Janitor's revenge

Chapter One: Weight of Thoughts

Shane was going through the last few rooms of the office building. The floor polisher kept going on and on in the empty hallway. It was late, the kind of late where tiredness grazed the corners of his vision and every sound seemed to echo. Years of scrubbing, polishing, and pushing the heavy machinery had left his hands rough and his shoulders hurting. Shane didn't care, though. He never had anything bad to say. All he knew was hard work, and that's what kept his mind from other things, like Evelyn.

He wiped his forehead with a towel, then leaned back against the mop handle and let out a big sigh. He quickly looked up and saw the big windows that lined the hallway. They gave him a good view of the large and impressive Harrington estate that was far away. The mansion where Evelyn had grown up was very big, while the office was very small.

He laughed to himself in a mean way. "They've never held a mop in their lives, I bet."

As it often did, his thoughts quickly went to Evelyn. Her laugh was warm and real, and he used to hear it. But now it was more like a faint memory, a sound long since lost. She was disappearing from him even in the same room these days, like a shadow. She would meet him at the door when he got home from work; her eyes would sparkle up the moment she saw him. She hardly looked up from her phone most nights now, her words distant and clipped. The feeling that the love they had once shared was slipping away from him was something Shane didn't want to accept.

Shane found it difficult to give up. No matter what, he would always take care of his wife, as he had promised his grandfather. Shane also never betrayed a pledge.

A voice snapped him out of his thoughts "Shane?"

He looked over and saw Joe, the security guard of the building, approaching him. Big and friendly-looking, Joe was always up for a joke or a nice remark.

"You're still here?" Joe raised a bushy eyebrow in question. "Dude, most people stopped working hours ago. even the cleaners.

Shane forced a smile and shrugged. "I'm almost done. I like to make sure everything is just right before I leave.

Joe laughed. "Yes, well, you'd be in one of those high-rise condos by now if perfection paid the bills."

Shane grinned. "Joe, you know me. I'm a sucker for good floors"

"Yes, well, try not to kill yourself over it," Joe retorted, giving Shane a back tap. "Man, go home. Take a nap.

"Yes, I will. Only a few more rooms" Shane promised.

Joe shot him a sly glance and started for the door. "All right, dude. Don't stress out. Remember to buy Evelyn some flowers or something. You know, keep the romance going?"

When Joe turned to leave, Shane forced another smile. Romance? He felt the word almost alien to him now. It had been months since he'd bought Evelyn flowers. What would be the purpose? Most likely, she wouldn't even notice. However, he had to think that they still had a connection. If he persisted in trying, perhaps, just maybe, she would return to him.

The rest of the shift dragged on as Shane lost himself in the repetitive nature of his work. When he went outside and locked up, the night air felt refreshing on his face. He stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets and made the short walk to the bus stop, his mind still blurred by memories of Evelyn. The soft buzz of distant traffic was the only sound in the silent streets.

The bus ride home was exactly the same as it always was. With his head leaning against the bus window, Shane watched as the streetlights went by in a haze. Trying to get rid of the worry that had been bothering him all evening, he closed his eyes. He convinced himself he was overthinking. Perhaps Evelyn was just overworked or stressed. It has been a long week for them both.

However, as Shane got off the bus and made his way to their small apartment, the knot in his stomach just grew stronger. He ran through his keys, took a deep breath and then pushed open the door

The room was dimly lit by the TV in the living room. Shane closed the door with a gentle clicked, pulled his shoes and went for the couch. Evelyn sat with her legs crossed, looking at the TV. She didn't look up as he walked in.

Trying to sound casual, Shane said, "Hey. Are you still up?"

Evelyn looked at the TV for quite a while and then answered like she was forced to in a blunt tone. "Yup."

Shane awkwardly stood near the edge of the couch, not sure what to say. He seemed to have broken into his own home. He could never bridge the strangling distance between them, try as he might.

With a forced smile, he asked, "Had a rough day?"

Evelyn gave a shrug. "As always."

With a sigh, Shane combed through his hair. "Listen, I was thinking taking a weekend trip with you. You know like we always did. Just the both of us. We could..."

Evelyn cut in, her voice a little sharper this time, "Shane. I'm tired. Can we not just please?

Shane cleared his throat of the lump. "Yes, of course."

A prolonged silence enveloped them. There was notable tension in the space. Looking at Evelyn made Shane's heart hurt. The person he had once loved more than anything, the one who had loved him back in the past.

But now, she was nothing more but a stranger.

Trying to lighting the mood, Shane said "I'm going to bed now"

Evelyn remained silent. She didn't even act like someone else was in the room. she was just staring at the TV.

As he went to the bedroom, Shane was overwhelmed with his failed marriage. He was unable to recall their last actual conversation. Everything seemed so cold and far away now. But Shane was not going to give up. He just could not.

After changing into his old pajamas, he laid down looking blankly at the ceiling. His mind was running with memories of Evelyn, their now broken marriage, and everything that had gone wrong. Although he had his shortcomings, he put in effort to be the man she wanted him to be.

However, it wasn't enough.

The sound of Evelyn's footsteps padded down the hallway as Shane lay there. With closed eyes, he hoped that perhaps, just maybe, she would enter the bedroom so they could talk and things could maybe get better.

However, the door remained closed.

Rather, Shane heard the gentle snap of the front door shutting after her. His heart pounded in his chest as his eyes snapped open. Leaping off the bed, he ran to the window. He looked through the curtains in time to see Evelyn's shadow vanishing into the darkness as she vanished into the night.

Shane stood there, his pulse pounding in his ears, several ideas racing through his head. Where was she going? Why was she out at such a late hour? Why hadn't she told him, too?

Reaching for his phone, he scanned his contacts until he came across her name. Before pressing the call button, his thumb briefly rested over it. Three times the phone rang, but Evelyn never picked it up. Rather, her voicemail rang, her tone cold and distant.

With a tight stomach, Shane hung up. There was a huge problem.

And a sinking sensation descended into his chest as he stood there, looking out into the dimly lit street.

There was a terrible problem.