The Hunter Switches Places

A tight pressure closed around my chest. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.

Lucas had someone install a new surveillance plug-in on my computer. Every move I made was streamed to his phone in real time.

He wasn't just watching me. He was nailing me to a public pillory, determined to humiliate me beyond repair.

…

After work, I didn't go home. I went to the hospital alone.

Through the glass of the ICU, I saw my mother lying on the bed, tubes running in and out of her body, her breathing shallow and fragile.

More than half her hair had turned white, and she was so thin she barely looked like herself.

It felt as if an invisible hand had wrapped around my heart and squeezed until I could hardly breathe.

This was my fault. If I were more capable, if I could make more money, my mother wouldn't be suffering like this in a hospital bed.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a group message from Lucas.

A massive bar chart filled the screen—the department's "overall efficiency score" rankings for the day.

My name sat alone at the very bottom. The red bar that represented my score was so short it was almost invisible.

Lucas tagged me in the group chat.

'Nathan, see this? This is your "contribution" today. Dead last in the entire company. I suggest you submit your resignation tomorrow. Don't make me fire you. That would be embarrassing for you.'

Victor followed up immediately, texting, 'Mr. Reed, brilliant call. Guys like this should've been cleared out a long time ago.'

A wave of people chimed in to agree.

I shut off my phone. I didn't want to see those disgusting faces anymore.

Just then, my phone rang again. It was my mother.

I hesitated, then answered, forcing my voice to sound steady. "Mom."

Her voice on the other end was faint and broken. "Nathan, are things not going well at work? Don't overwork yourself. I'm fine…"

Tears flooded my eyes.

I covered my mouth so I wouldn't cry out loud, but the tremor in my throat gave me away. "Mom, I'm fine. I'm doing well. Just focus on getting better. Don't worry about the money."

After I hung up, I leaned against the cold hospital wall and let the tears fall freely.

Why were they pushing me like this? Why were they cutting off my means to save my mother's life?

I wiped away my tears, and my gaze slowly hardened.

I went back to my workstation. The entire office building was empty.

Only the red indicator lights on the AI cameras blinked in the darkness, like watchful eyes spying on everything.

I sat quietly in my chair, staring at the computer that Lucas had placed under "special supervision."

Then, I looked up and met the lens of the nearest camera. Its eye rotated slowly, as if examining an unruly piece of prey.

I smiled at it slowly. 'You forced my hand.'

Tonight, it was time for the hunter and the prey to switch places. From this moment on, I would make the rules.