To Love and To Hate

CHAPTER 3

"Breathe, breathe, breathe Isabella", she repeated like a mantra.

"Arghhhhhhhhhhh, she suddenly screamed, "why's the universe against me today?, is this a sign? After all these years, this must be fate."

She remembered the history of the rivalry between the Moretti and Rossi family but there was nothing she could do again. They were now powerless. She wondered if it was the same Moretti family that ruined them or if this was a coincidence with another name. Her intrusive thoughts crept in and she thought of redesigning the annoying car with something that spells out her hate. She searched around for a piece of tool with a sharp edge to design the car with. Her eyes caught on a bat nearby, she grabbed it quickly and smashed it on the windscreen of the sleek vehicle.

Looking around quickly to check if anyone saw her, finding no one in the premises, she breathed deeply and walked away.

Isabella entered the cafe through the backdoor. Looking around quickly like a thief, she crept to the employee break room before anyone noticed her. She had a change of clothing into the café's uniform and donned on the apron. She searched for some coffee and found a mug holding cold coffee on a table. She quickly splashed some on her apron and smeared donut powder on her cheek to make it seem as though she's been around for the past hour. Stepping out of the break room, she stuck her head first out the door and looked down both corridors before stepping out and walking gingerly towards the work area.

"Isabella!", someone called out angrily. She stopped in her pace and whipped her head around, smiling sheepishly. She walked towards the voice "oh hello there Tom, I didn't see you there", you good sir?"

"Don't give me that Isabella, i know what you've been up to", Tom replied angrily.

"What are you talking about, Tom. I've been here all day like I never left".

"Indeed", he retorted. His veins were starting to stick out of his neck in anger.

"Alright, don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm sorry". She said, she moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head on his shoulder. You definitely know you're my mentor, I'd be living homeless on the streets if it wasn't for you.

Tom sighed and a hint of smile was starting to break from the corners of his face. Nudging her away with his hip, "oh get away from me, you cheeky squirrel, if anything was wrong, why didn't you come to me"?

She batted her eyelashes and responded, "because I didn't want to burden you with my own issues anymore, Tom. You've got your own family to look after and things to deal with".

"Maybe so, Isabella, however, you're still family".

"I know that, big papi, thank you for all your support", she responded while smearing short kisses all over his stubby cheek.

Tom blushed and grinned at her, "careful now, don't get the old girl jealous, my wife loves you but not that much to take away her man".

"In your dreams, Tom, you'd have a heart attack being with a beautiful young lady like me, Mama Tom would turn in her grave and haunt me if I killed her little boy".

"Don't worry about my mama, Bella, worry about getting yourself a nice man to settle with", Tom replied.

"I'll settle down after I've settled my bills, Tom", she hollered back towards him as she walked down the hallway. "I don't want the beast to catch me lagging behind, even being your favourite won't get me out of trouble with Karen".

"Steer clear of her way, Bells, you don't want to poke the tiger", he shouted back at her.

Isabella smiled, "maybe today might just turn so much better afterall", she whispered to herself.

Smoothing out her apron, Isabella ducked underneath the bar and stepped gingerly in. She flashed a quick smile at the woman behind the till.

"Work's good, Clara"? She asked.

Clara c****d her head at Isabella and blew a bubble out of her gum, smashed it some more around her molars before finally acknowledging Isabella and responding to her question.

"Same same boring job, Bells. Looks like you might be running out luck soon, Karen's been down this road couple of times this morning.

"Oops, I guess I'm really in it for today", Isabella said.

She turned to make a cup of coffee for herself to get ready for the day. While the coffee machine dripped hot coffee into the mug, she tapped her fingers rhythmically to distract herself from the slight tugging in her chest that trouble is brewing alongside the coffee. She flicked the distracting thoughts aside and got her coffee. As she was about to take a sip from the steaming mug, her eyes fell on Karen furiously walking towards her with a glare on her face.

Isabella heart skipped several beats and she hurriedly set the mug down on a tray. She moved away from the counter and walked hurriedly into the customers booth as though she was waitressing an order to a customer.

"Isabella, you're fired!" Karen screeched across the room. Suddenly, the chatter stopped across the room, and the customers heads turned towards the disruption Karen caused.

On hearing the words that flew across the room to Isabella's ears, she gasped and tripped on her feet, causing the tray to fly out of her hands and dump its contents on the gentleman in the booth across her.

There was a culminated loud gasp from everyone at seeing the coffee mug sputter its contents all over the gentleman. Isabella hurriedly got up to her feet, whipped off her apron and started dabbing at the gentleman's face. She kept apologising and wiping the apron on his suit. She had made a mess all over him and the documents spread out on the table were soaked with coffee, a ruined soggy mess from the liquid.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry sir" Isabella kept muttering. "I really shouldn't have left home today, I knew something bad was going to happen, I can help you launder your clothes and get you fresh pieces of paper to write on".

"Launder my clothes? Pieces of paper?", the gentleman got to his feet and thundered. "Do you possibly think you can afford a button on my shirt"? Isabella clutched to his legs, sobbing and begging. He screeched at her, "what do you think you're doing?". Realizing he is in a public environment and people were beginning to stare, with their gazes showing their investment in the scenes unfolding before them, the gentleman composed himself and spoke in neutral tones while keeping his voice low.

"Do you know who I am, miss?, he asked her.

"No, I don't, I'm so sorry sir", Isabella begged.

"If I were to sue this place, do you think they would be able to refund the multimillion deal I am trying to seal here"?

"I'm sorry, kind sir, I'll gladly pay for the consequences but please don't take legal actions about this".

Isabella sobbed more at the thought of Tom losing the cafe, his kind heart would not be able to take it and she'd never forgive herself for it. She did not know how far the arms of the law stretched or if it was legally possible to take over another person's business over a spilled cup of coffee.

However, big men like him have made a name as a big deal in the business world and he might just be able to make true his threat.

"What happened here, Isabella? and why are you on your knees".

Isabella looked up towards the sound of the voice, the tears already threatening to spill from the corner of her eyes. On seeing Tom, the tears streaked down and flowed faster.

"Tom, I think I got into trouble, I'm so sorry, it was an accident".

"You got into trouble, darling, you're in actual trouble, incase you've been blinded by your tears" Karen chuckled and smirked at Isabella. She then faced Tom and addressed him on the situation.

"Tom, she spilled some coffee on this gentleman and he threatened to close down the business, I mean it's just some coffee, get a grip sir" Karen said while turning to face the gentleman

The man looked at Karen, the evident shock on his face from the way he was been spoken to. The disrespect was screaming at his face and he hadn't even shown an inch of his power to address it.

He could not stand being addressed that way, the bar may have been below him but he would not stand for disrespect. He spoke, "since you don't know who I am," proper introductions is needed to be in place."

"I am Lorenzo Moretti."

"Let them shake in fear and cower at the mention of our name." ~ Moretti mantra