Chapter 2. Shit, I Lost My Job!

Vanessa's POV

It had been an hour since they left and I continued to face queries.

I winced in pain as Madam Taylor dragged me by my ear into the kitchen. The hot coffee still stung my face, but the pain in my ear was even worse. I tried to pull away, but her grip was too strong.

"Madam Taylor, please, let go," I pleaded, tears streaming down my face. "I didn't mean to insult your son, I thought he was just some jerk trying to prank me."

She finally released my ear, but her eyes were filled with anger and disappointment. "You thought my own son was a jerk? How dare you? He is the most important person in my life, and you had the audacity to slap him!" I turned mute, and maybe I began to regret my decision for slapping him.

"What is wrong with you?! I told you my son was at the table and you purposely targeted him, now he would never want to visit me." She cried, hitting me again, not caring if her palm landed on my nose or eyes. I was unsure if I would get to sleep well tonight because my face was swollen from receiving tremendous amounts of slaps from her in the last hour.

"You're a clumsy fool!" She yelled. I stood frozen on the spot and continued to let her rain insults and beatings on me. I tried to explain myself a lot of times but she didn't listen. I consoled myself with the fact that I would apologize to her once her mind settles, as far as I don't get to lose my job... 

"You're fired," she said and it came at a shock to me, I'd never expect something like this. I felt sweat trickled from my face. "Take your filthy things, and don't bother to resume tomorrow." 

"Madam," I fell on my knees, "Please forgive me, it was my fault, I wouldn't make the same mistake again."

"There's no need to test if you would do it again, Get out of here!" She roared.

"Forgive me, where does he live? I will go there personally to apologize to him. I'm sorry." I begged but she didn't listen.

I cannot lose this job, I just can't. I know how much it took me to get a spot here. This was the most decent job for someone like myself with only a high school diploma.

 My brother is unable to get a decent job because of his criminal record, my mother doesn't have the energy to look for a job, and cleaning the nightclub at night couldn't earn me half the wages I got as a waitress here.

"Samuel!" She called and the chef came running, not wanting to get on her bad side too, "Take the miserable girl out of my sight. You want to beg for mercy when you couldn't behave yourself for a short while. Don't let me find you around this vicinity for any reason." She warned, stomping out of the kitchen.

It wasn't my fault truly, how would I know that Jerk was her son? He was the one without character.

Samuel squats to my level, patting my shoulder, "I'm sorry Vanessa, you should leave now before she comes back and meet you here, don't anger her more than she already is. You know how she can be," He said.

He helped me up, leading me to the entrance door. I held his hand firmly while we were outside, "Samuel, you're my friend, please ask her to forgive me, pls-"

"I will, you- just go for now," he interrupted. He went back inside quickly, bringing out my tote bag and handing it to me, "I'm sorry," he apologized before leaving me all alone.

Seeing the chef wasn't there anymore, my other co-workers also left for their respective duties.

I sighed hard before turning in the opposite direction of the road. I strolled on foot, the afternoon sun was burning in full blast like a million furnace and it felt like the heat was pouring on my head, I dipped my hand in my bag, bringing out my handkerchief and wiping my face with it. I must have been so stupid to overreact, what will I tell my mother? I lost the best job I've had ever since I graduated from high school and it was all my fault. 

I saw a stone in front of me and kicked it away, it didn't go far, just settled two to three steps away from my feet. I walked up to the stone, this time kicking it harder than the first and it hurt my toenail and it made me more frustrated, "shit! I lost my job, what do I do?" I complained when I noticed this golden shiny, pretty polished ring still on my finger. 

This stupid ring was one of the causes of my trouble today, I'd have to get rid of it.

I forced the ring out of my finger, throwing it as far away as I could and not caring where it landed.

I couldn't go back home like, what will I tell them? Victor is still struggling to get a job and the whole family depended on the little I earned. I was about to cross the road when I heard a faint call on my name, Vanessa. I looked to see who it was, it was Samuel, he looked like he had been chasing after me for a while, "Shit, Vanessa, did you lose your hearing? I was calling you for so long." He said, panting hard.

"Sorry, I was just so lost in thought-"

"Take this." He brought out an envelope from his pocket.

"Your paycheck for this month, Madam Taylor was serious when she said you shouldn't bother coming back." He said with a pitiful face.

"I'm sorry once again," he turned and left. I was curious to know how much I got, even though I lost my job, I was lucky to get the something at least, and it isn't even month's end. I opened the envelope, about to bring the cash out when someone snatched the envelope from me in a swift. I couldn't see the face clearly, just the outfit he wore, I began chasing after him

"Thief! Thief!" I yelled for attention while running after the shabby-looking boy across the street.

 Everyone who looked at me must have probably thought I was a crazy woman who was finally running wild because no one moved to help me. I continued to chase after him all by myself and he was damn fast, jumping on two steps at a time when I met with a car that almost ran over me. I stopped in the middle of the road, shutting my eyes and ears with fear that I was going to die in an accident. The car narrowly stopped. The driver cursed loudly, "What the fuck is wrong with you?! Are you blind?"

"If you want to die, you should go stand in front of a truck, I can't kill a worthless person." He said. My eyes were still shut in shock and yet he continued to curse at me Instead of apologizing for almost running over me. 

The car tires screeched in the rainwater which had come to settle on one part of the road as he revised splashing the dirty water on me before driving off.

I couldn't take this, first, he didn't apologize and now he poured water on me, I picked the widest stone I could find on the ground, throwing it with so much energy at the yellow fancy-looking car. Surprisingly, it landed on the back window, breaking almost half of it with a clattering sound.

What the fuck did I do??? I was about to run away when the car revised at full speed this time, almost running me over for real. The driver pulled out of the car, capturing my hand before I could run away.

I hid my face as he held my hand, if I could manage to run away from here without him marking my face, he'd never know who did it and I won't have to pay for the damage as I had no money anyway,

"Don't hide your face from me." He said. The voice sounded so familiar that I had to take a peek at his face, I lifted my head to the unexpected, "You?!" We both said almost at the same time. He was the same Jerk who made me lose my job at Taylor's kitchen.

"It's you again? When did I become so unlucky?!" He complained. He wasn't the only unlucky one, I was also unlucky by meeting him for the second time.

"Get away from me," I struggled but he didn't let me go.

"Where do you think you're going? Want to run away? Not without settlement. You broke my car bitch!" I looked around to catch no sight of thief who ran away with my money, I had lost him.

"It was your fault for not caring if a human was close by when you splashed the water, after almost running me over with your car."

"That's because you deserve it for coming in front of my car," so he did that intentionally? 

"Do you know how much my car is worth? You're paying to get the glass fixed!"

"No, I will not give you a dime!" I raised my other hand to hit him in his face since he wouldn't free my right hand. Just like he knew my next move, he caught my hand in mid-air. "You're so stupid that the only thing you know how to do is hit people with these small fingers of yours. I'll make sure you never use them again."

 He pinned my fingers in his, twisting both my hands behind my back without mercy. I stomped on my feet countlessly if he would stop but no, he planned on popping out my arms. He pushed me over to the front of his car, making me lie on my chest with my hands still behind my back, "Stop, you're hurting me!!!" I yelled so loud that it drew a lot of attention, people came over this time. Before anyone could ask anything, he shunned them, "Go back to your Fuckin' business everyone, nothing concerns you here."

"You're hurting the lady," one woman said.

"She's my girl, do you have a problem with it? Now run off, don't be nosey." He said in an intimating tone.

Some of the people murmured within themselves before leaving.

He continued to twirl my wrist, leaning close to me to say, "I promised to roast you the next time I meet you, I'm already in a very bad mood, don't waste my time and just tell me if you want to pay or if I should separate your limbs."

"Please stop..." I managed to voice out amidst the pain.

"What? Speak clearly. I can't hear you." He said 

This man was trouble and I had to swallow my pride if I wanted to get rid of him. I was supposed to apologize to him and beg him to not let our feud affect his relationship with Madam Taylor if I wanted my job back.

"I said please, forgive me. I'm sorry for getting in your way." I managed to utter.

He let go of my hand after I apologized. I massaged my arms to relieve the pain.

"Saying sorry will not get you out of this, you have to pay for the damage." He looked around for something, not finding it he spoke, Where is my ring?"

"Ring..." My mind flashed back to the time I threw it away in fury.

"Did you sell it?" He asked. I had no answer to give.

"Fuck, do you know how much that ring is worth???!"

"I-I did not sell it," I stuttered.

"Don't lie to me, I don't find it with you. You cheap slate, you sold my ring?"

"I said I did not sell it!" I yelled, but he didn't listen. He stretched out his hand to me, "Pay me now. You owe me my ring, my glass window, and for humiliating me by laying hands on me in presence of all those people. It will cost you $50,000..."

"What the!" I sneered at him.