CHAPTER 5:

JILLIAN'S POV

"AAAHHHHH! SO ANNOYING!" I screamed loudly as soon as I got back to the boarding house.

I felt like the veins in my neck were about to burst because of how loud I was. I didn't care if anyone heard me, not even the landlord. I was feeling so many emotions at once that I simply had to let them out.

"Jillian, what's wrong?" Roxane asked with concern.

I had left the boarding house earlier to buy some groceries. However, I ended up buying a puppy instead because of a kid I met. The child had begged me to buy Whitey because there was no one left to look after him. Since I felt pity, I bought the dog. I loved animals and couldn't resist how cute the puppy was. Back in the province, I used to take care of cats, dogs, and even chickens.

"I met a man. He is so arrogant! I only asked for an apology, but he was so full of himself!" I snapped, explaining my anger.

I didn't know his name, but his body looked familiar. It felt like we had met before, but I wasn't sure if I was just imagining things.

"What exactly happened? And wait, why do you have a puppy? Don't you know the landlord forbids pets?" Roxane asked as she caught sight of the dog.

That was right, pets were not allowed. I knew the landlord would scold me, but my conscience wouldn't let me leave the puppy on the street. No one else wanted to adopt him, so I took him in. I had a soft heart, even if I certainly didn't show that kindness to that man earlier.

"I felt sorry for this puppy, I couldn't just leave him on the road. Anyway, I'm upset because he almost got hit by a car," I continued.

The puppy had slipped from my hands and ran into the middle of the road. He was almost hit. It was partly my fault for being careless, but I couldn't stand that man's attitude. He actually tried to buy me off! Instead of saying sorry, he insisted it was all my fault.

"Then why do you have money? Where did all this cash come from?" Roxane asked, noticing the money in my hand.

I suddenly remembered the five thousand pesos he had given me. Yes, I still took the money. It would have been a waste to leave it on the street. I realized I could use it to buy food for Whitey and help pay my rent.

"He gave it to me. He said it was his payment, so I would stop talking," I said with a pout.

I felt a bit embarrassed because I had let myself take the money after acting so proud in front of him.

"Well, there you go. You should forgive him then. It's rare to find someone who gives money when they make a mistake. Others would just run away. You should be thankful; that's a lot of money," Roxane said, lecturing me.

She had a point. Even if he was rude, he was willing to pay for his mistake. But that didn't mean we were okay. If we met again, I wouldn't let him look down on me. He couldn't just solve everything with money next time. I didn't say anything because I knew Roxane was right, but my blood still boiled just thinking about him.

Later, I gave Whitey a bath to make sure he was clean. I didn't know how I would hide him. If the landlord saw him, she would definitely yell at me. Her mouth had no filter, especially when she was losing at her card games. She was only calm when she was winning.

"Whitey, stay quiet, okay? Don't be noisy, or that grumpy lady will hit you," I whispered to the dog in a sweet voice.

They say that if you talk to animals seriously, they become obedient. Honestly, puppies are like babies-very sweet. You don't feel alone when you have a dog. He was like a best friend.

"Jillian, I'm heading to work. I'll leave you to it," Roxane said.

There were four of us in the room. I wasn't close to the other, they also worked at a call center like Roxane. I thought about applying for a call center job, too, but I knew it would be hard to adjust since school was starting soon. I didn't know my schedule yet because I hadn't received my class forms.

The day ended after so much had happened. I survived, and I was slowly getting used to the people in the city. I knew they were very different from the people in the province, but I was adjusting little by little.

The next morning, I went back to the restaurant where I had applied. I got the job as a server! It was a perfect part-time job while waiting for enrollment. If my schedule allowed it, I could even work during my vacant hours.

Whenever I went to work, I left Whitey with Roxane. My shift was only six hours, so when I returned to the boarding house, Roxane would head to work. It warmed my heart how kind she was to me. We were starting to feel like real sisters - like family.

"Jillian, move faster. We have a lot of customers," the manager called out.

I felt a bit panicked because I didn't know who to serve first. The restaurant was very popular and always crowded. I wasn't surprised the owner was so successful. I really wanted to meet our boss.

"Yes, Ma'am," I replied politely.

I served the food to the tables. Even though I was walking back and forth, I didn't mind the exhaustion.

"Good day, Ma'am. Enjoy your lunch," I said with a smile.

I was often tasked with talking to customers because the manager said I was friendly. In this line of work, you had to be friendly to avoid problems.

"Jillian, I need to use the restroom. Can you assist the customers coming in for a moment?" a coworker asked.

She was the greeter at the main door, so I nodded immediately. "Sure. No worries," I answered. It wasn't a hard task, and I enjoyed talking to people. I went to her position and greeted the people entering one by one.

"Welcome to Z. Restaurant!" I said cheerfully.

The place was called Z. Restaurant. They said the 'Z' stood for Zach, the owner. I was excited to meet him because I felt grateful he had given me this job. I imagined him to be a very kind person.

However, my smile disappeared when a well-built, handsome man walked in. I recognized his face immediately. I would never forget it.

"You're not welcome here, Mr. Rude," I said firmly.

I lost all my politeness. I couldn't forget how arrogant he was. If he thought I'd forget what he did to Whitey, he was wrong.

"I said, you can't come in. You aren't welcome in this restaurant if you're going to be a jerk," I said, blocking his path.

I raised an eyebrow to look tough. But the man just looked at me, completely unfazed by my glare.

"This is a restaurant, right? Anyone can enter. So, Miss, move aside," he said seriously.

"No," I replied shortly.

Our eyes met, and I challenged him with a stare.

"Where is your manager? I need to speak with her. I don't think I like the employees she's hiring," he said, looking for my boss.

He probably thought I was afraid of the manager.

"Even if you complain to the owner of this restaurant, I don't care. If I were you, I'd leave and eat somewhere else," I answered bravely.

I had been intimidated before, but I wouldn't let it happen again. I promised myself I wouldn't lose.

"Okay. I see. I'll leave then, Miss. See you again," he said, looking like he was about to laugh.

"What do you mean, 'see you again'? Idiot! We aren't meeting again!" I shouted as he walked away.

He was so annoying! "See you again," as if I ever wanted to see him! He was so full of himself and rude. He had every bad trait I hated in a man. He completely ruined my mood!

CHAPTER 6:

JILLIAN'S POV

My workday ended with a big smile on my face. It felt great to get back at someone who was mean to me. My anger went away and I felt very happy.

I had chased away the man who almost hit Whitey. He did not even fight back; he was probably scared of me. I made sure to guard the door so he could not come inside the restaurant. I even changed jobs with the girl at the door to make sure he did not sneak past me.

It was funny because I acted like I owned the place, but at least I kept that rude man out.

"Hi Roxane, how was work? Did you eat yet? By the way, thanks for watching Whitey. I feel bad for giving you extra work," I said to my friend when I got home.

She had just arrived while I was putting makeup on my face.

"As usual, the call center is tiring and keeps me up all night. You need a lot of luck for that job. And about Whitey, do not worry, it is a small help. Besides, I am starting to like him," she replied.

Since I started my part-time job, she was the person I asked to watch the puppy. It was good to hear she liked him. I was worried Whitey would be a problem, but he actually made her happy.

"Thank you so much. I will bring you some food later when I get home. The food at the restaurant tastes really good; I promise you will like it," I told her. I wanted to give Roxane a treat to show I was thankful. It was a simple gift from my heart.

"All right, I will wait for you. Be safe at work, sis," she said as she took off her shoes. I could see she was very tired.

"I will! Bye, I am leaving now," I called back. I finished my lipstick and I looked good enough.

My work started at 8:00 AM and ended at 7:00 PM. I had to be at the restaurant before 8:00 AM because our manager was very strict. If we were late four times, we were fired right away.

Business was business. Time was important.

"Good morning!" I said to my coworkers when I arrived the next day.

However, the way they looked at me made me feel nervous. It was as if they wanted to hurt me.

"Jillian, I am glad you are finally here. I have been waiting for you," our manager said. I was confused. It was only 7:30 AM; why did she need me so early? I was not even a cook.

"Ma'am?" I asked, surprised.

"What do you mean 'Ma'am'? You work here! We have a VIP customer, and I want you to help him with his order," she explained.

"A VIP customer? Is there such a person?" I asked. I thought all customers were the same, but the manager sounded annoyed.

"Yes, there is. Stop asking questions and just go to work," she said.

I scratched my head and followed her orders. I could not complain because I was just a waitress. But before I started, I looked at my coworkers again. I still did not understand them.

Yesterday, we were friends, but today everything felt different. Were they jealous? Or did I look bad?

I wanted to ask them, but I was getting nervous because the manager was shouting. I quickly put down my bag and took a menu. I went to the VIP table where a man was sitting. He looked like he had been waiting for a long time.

"Good morning, Sir! Here is the menu. You can choose what you want to eat," I said politely.

I could not see his face because he was reading a newspaper. He did not hear me, so I spoke again and waved my hand in front of him. He slowly lowered the newspaper, and I finally saw his face.

"Oh... forgive me, Father," I said quietly when I saw him.

"You?! Wait, are you here to get back at me?" I asked loudly. That was the first thing I thought. It was the man from yesterday. The one I had kicked out. And now, he was back.

"Do you really think that is why I am here?" he asked with a mean smile.

"Well, I do not know! You should leave. You do not belong here. This place will be bad if a person like you is here," I said.

"Is that how you talk to people who eat here? You do not know how to respect a customer," he said.

"Wow, you are talking about respect? You? No way! Respect is something you have to earn!" I said angrily.

"In that case, I will call the manager to teach you a lesson," he said to scare me.

"You are an idiot! And a suck-up, too! You think you are special. Well, for your information, it's not you who pays me!" I yelled.

My voice was so loud that the manager heard me and came over.

"What is wrong, Jillian? Why are you fighting with our customer?" she asked.

"You are wrong, Ma'am! He is the one fighting with me. He is a very mean person. I swear." I said, pointing at him.

"Jillian, have some shame. You should not be mean to customers," the manager yelled at me.

"I am not being mean, Ma'am," I tried to say to defend myself.

"Stop it, Jillian. Do not explain. You should say sorry if you do not want to lose your job," she said. I was very frustrated. I did not want to say sorry, but I needed this job. I needed the money.

"I am sorry, Sir. It will not happen again," I said, but I did not mean it. I only said it so I would not get fired.

"So, you know to say sorry. That is good. Keep doing that," he said. He looked like he wanted to burst out his laugh.

Was something funny about me? I did not see anything funny! That man was crazy to laugh for no reason.