Liberation Day: Stories

Genevieve (Gen) and Brenda are in the break room at their workplace. Brenda complains about how her two adult children have moved back in with her, then talks about how overworked and unappreciated she feels. She tells Gen that their boss, Tim, is a “dodo”; just as she says this, Tim enters the break room, and Gen wonders whether he overheard Brenda’s comment.

Back at her desk, Brenda thinks about her habit of stealing from the office. Recently, she has taken to stealing coffee and paper towels because she is in financial trouble after spending some time in jail. She thinks about how her theft is okay because employees like Gen and Ed steal from the company all the time by billing work hours when they are really having an affair.

At her desk, Gen receives a text from Ed, asking her to meet. However, Gen is preoccupied by Brenda’s comment in the break room; she worries that Tim might have heard and thought that Gen was complicit in Brenda’s complaining about their boss. To clarify, she goes to Tim’s office and tells him about Brenda’s “dodo” comment, saying that she disagreed with Brenda’s sentiments. Gen is surprised when Tim suggests that the employees not tell on one another in this way anymore.