His to Claim, His to Ruin

Chapter 13

Lana

Sandy gave me grace.

Three days in a row of absences can result from getting kicked out. But after writing a letter to our manager, I received a go signal to come to work tonight.

Thank God. I thought Sandy would throw all my remaining things from the workers' lounge.

She's always been strict. Rarely gives chances to the club's employees. Passing that stage was a relief.

Just as I was about to bring the trays and glasses back to the kitchen, my name was called to get my one-month hard-earned paycheck.

‘Thank you, Lord!’ I couldn't stop myself from smiling the moment the piece of paper touched both my palms. A QR code was on it, and I needed to scan it with the club's app to get my salary deposited into my digital bank account.

My mouth was in awe when I saw a different amount written on it. I made sure to double-check the name, but my name was clearly written on my screen.

Lana Licciardi. And no one else's. So it means the paycheck is mine.

“Facundo,” the club's treasurer, is the one who handles any financial-related stuff. “I think I got the wrong amount,” I said before showing him my check.

The club's secretary took off his sunglasses and then put them back on. “You got an increase.” Facundo’s plain and casual words caught everyone's attention.

People are staring at me. Salaries are given on the first day of the month, and today is the third, so mine was stuck with him for two days. Later on, he packed his things and left the club, as if I were solely the reason why he went there.

Not that I'm ungrateful about it, but I'm curious. I took the paycheck back to my hands until a meddling hand grabbed my phone.

Gwen, along with her best friend Stacy, is now standing across from me. Stacy's eyebrow arched while Gwen was busy skimming her eyes at my paycheck.

$1500 is the basic salary for waitresses. An increase of $1000 for a total of $2500.” Gwen muttered, which diverted everyone's attention to us. “There were no incentives written on it, so it's probably an increase,” Gwen enunciated with an eyebrow so high it might reach the heavens.

I tried to take back my paycheck, but Gwen won't let me. A smirk crept into her lips, showing a sense of playfulness she bears towards e.

“Did you sell your body to Facundo to get an increase?” Stacy's imputation made my hands clench into fists.

I took a deep breath and tried my best to remain composed. “Give it back, Stacy.” My calm plea was my last resort.

My whole body is tired. I haven't recovered yet because I always choose to show up, no matter the circumstances are.

“Then take it from me,” Stacy's words were lethal, provoking.

Stacy and Gwen are my biggest bullies. They are always present whenever I'm around. Stacy and Gwen are both escorts who earn huge profits thanks to their face cards that never decline. At first, Stacy asked which clinic I had my face enhanced at, but I told her I didn't get any surgery.

I was born with a face like this. I thought they were just joking when they called me a liar, but they constantly made fun of me during break, a lot of times.

As far as I can remember, I did nothing wrong. I'm always friendly to other staff and I always mind my manners and pay respect no matter who I am talking to. Offending anyone isn't what I'm good at so where exactly did I go wrong?

“Gwen. Stacy, please…” I took my pride down. “Complain to Facundo and not to me. I raised my concern and he confirmed it's mine. Was it still my fault?”

Annoyance crept on their faces. Especially Stacy. The woman who always meddles in whatever I do. I became a target ever since I joined the club, and I'm running out of patience and understanding.

“You're so full of yourself, do you know that?” Gwen claimed.

I scoffed, tightening my jaw. “On what grounds? Both of you are always the one who picks a fight.” And to be honest? I'm getting tired of it.

Maintaining my silence for a long time wasn't healthy. It boosted their ego unfortunately. I've always been the silent one, ignoring insults because the moment I fought back, I'm the one to blame.

“Stop acting like you're a victim. Among a hundred people working in Tune In, why are you the only one who got a raise?” Gwen crossed her arms, eyebrows arched, and a face of a woman who will never back down. “Ah, what do we call it? Favoritism? Or did you blackmail Facundo and deceive him from giving you more?” She continues.

People around were watching the three of us. Their eyes widened with disbelief, whilst some bobbed their heads, quietly agreeing to their baseless accusations.

Provoked by their nonsense remark, I threw the tablecloth I used to wipe the tables on their faces and said, “Bullshit! None of your claims is true!”

And then my other co-workers butted in.

“Stacy is right. Why are you getting a raise and we're not?”

“Simply unfair.”

“Maybe she really slept with Facundo. Women like her are cunning.”

“She probably deceived Facundo with her beauty. Tsk. How desperate.”

“I agree.”

My mom always told me to avoid conflicts. But everyone has their own limits.

What comes next becomes my breaking point. Stacy pushed my left shoulder using her bare hands, causing my back to come into contact with the hard wall.

“You're an opportunistic, slutty rat!”

And in just a second, Gwen pulled my hair. I tried to push her while my back was lying on the floor, but the two of them were together kicking, slapping and generally assaulting me.

“b***h! You deserve this!” Stacy asserted the moment her pointed nails scratched my neck.

“Ahhh!” I groaned.

I tried to remove her hands from my hair, but my remaining strength wasn't enough to stop both of them.

No one in the crowds has dared to stop them, to rise up and defend me. All of them watch like I'm some sort of circus they laugh about. The moment I stopped fighting their physical assaults was the moment a loud voice echoed.

“Stop it, all of you!”