The internet is just as unforgiving as it is brutal.

Kenneth thought leaving prison behind would be the hardest part of rebuilding his life. Instead, it’s everything that comes after.

On an ordinary winter morning in Johannesburg—complete with a broken geyser, spilled coffee, and a ruined commute—Kenneth unknowingly becomes the star of a viral video. Overnight, millions of strangers are laughing at the internet’s newest meme: Miserable Morning Man.

At first, it’s just embarrassing. But the internet insists they want more. Commenters begin guessing where he lives what he did to end up in prison, how to provoke him, even how to make his next bad day go viral. His past makes the world unsympathetic when the jokes turn darker.