CHAPTER 9
1457 Words
I mean, come on—who wouldn’t be happy after what just happened?
Not only did I get fired in the most dramatic way possible, but I also got treated to a meal at the most expensive restaurant in town—completely free of charge– Tasty Land.
The place where only business moguls, elites, and disgustingly rich people could afford to dine. The kind of restaurant that served dishes with names so fancy I’d probably mispronounce them.
And yet… here I was.
An unemployed, semi-homeless, emotionally damaged woman—eating like a damn queen.
Sure, I lost my job. Sure, I was now officially broke. But at least I got to experience heavenly steak before my career completely collapsed. That was something, right?
And most importantly, I proved that my best friend—the ever-dramatic, ever-sassy Daphne—was a true ride-or-die.
Even though he was just as broke as me, he still risked financial ruin just to make me feel better. That’s real friendship.
I felt like I hit two birds with one stone. One, I ate for free; and two, I confirmed that Daphne was not a fake bestie.
After we waddled out of Tasty Land, we plopped down onto a bench by the sidewalk.
I was so full I could barely breathe. My stomach was stretched to maximum capacity.
"GHAD, Daphne!" I groaned, patting my bloated belly. "In fairness, Bes, you're not as fake as Beatrice—"
"Heh!" he huffed, flipping his imaginary hair. "If it weren’t for that mysterious man who paid for us, I'm sure I would definitely have forgotten your existence. Ever!"
I burst out laughing. "At least you're not the one who pays the bill, right ? You now have enough checks for your baby boys!"
He gasped dramatically. "GHAD, Maurice! Don’t talk about them in public! They might hear you!"
I smirked, shaking my head before glancing at the very suspicious-looking trash bag sitting next to me.
My prized possession.
The steak stash.
Carefully wrapped and preserved for Mama and Mico. If there was one thing I was proud of in my life, it was my resourcefulness.
Who else could smuggle gourmet steak out of a luxury restaurant using a garbage bag? That’s talent.
Mama and Mico were gonna be so happy.
"You know," Daphne mused, crossing his legs. "I was just wondering—who the hell paid for our food?"
I shrugged. "Some rich guy, probably. A good Samaritan. Unlike you."
"Excuse me!"
"Oh?" I threw my hands up before gasping. "WAIT. Maybe it’s because he saw how cute and sexy I am! That actually makes sense!"
Daphne turned to me with the most disgusted expression. "Are you out of your mind again, Maurice!?"
"Or… maybe he got a whiff of my very scented body."
"What does that have to do with anything!?"
I flipped my hair. "Well, I smell so good that men go crazy for me."
Daphne scoffed. "Uh-huh. Right. Which is why Mr. Fabian—your beloved Mr. Fishy—threw you out of the company."
My smile dropped.
"Tsk." I sighed, leaning back. "Even if he were the last man on earth, I would never—NEVER—let my body anywhere near him. Over and out!"
Daphne snorted. "Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that, girl."
Well, me and Daphne—my ever-sassy, ever-dramatic bestie—kept talking about the mystery man who paid for our ridiculously expensive meal.
"Maybe he’s a billionaire or something? Or maybe even the owner of the restaurant, right?"
"It doesn’t matter," I said, flipping my imaginary expensive hair. "Even if he owns the entire world, Daphne, he still couldn’t resist my charm…"
I swayed toward him, fluttering my lashes dramatically.
Daphne made a face like he was physically pained by my existence. "GHAD, Maurice, I think I just died inside."
Before I could continue torturing him with my undeniable charisma, a sudden BOOM of thunder crashed through the sky, followed by a heavy downpour.
"Oh, shoot!" I squealed as the rain came down like a freaking waterfall.
Me and Daphne ran as fast as we could, our footsteps splashing against the already forming puddles, until we found cover under a small waiting shed by the sidewalk.
"WHY does it have to rain this hard right now!?" I groaned, squeezing water out of my hair. "This is so unfair! Mother Earth, why the hell did you do to us!?"
Daphne huffed, shaking out his arms like a soaked cat. "I guess even the gods that lives up the starts couldn't accept your blurts, Bes.”
"Excuse me!?" I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest. "You mean they are just broken hearted, okay!"
He raised an eyebrow, looking at me like I was the dumbest person on earth. "Nah, it doesn't even make any sense at all."
I sighed dramatically, hugging myself as I stared at the rain. "GHAD, Daphne! You’re so stupid. It’s totally because the sky is crying… meaning, it was broken.”
Daphne rolled his eyes so hard I thought they’d get stuck at the back of his head. " Yeah, and I think you need to be sent to mental hospital."
Ignoring his disrespect, I let my eyes wander beyond the rain—past the busy streets, past the bright city lights—until they landed on a familiar, towering building in the distance.
MCC.
My former workplace.
The place where I spent countless hours mopping floors, scrubbing toilets, and cursing my boss under my breath.
I sighed. "Hayst… Probably this is the last time I’ll ever have a glimpse of you…"
I didn’t expect to miss it, but damn, nostalgia hit me hard.
Me and my mop? We went through so much together.
Just as I was about to sink deeper into my sentimental goodbye mop, goodbye dreams moment, something—or rather, someone—caught my attention.
A figure.
Standing at the top of the MCC building.
Tall.
Unmoving.
Staring directly at me.
What. The. Hell?
A shiver crawled up my spine—not from the cold rain, but from the unnerving feeling that whoever that was… wasn’t just casually looking down.
No.
He was watching me.
"Daphne…" I nudged him.
No response.
"Daphne…" I whispered again.
Still no response.
I grabbed his arm and shook him. "DAPHNE!"
"WHAT!?" he snapped, whipping his head toward me.
I pointed toward the mysterious guy on top of MCC. "Look! Someone’s up there!"
Daphne squinted in the direction I was pointing—just in time for the guy to turn around and disappear.
"What!?" Daphne asked, frowning. "I don’t see anything!"
I blinked. "Ow… It’s nothing…"
Maybe I was just imagining things.
Maybe my tragic job loss was making me delusional.
Or maybe…
Maybe someone really was watching me.
The rain eventually calmed down, and we managed to get a ride home.
The streets were dark, the streetlights flickering like they, too, were struggling to survive this cruel world.
It wasn’t until I checked my phone that I realized it was already past 8 PM.
Daphne got off first, his house being closer. "Take care, girl!" he called before disappearing into his neighborhood.
Now, I was alone.
I sat quietly in the jeep, my mind swirling with thoughts of MCC, Mr. Fabian’s grumpy face, and that mysterious figure on the rooftop.
Who was that?
I shook my head. Forget it, Maurice. You have bigger problems now.
Like the fact that I was jobless.
And broke.
And most importantly– Mom and Mico were waiting for me at home.
When I finally arrived at our apartment complex, I immediately knew something was wrong.
The place was pitch dark.
Not a single light was on.
Which was weird.
Mico was terrified of the dark. He never let the lights go out, not even for a second.
A heavy sense of dread settled in my stomach.
Something wasn’t right.
I rushed toward our apartment…
And then—
I froze.
Our belongings—our clothes, furniture, and personal items—were all outside.
Soaked in the rain.
And there, sitting in the middle of the mess, was Mom.
Crying.
Holding Mico tightly against her chest.
They were both drenched from head to toe.
Shivering.
Looking like they had just lost everything.
My breath hitched. "Mom!?"
She looked up at me, her eyes red and swollen from crying.
"Maurice…" she whispered, her voice breaking.
My body went cold.
I knew what happened.
I didn’t need to ask.
We had been kicked out.
No home.
No money.
No place to go.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, blinking away the tears threatening to spill.
I may have lost my job today—but this?
This was so much worse.
- Writer
