Taming The Billionaire's First-Born

CHAPTER EIGHT

It's been a week since I started working at the coffee shop. Every now and then, Spencer was with us, but I’m glad that he knows to stay away whenever it's my working hours. I don't know if he was the one who voluntarily distanced himself or Mayden was the one who told him that his stay at the coffee shop just because of me would be bad for us.

Whenever Spencer stays here, the employees are just quiet. No one dares to bother me whenever he's around, but when he leaves the cafe, they will start to bully me once again.

I'm glad that Joy was there for me whenever someone tried to bully me. She was the one who always gave herself whenever she saw someone throwing tissue paper in my direction. I mean, she was there whenever someone was trying to hurt me.

"I'm sorry for what they did. I should be in your position," I said, while looking at her, who was now busy wiping her uniform with a green tea stain. "You don't have to help me always, Joy."

"That's okay, Solanna," she said, before she smiled genuinely at me. "I'm used to this kind of treatment. This isn't a big deal for me."

"But—"

"Spencer is already here," Julianne whispered, which made us turn to look at the doorway where Spencer was.

His eyes were dark when he entered inside, but when our eyes met, his dark and bloodshot eyes hurriedly turned into serious and lovely eyes. I couldn't help but look at him, especially when he waved his hand while looking at me. Some of the employees turned to look at me. Just as I expected, they kept gossiping about us.

"I told you, there's something going on between them!" I heard someone say, which made my face redden a bit. I went to the counter where Julianne was.

"It's too obvious in Spencer's eyes that he likes you," she said.

I couldn't do anything but jokingly pinch her on her waist, which made her burst into laughter. I wanted to make her mouth shut, but she automatically stopped when we saw Spencer, who was now approaching the counter top where we were.

"I saw on CCTV what happened a while ago, Solanna," he said before he turned to look at Joy, who had now come out of the locker room. He turned to look at me again. "Are you okay?"

"Joy was the one who spilled green tea on her clothes by accident, Spencer, not me."

"You're the one I'm asking, not her," he said.

Julianne jokingly twitched her lips before she decided to step away a bit. My face reddened a bit because of what he said. Even though it's against my will, I hurriedly shook my head as my answer. Based on his looks, it seems like he still wants to ask something, but he decides to just shut his mouth so we don't have a heated argument.

"Are you sure?" he asked once again, which made me nod a bit. "Aren't you hurt?"

"No," I said, before I smiled a bit. "I'm not the one who spilled green tea on my shirt. It's Joy. You don't have to check on me over and over again, Spencer. I can do it alone. You don't need to bother yourself."

He sighed heavily before he leaned closer to me. It's a good thing that the counter top is between us, so even if he moves a little closer to me, I can still breathe easily. Unless there are rumors waiting for what we will do.

"I can see the CCTV records, Solanna," he whispered, which made my brows furrow a bit. "I see things that you don't."

"What are you trying to say?" I asked, confusedly.

The way he looks at me, it seems like he thinks I'm a fool. Instead of replying to me, he decided to shut his mouth and shook his head. Before he walked away, he turned to look at my new friends, who were now busy doing their work at the counter not far from us.

"You're too naive to notice the wrong," he said before he shook his head and never spoke again.

My brows were furrowed when I looked at him disappointedly coming out of his coffee shop. He pulled the motorcycle he took away without honking at me. I pursed my lips when I felt like Spencer was disappointed in me. I don't even know what I did wrong, and why he seems disappointed in me.

"What did he say?" Julianne asked when the lunch time dropped.

Just like I'm used to, Julianne and Joy are having lunch with me now. Mayden wasn't here, and I know that it's not appropriate for her to have lunch with her employees. She's in a higher position than us, so I'm expecting her to have lunch in her office.

I slowly shook my head, because I had no idea what Spencer had done. I wanted to ask him, but it seems like he doesn’t have time to talk to me. Based on his looks earlier and the way he looks at me that time, it seems like he has a grudge against me.

I don't even remember if I did anything to him that he could be upset with. We never talked because I also didn't have time to ask him if he was okay. Yes, sometimes I get a text message from him asking me if I was okay or how my work was in their business, and I didn't bother myself to reply to him because, first of all, I don't have enough time to communicate and talk to him and second, I don't have a load balance.

I think that there is no problem with him if I don't talk to him or if I don't reply to his text messages. I mean, I know that he doesn't mind if I ignore him. I know that he is used to my habit, so seeing him get upset with me made me confused.

I still remember the way he asked me. He almost yells at me when I tell him that Joy spilled the green tea on her shirt, and not me.

Is there something going on that I don't know about?

"I don't have any ideas," I replied, before I pursed my lips.

I saw how they turned to look at each other because of what I'd said. It didn't take long for their stares when I shifted in my seat.

I can't deny that I feel something weird, but then, I can't judge people if I don't have enough evidence, right?

Mayden was the one who told me that, just like me, Spencer couldn't do anything to fire Cristy. He even had to take me to the coffee shop first just to fire me. It's not about being judgmental, but I feel like there's something going on between them.

Did Spencer have a grudge against his employees? He told me a while ago that he sees something that I can't see. Is there a possibility that he saw something strange in the CCTV record this morning?

I can’t deny that I felt so confused. I don't want to ask him even though I'm curious about the words he uttered and the way he acted this morning, but then, I don't know, I just wanted to shut my mouth and so there would be no more argument between us.

That thought kept me awake until midnight. I felt a bit anxious and problematic at the same time. It seems like my soul can't be quiet whenever I think about that thing.

It seems like I need to ask him tomorrow regarding that action. I should have asked him, so my mind would be calm.

The cold breeze from the open window made me open my eyes and turn around in my bed. Even before I could close my eyes, the alarm clock on my bedside table rang. I furrowed my brows because of irritation before I decided to turn off the alarm clock and get up from my bed.

The sun isn't that bright yet, but I need to wake up to prepare some breakfast. Everyday, I was the one who always prepared breakfast for my family.

My mother goes to the market earlier than me to sell fish and vegetables. My father wakes up late and rarely eats his breakfast. My two siblings don't know how to cook. Since I was the only one left in the house, I was the one who cooked for them. I need to wake up earlier than before to prepare some breakfast for them now that I have a work. Aside from my siblings not knowing how to cook, they are still too young to move around in the kitchen. There's also a possibility that they might even burn down the house if my parents and I allowed them to cook for us.

I still remember the day I almost burned the fish that my mom had allowed me to cook for her before. I was too young and innocent back then when they ordered me to fry some fish for our dinner. I didn’t expect that bragging would be the reason why we almost burned down the house back then.

Because of the memories that are gradually entering my mind right now, I felt my lips raise a little for a smile. I didn’t expect that just because of one wrong deed, I would be able to learn everything.

Some people say that I am a fast learner. Even my lecturers back then told me that I was able to learn the lessons faster than my classmates. I don't know, but it seems like it's probably the talent I have, because until now I still have no idea of what my talent was.

"Goodmorning, Solanna."

I almost jumped in my stance when I heard my mom greet me. I hurriedly turned to look at her while holding my chest, and when she saw my reaction, she couldn't do anything but chuckle and pinch my cheeks as she walked closer to me.

Just like usual, she has already taken a bath and is ready to head to the market.

"You're too early. Aren't you coming to the cafe later?" she asked curiously, which made me pucker my lips as I looked at her.

"Monique doesn't know how to cook breakfast, and Marco is too young to cook for himself."

She nods at me. Just like usual, she sat in the vacant seat near me. I felt my lips rise a bit when I heard that she took a plate and started eating her breakfast.

This is the first time I caught her eating some breakfast made by me. Sometimes she doesn’t eat what I cooked for her. I would cook breakfast for her earlier in the morning, but because of haste, she was no longer able to keep an eye on the food I cooked. Sometimes I get upset with her because she looked uninterested in my efforts, but as the day went on, that’s when I noticed that she just didn’t have time to eat her breakfast.

Seeing her consuming the food I cooked made my heart flutter a bit. Just like what I'd said, this is the first time I saw her enjoying my efforts for them.

She raised her head when I sat in the vacant seat in front of her. Just like her, I got my plate and started to scoop some rice into the pot.

"Henrietta told me to compel you, Solanna," she said.

My brows slowly furrowed because of what she said. I also slowly lowered the spoon I was just about to get. I turned to look at her with confusion plastered on my face. I knew that she had already noticed my reaction, so I wasn't surprised when she smiled genuinely at me.

Who the hell was that woman, and what was her plan?

She can hire a maid through the agency. Why does she have to force my mother to work for her?

"She's willing to double the salary you earn at the coffee shop you work for, Solanna. She repeatedly told me about the benefits you can receive if you accept her offer."

"What is she trying to do?" I asked confusedly, which made her smile weakened a bit. "Tell her she can get a maid through the agency, mom. I'm not interested in the work she offered me."

"But the salary was a bit..." She shrugged. "You know."

I sighed deeply before I leaned against my seat. I smiled at her to show her that I was not irritated by what she was saying, even though I was already irritated.

I know that I am able to break the table between us if she just continues what she says about that offer.

"If you are regretful, then accept it," I said. I puckered my lips when I saw how her brows furrowed because of what I'd said. "Don't worry about Monique and Marco. They can take care of themselves. They're old, and they need to be independent just like me when they're my age. "

"They're weak, unlike you, Solanna," she said.

I lowered the spoon I was holding and couldn't believe what she said when I turned to look at her. From my seat, I saw how she bit her tongue. There are two reasons why she bit it. First, she shouldn't say that thing or second, she doesn't want to spill some words because it may offend me.

My eyes narrowed a bit because of what she said.

Wasn’t she the one who told me that becoming dependent on her as time went by didn’t look good?

Why do I feel like she’s a bit unfair when it comes to me and my siblings?