with the tissue Ashley hands me.
I can’t put it off any longer.
