Working for my Cold Hearted Ex

Chapter2

Chapter 2

The next day, I awoke with a gnawing hunger in my stomach. Rubbing my eyes, I groggily got out of bed and left my room, making my way to Ari's room. To no surprise, her room was empty; she had already gone out.

In the living room, I spotted a note and some money next to the TV. The note was in Ari's handwriting:

- Money for grocery shopping. Will be back later in the evening.

- Ari

A smile crept onto my face as I read the note. I headed back to my room to prepare for the day. After a quick shower, I dressed in a blue shirt and jeans, slipped my phone into my pocket, and took the money before leaving the house, locking the door behind me. To save some cash, I decided to walk to the grocery store.

In just 15 minutes, I reached the store and bought groceries worth $150, leaving me with $50 from the $200 Ari had left. I paid for the groceries and was about to leave when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw a guy in denim shorts and a blue polo, pointing at the floor where $50 had fallen while I was putting it in my pocket.

"Thank you so much!" I exclaimed gratefully.

"Welcome," he simply nodded and walked away.

I retrieved the money and headed home, where I cooked noodles. After eating, I sat on the living room couch and pulled out my malfunctioning phone. I needed to do something about it. With only $50, I couldn't afford a new phone, so I hatched a plan to visit a phone technician.

I left the house and asked people for directions to a phone technician. Finally, after what seemed like forever, I reached the shop, which appeared empty. The technician, a man in his forties, was busy with a phone repair when I entered.

I explained my phone's issues to him, and he examined it briefly before asking, "How long have you been using it?"

"Three years," I replied. The technician seemed to contemplate my situation, probably wondering why I hadn't purchased a new phone.

He finally quoted a price of $150 to repair it, which made me internally groan. However, he advised me to consider getting a new phone, as my current one was old and likely to malfunction again after a few months of repair. I admired his honesty, even though it wasn't what I wanted to hear.

"But you can go ahead and repair it if you want to," he added.

At this point, I was torn. I didn't have enough money to repair it, nor could I afford a new phone. I stood there, uncertain of my next move.

Someone entered the shop, but I paid it no mind until the technician spoke, "Oh, you're here. Please give me 5 minutes; I'll finish working on your phone."

"Okay, no problem," the voice replied, and I turned to see the guy from the grocery store.

"Hi," he greeted me with a smile.

I smiled back but didn't say much, still unsure about sharing my problems with a stranger I'd now met twice.

"I'm fine, really," I replied, a bit coldly.

He seemed to consider whether to engage in a conversation but eventually opted to leave me alone. "Okay. See you around," he said and walked away.

I sighed, wishing he had stayed. I needed someone to talk to.

After about 20 minutes, I left the technician's shop. I didn't return home immediately; instead, I wandered around the area, lost in thought.

Passing a restaurant, I hesitated, then turned back and stood in front of it, contemplating whether to enter. I, a college graduate, was contemplating working in a restaurant, but I felt I had no choice.

I walked in and approached a waiter. "Excuse me," I said, and she looked at me inquisitively.

"Is the manager around?" I asked.

"Are you looking for a job here?" she questioned, and I nodded.

"There are no vacancies at the moment, but you can hang around. The manager will be here by 2 pm, and she might consider you ," she informed me.

"Okay, thank you," I replied with a smile and left the restaurant.

I sat on a bench outside, playing with my fingers and hoping for a job offer.

Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep, and when I woke up, I was feeling hungry, but I ignored it. I returned to the restaurant and, thankfully, found the girl I spoken to earlier. She informed me that the manager had arrived a few minutes ago.

I knocked on the manager's office door and introduced myself as Tracy, expressing my desire to work there. The manager initially stated that there were no vacancies, but I persisted, even offering to work as a cleaner. She eventually relented and offered me a job as a waiter, with a monthly salary of $250.

"Okay, thanks a lot," I said, happy to have secured a job, even if the pay wasn't much. I sensed that she had offered me a lower wage due to my desperation.

"You start on Monday at 7:30 am. If you're late, you lose the job," she warned.

"I won't be late, I promise," I assured her before leaving her office.

As I exited the restaurant, I wondered about my decision. The restaurant job was essential for my survival, but it clashed with another opportunity. On that same Monday at 7:30 am, there was an interview at a textile company named KING STON ENTERPRISE, offering a position as a personal assistant. This job was directly related to my field of study, textile design. However, attending the interview meant I could lose my newly acquired job at the restaurant, as the manager had explicitly warned against lateness.

Anxiety gnawed at me. What should I do?