The alarm clock blared with a shrill screech that cut through my breath. For a second of absolute confusion, I expected to hear the gentle chimes of the servants at Crimson Manor or the whisper of the wind in the palace gardens.
'Those two weeks away from this world really affected me. I have to start getting used to it again since I have to go to work.'
After a shower and dressing in modest clothes, I left the apartment building. I started walking quickly toward my destination, keenly aware of my surroundings, noticing I could hear conversations from three meters away.
I hope I can regulate this. If that stat gets too high, it might drive me crazy. After an hour's walk, I finally arrived in front of a somewhat elegant restaurant—obviously not a place the truly rich would choose, which is why I picked it. They pay well, and my family would never come looking for me here.
Entering, I saw people preparing to open. I waved to some of my coworkers and went straight to the men's locker room. After putting on my uniform, which consisted of a white shirt and a small bow tie, I left the locker room and started working, carrying plates to the tables.
I moved with agility, carrying plates without getting tired. Honestly, being so efficient at my job allows me to sit down and rest once in a while. Maybe my boss might scold me, but seeing my efficiency, her annoyance usually vanishes quickly.
I was working so diligently that I didn't notice it was already time for my break. Since my boss prefers not to pay unnecessary overtime, I went on my break and decided to rest for a bit in a chair in the break room.
"Hey Will, how are you?"
a soft voice snapped me out of my trance. It was Chloe, another waitress. She had hair dyed a faded pink and brown eyes that always seemed a bit tired, but now held genuine concern.
"It's nothing, Chloe. I just didn't have a good night's sleep, that's all."
"Are you sure?You look really tired."
"I might be a bit sleepy,but I'm doing a good job today, didn't you notice?"
"Yeah,well, you do seem a bit energetic in that sense. Tell me, any recent news in your life? You seem happier despite being tired."
"Actually,I recently moved out on my own."
"Really?You finally got away from that toxic family of yours?"
"Yeah,though I had to pay $2400 upfront."
"Why did you spend so much on one month's rent?I could have found you a cheaper apartment if you'd asked. I know we make good money, but you spent more than half your paycheck on that place."
"I think you're confused.I didn't spend $2400 for a month. I decided to rent for an entire year."
At that moment, Chloe stood up from her seat and looked directly at me.
"AN ENTIRE YEAR?!Where did you find rent that cheap?"
"It's nothing special.It's a small place with just a small bathroom and a hallway leading to a single room. But for $200 a month, it's worth it."
Chloe brought a finger to her chin, seeming to think about something.
"I'm still living with my parents,and they charge me $1000, saying anywhere else would charge me up to $1900. Hearing this makes me want to move into the same place you live."
"If you do,you have to keep in mind the rooms don't have any furniture, and you'd have to start cooking, doing laundry, and taking out your own trash."
As we were talking, we saw a woman enter and look at us.
"You two,your break is over. Return to your posts."
"YES,MA'AM!" we said in unison and stood up.
"I'll think about it and let you know what I decide,so you can come with me during the process."
"Sure."
Seeing that smile reminded me of something important—I have someone important here, too. When Chloe smiles at me, I feel a slight sense of peace that makes me forget some things.
Rossette, you were a great experience that taught me a lot and made me smile more than I had in a long time. But I can't get stuck in those feelings. I just have to move forward.
I left the break room and continued with my work.
∆∆∆
After a few hours of work, closing time arrived, and Chloe and I stayed behind to clean the place for the final shutdown.
While we were doing the final cleaning, we heard the door open. Looking up, I noticed someone I would have preferred not to see for a while. "I'm sorry,miss, we're closed for today. If you want to eat something, you'll have to come back tomorrow between 7 am and 7 pm."
Chloe seemed to notice my expression because she was the one who approached and indirectly asked her to leave without mincing words.
"I'm not here to eat.I'm here to talk to him,"
Diana said, pointing at me.
Noticing Chloe was about to say something, I stepped forward and silenced her.
"You can finish up while I talk to my sister.I assure you it won't take long."
Chloe looked at me and nodded.
I walked a bit away from Chloe with Diana until we reached a private spot. I stopped and looked directly at her.
"So,this is where you work? As a simple waiter? Let me—"
"Cut the crap and get straight to the point."
Stopping her speech mid-sentence, she could only look at me with hatred.
"Well,I was thinking of taking you home today if you behaved. It seems you're still the same disrespectful brat. So, it's best you return on your own."
Without letting her finish, I turned to continue my work. Honestly, I'm not in the mood to stay and listen to her belittle me over stupidities. But before I could continue on my way, I felt a hand stop me. Even though I had the strength to break free, I decided not to. Hurting her isn't my goal either.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To finish working.I don't plan on staying here all night waiting for you to finish your arrogant speech."
After two full weeks without seeing them and witnessing how a real family behaves, I lost my attachment to this family. So obviously, I no longer care how they react to my words. They have power, but they can't force me to live with them, and they can't take my job away from me. Right now, they're just strangers I talk to.
"You seem to have gotten more arrogant. Fine. Tomorrow is Grandpa's birthday, and you have to be home before 6 PM."
"Alright."
I removed her hand with enough force to free myself but not enough to hurt her. As I was about to leave, I noticed she wasn't leaving but was still standing there.
"Do you need anything else,miss?"
I spoke politely but with an ironic tone.
"No, actually, I wanted to give you this."
She pulled a small gift box from her purse. I could only look at it with some bewilderment.
"What is this?"
"It's a gift,obviously. For your birthday."
Ha. A gift.
"As far as I know,my birthday was a few days ago, not today."
Diana seemed to want to say something but held back.
"Just drop it.This is a gift from the whole family as an apology for forgetting your birthday. Just open it."
I decided to open it since if I didn't, she'd stay and bother me more than necessary. Opening it, I saw a beautiful watch that looked very expensive—it could even be worth over $200,000. Looking closely, I noticed a detail.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Laughing so hard, Diana looked at me with a strange and annoyed expression.
"What are you laughing at?"
"It's nothing.Just let me confirm: this is an apology gift from the whole family?"
"Yes."
At that moment, I showed her the back of the watch, and her face showed a trace of disbelief.
"Well,it seems the family's apology is second-hand. Because the last time I checked, my name was William, not Ernesto."
The back of the watch had a small inscription with the name 'Ernesto.' I handed the watch back and turned around.
"I think you should leave now.It seems it's getting late, and a woman like you out alone could be very bad. Come on, I'll walk you out."
"No,William, I swear—"
"There's no need to say anything.You just confirmed something I didn't need confirmed."
You can't disappoint a heart that's already grown accustomed to disappointment.
"I hope you have a pleasant trip home."
As I closed the restaurant door in her face, she stuck her hand in.
"William,I swear I can explain! When we get home, I'll explain. Come on, I'll take you."
I detected a hint of regret, and even from her expression, I could tell whose fault it was. But the moment she realizes, she'll simply cast me aside again.
"No,thank you. Just leave. I know how to get there on my own."
"Youwill come home, right?" "Of course.Obviously, I'll go home to sleep."
She seemed to sigh with relief and headed toward her car. Technically, I didn't lie—I will go to my home to sleep, not theirs.
After watching her leave, I closed up the place completely and went over to Chloe.
"How did the conversation go?"
"It was what you'd expect from that family.They brought me an apology gift for my birthday that was originally for Ernesto."
She whistled.
"That sounds harsh. Do you think they did it on purpose?"
"No,but I don't think they care much either. If they find out who was responsible, they'll just feed me some nonsense about grabbing the wrong gift by mistake."
She touched my shoulder.
"What a family you have. But hey, since I also missed your birthday, how about I treat you to whatever you want to eat? I'm sure there are plenty of places open at this hour, and we can have a little alcohol."
"Drink alcohol?I'm not even of legal age to do that."
"So what?Your graduation is coming up soon, and you'll be entering university. Do you think I'll let you skip university parties? You're dreaming."
She took me by the arm and quickly pulled me out of the restaurant to find a quiet place where we could eat peacefully. As we walked, we found a place full of people with one free table where we could eat quietly.
As we sat waiting, we continued talking until I noticed a group of three men approaching us. One of them, who seemed to be the leader, looked directly at Chloe.
"Hey,beautiful, wanna come have some fun with the three of us?"
Chloe didn't even flinch. She raised an eyebrow in disdain, dabbing her lips with a napkin.
"Withall three of you? Are you each so small you need to be three to please one woman?"
The man's smile vanished, replaced by instant, boiling rage.
"I'll show you who's small,you bitch."
I stood up quickly and caught the man's fist as he was about to hit Chloe. Without realizing it, I used more force than necessary, and I apparently broke his hand because as I held his fist, I heard multiple things snap.
"Damn it!What are you waiting for? Do something!"
he screamed at his friends.
The other two men froze for an instant, then growled and advanced. One of his friends tried to grab me from behind.Without releasing the leader, I pivoted on my foot, using his body as a shield. The man charging forward crashed into his gasping friend, and both tumbled to the ground in a tangle of curses.
The third man hesitated, seeing how easily I had dispatched his companions. His gaze met mine, and something he saw there the absolute coldness, the lack of fear, the promise of much greater violence made him back away.
"Let's get out of here,"
he mumbled, helping the others up. The leader shot me a look of pure hatred, rubbing his bruised wrist.
"This isn't over,"
he spat, but his voice lacked conviction.
"Yeah,it is,"
I replied, and the simple finality in my tone made them pale before they turned and quickly scurried out of the café.
The tension broke. The murmur of the diner, which had stopped, suddenly returned. Chloe let out a long, shaky sigh.
"Wow,William. How did you do that?"
"I...I don't know."
That wasn't my normal strength. I couldn't break bones with my normal strength. And even though my Strength stat had increased, I knew deep down what had happened, and it scared me.
I used aura.