Chapter Two
1996 Words
***
Avery tossed and turned in bed, unable to find peace as the alarm clock blared relentlessly.
With a groan, she groped around on her bedside table to silence the maddening noise, then sank deeper into her blankets.
But suddenly, her eyes shot open as she remembered today was a workday. With a quick glance at her digital clock, she realized she was already late: 6:45 am.
Avery cursed under her breath, cursing Chloe for not waking her up.
She leaped out of bed, her messy shoulder-length auburn hair trailing behind her, and sprinted to the bathroom. As she brushed her teeth aggressively, she couldn't help but notice how her once bright blue eyes now appeared dull and lifeless.
It was clear Avery hadn't had a restful night's sleep.
Tieing her hair in a ponytail, Avery dressed in a rush. She hastily grabbed a few slices of bread and made a sandwich, taking a large bite as she rushed out of the apartment and into the busy streets of New York.
Curse you, Chloe, she thought to herself, jugging towards the nearest bus station, her heavy coat and mono strap bag, fighting her all the way. How could you not wake me up?
As she sat on the bus, the sandwich still in her mouth, Avery couldn't ignore the fact that she had been sloppy lately, always depending on her roommate to drag her out of bed. It was time to take control of her life and start being more responsible.
As Avery sulked, the bus came to a stop at the next terminal, allowing a new wave of passengers to file in.
Amidst the crowd, a man caught her attention. He was a curious sight, dressed in a suit that looked like it belonged in the 90s. But what really stood out was the top hat perched upon his head and the ornate cane that he used to steady himself. Avery couldn't help but wonder if he had stepped out of a time machine.
She checked the time on her watch. 7:23 am. The fast food restaurant opens by 8 am. Groaning aloud, she realized she was late again. Her manager wouldn’t let her hear the end of it.
The bus was slowed at her stop and Avery rushed out. She noticed the strange man from the 90s get off too, but she couldn’t be bothered.
“Excuse me, ma’am.” a voice called from behind, and Avery screeched to a halt, wondering if they were calling to her.
Glancing back, she noticed the man in the strange 90s outfit.
“How may I help you sir.”
“I’m new around here. Could you point me in the direction of a proper burger joint? I'm famished and I need me some nosh."
Avery could tell from his accent that he was an English man, but she looked a bit lost as she tried to understand his words. Perhaps he really was from the 90s.
"I'm talking about a fast food place, love. You know, where they sling burgers and fries. Where's the nearest chippy?"
“Oh, you’re looking for a restaurant.” Avery finally understood. “There’s one right around the corner. In fact, that’s where I work.”
“Oh, thanks a lot love. I just might swing by later.”
With that, the English man walked off with his strange cane and top hat. Avery couldn’t help but think he was a strange fellow. Without wasting another second, she scuttled toward her workplace.
The building was a squat, rectangular structure, with a dull grey exterior that had no doubt seen better days. Next to the small parking lot, a neon sign that read ‘BURGER FACTORY’ hung above flickering and buzzing, evidently in need of repairs.
“You’re late!” Chloe accused as Avery rushed into the building.
Luckily, the staff was just cleaning up and the manager was nowhere to be seen.
Avery stared daggers at Chloe Baker, her best friend, and roommate who was working per-time at the Burger Factory.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” she asked.
“Hey, don’t blame me, I can’t remember to wake you all the time.”
“Oh, you’re so petty, Chloe.”
“Enough!” A voice barked. Chloe turned around to find Luke, the manager, coming in through the back entrance from the kitchen.
“You’re late Avery! You’re on probation. Any more slack ups and, you don’t want to know what would happen.”
“Yes sir.” Avery gulped.
Chloe stuck out a tongue at her, but Avery rolled her eyes and then excused herself to the changing room to change into her waiter’s uniform.
Avery’s day was rather uneventful. Standing at her post by the counter, she took out her phone and checked her favorite blog “The Savvy Woman Digest” to see if there was any update. And sure enough, there was.
‘8 Steps To Achieving Success as a Woman.’
The author, none other than Avery's cherished role model- Penelope Scott-, had graced her adoring fans with yet another empowering blog post.
As Avery delved deeper into Penelope's awe-inspiring experiences, she couldn't help but imagine herself walking in the shoes of the brilliant billionaire author and supermodel. Oh, how wonderful would it be when she finally becomes that strong successful independent woman like Penelope?
“Order at table five!”
Those four words hit Avery like a ton of bricks, snapping her out of her wistful daydream and plunging her back into the stark reality of her life.
Groaning with frustration, she surveyed her surroundings and recoiled at the sight of her drab uniform - a shabby grey waistcoat and a somber black bowtie - which served as a stark reminder of her current status.
“29 and still serving tables.” Avery sighed despondently, blowing off the stray Auburn hair that made its way into her eyes as she grabbed the tray from the kitchen counter, delivering it to table five.
She had a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Finance, but here she was serving tables. She couldn’t hate herself more.
Avery returned to her position behind the counter only to find a brown-haired individual, hunched over her phone which she had left on the counter. It was Chloe.
“Hey! Give me that!” Avery yelled, snatching her phone from the counter.
“Why are you reading my phone, you have yours!”
Chloe laughed at her friend as she wiped off the counter.
“Still obsessing over the high-class life, are you? Oh my dear Avery, when are you going to face reality? That life is just not cut out for people like you and me. What you need is a man in your life.”
“Says who?”
“Says reality! And the sooner you wake up, the sooner you’ll save yourself from needless pain. I’m just saying.” Chloe shrugged. She’d always been a logical thinker but was still a hard worker.
“Says the girl who works her ass off working two jobs just to impress her parents!” Avery retorted
“Hey! That’s different”
“Is it really?”
“Yes, it is. Because that’s something that can be achieved. It's practical, not like some wild goose chase dream of becoming a high-class citizen by just reading success stories.”
That statement irked Avery.
“I’m going to be successful and you’ll swallow your words, Chloe.”
Chloe scoffed.
“You can’t be successful in this world all by yourself without leveraging others Avery, especially not as a woman. Get off your high horse.” Chloe stated and walked away, leaving Avery reeling from the weight of her harsh words.
If only Chloe knew how much those words had hit her.
Those were the very same her father had repeatedly said to her growing up. Memories of his rugged shack came flooding back. The old man's gruff voice, the haunting melody of grunge music from his classic gramophone, and the constant barrage of complaints about being the sole breadwinner - it was all too vivid.
Her father's scathing reminders of her own uselessness and her mother's reliance on his hard-earned income seemed etched into her memory, like scars that refused to heal. But as she reflected on those turbulent times, that dormant fierce determination she had always had began to well up in her heart.
She would prove him wrong. She would survive and thrive, no matter what obstacles lay ahead.
Avery knew that she was stronger than her father gave her credit, and her journey to success would be her ultimate revenge for how he treated her and her mother.
Suddenly, her phone beeped a notification. She looked down at her phone to see that Penelope had just dropped another blog post.
“Huh?” Avery raised a brow as she read the blog title: ‘The Truth Behind our Divorce- What Really Happened Four Years Ago.’
Penelope was married? Was the only thought that came to her mind as she prepared to read the blog. Just then, the entry chime rang, signaling the entrance of another customer.
Looking up, Avery was surprised to see the English man from earlier that morning. But this time, he was with a woman. She was dressed in a colorful and flowy bohemian maxi dress, adorned with intricate embroidery and beading, complemented by a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of oversized sunglasses which she took off as they entered.
What an odd pair, was all Avery could think as she prepared to take their order.
As she approached them with her order pad, she mustered the most convincing facade of a smile she could summon. But as she approached, she couldn’t help but notice that they were engaged in a hushed discussion and it looked as though they were arguing, trying not to draw too much attention.
"I can't believe you went and splashed that much dosh on clobber!" the man exclaimed in a hushed tone.
"What's the big deal? It's my money," the woman retorted, her accent was American.
"Your money? Blimey, you wouldn't 'ave a quid to your name if it weren't for me. Yours truly is the one who settles the bills 'round these parts,” he spat.
"That's not fair. I work too, you know," she protested.
“Aye, but let's face it, you don't pull in the same dough as I do. So you ought to be more mindful of your spending habits,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension .
“That's not the point. We agreed to share everything, remember?" she said, her tone rising.
“Look here, perhaps we need to take a gander at this agreement once again. 'Cos it seems to me that it ain't cricket for me to slog me guts out while you squander all your dosh on trivial fancies,” he sneered.
"I can't believe you're talking to me like this. I thought we were a team," she said, tears starting to form in her eyes.
Avery was going to ignore the conversation until the man made a statement that shut down her brain.
“Bloody hell, team? 'Ow can we be a team when you can't even pull your own weight?” he spat icily.
“Blimey, I swear birds are nothin’ but worthless nonentities who can't accomplish owt on their own. Parasites made solely to drain my wallet dry.”
At that point, Avery snapped.
“You take that back!!!.” A sudden surge of emotion overwhelmed her, and before she could think, the words erupted from her lips like a volcanic eruption.
The room fell silent as all eyes turned to her, stunned gasps echoing like thunder. In that heart-stopping moment, she realized the gravity of what she had just done--her professional future and any hope of a better life seemed to evaporate before her eyes like smoke, dissipating into the ether.
- Writer
