Chapter 11: Chapter 11

“I am going, mom.” She smiled kissing her mother’s cheek and went out of the apartment. She was in a really good mood. Not only she had secured a job, she also convinced her manager to give her advance salary. The monthly rent was due and she had been postponing the owner of the apartment for weeks. Now, she did not have to worry about that. Her mother’s chemo would also continue smoothly. Last time, it was delayed.

She reached the bar smiling to herself. After so many days, she felt such pleasant feelings.

“Hey, Rose.” She greeted her coworker cheerfully.

“Hi Olivia, you seem so happy today.” Rose commented. She had hardly seen her smile except when she greeted the customers. It had been hardly a week since they met, but she really liked the innocent girl so much. What she could guess was that she had been through a lot.

“Yeah. Things are finally going well.” She said with a smile and took her uniform to change in the changing room. Before she could go inside, the manager appeared.

“Hey girls, how are you two?” He greeted making Olivia smile. The manager was polite. They had hardly communicated with each other except the first day when he welcomed her and the previous day when she requested for advance salary of one month. Both the times, he dealt with her with manners.

“We’re good.” They replied in unison. The manager smiled but his expression changed when he glanced at Olivia.

“Miss Olivia, mind if I talk to you for a second?” He addressed her and told her to follow him to his office. Her brows furrowed with confusion.

“What happened?” Rose whispered. She was as confused as Olivia was.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged but went to follow him nonetheless. She could not shake the feelings of worry.

She knocked at the door and was called in.

“Please take a seat.” He told her politely. She took a seat in front of him.

“I know it has not been that long since you started working here, but I have a bad news.” He hesitated before continuing, making Olivia worried to no end, “I have to fire you. I don’t have any options.” He told her helplessly. Her eyes widened with surprise. She had not thought she would be fired just like that.

“But sir, what did I do wrong?” She was unable to think of a slight mistake to justify her losing her job. All the good mood vanished into the thin year.

“Nothing. But I don’t have any choice. We have to cut down the number of our staff on the direction of the owner.” He said. It was evident that he regretted saying all that to her, but he truly seemed helpless.

But what about her? What was her fault? She could not understand what to say and do to reverse things, but it was now impossible as the manager slid an envelope before her.

“It contains your one week salary and some compensation amount for tiring you so sudden. I hope you find a new job soon.” He said his final words as he received a call and got busy with the phone. It was her cue to stand up and leave the office.

She was on the verge of crying. Just as everything was going well for her, she lost her job without any fault. She could not think of what to do.

She did not know how she reached the counter. She only snapped out of her thoughts when Rose shook her arm.

“What happened, Olivia? What did he say?” Rose asked her worriedly. Olivia’s did not seem alright.

“Nothing besides the fact that I am fired.” She said with a sad smile. But Rose noticed how sad she sounded.

“What? But why?” She asked with surprise. It had never happened in the bar. They always gave a one month notice before firing someone.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged as she gathered her things with a defeated feeling. Nobody could guess what she was going through at that moment. She felt like her world was about to collapse. The job was her only hope and it also shattered.

“I will talk to the manager.” Rose was about to go to his office when Olivia stopped her.

“No. He clearly said that I was fired and even gave me the salary of the past week.” She told Rose and grabbed her bag.

“Goodbye, Rose. I hope we will still be friends.” She tried to put a smile and a strong façade. She did not want Rose to confront the manager and lose her job in return. She knew the importance of having a job that did not let you die. Rose was a good person. She did not want to lose her after losing her job.

“We are friends, Olivia.” She could feel sadness emitting from Rose. It was funny how close they had become in that one week. The job did not last, but she still had a good time there.

She left the bar feeling empty. Her mind was numb, and she did not know how she would be able to get a new job. She had already asked Sana for a favor once, so she could not do that again. She had a lot of self-respect. She did not want to bother anyone because of her problems.

It was raining slightly. The rain was a wonder in the month of July. She had a light chiffon shirt on and cotton pants. She was already drenched as she kept standing in the parking for a few minutes.

She could not find any cabs, so she started walking towards home. It was fifteen minutes away from the bar, on foot. The rain did not trouble her at all. In fact, it helped her hide her tears. She felt so defeated. Everything and everyone seemed to be against her.

First, she loses her father. Second, her mother is on the verge of leaving the world. Third, she loses her job. Fourth, she loses her last hope.

She had never been ungrateful in life. Even when her mother’s condition got worse every time, she held herself together. She had never complained from God. But that day, she did! She let all the tears flow along the rain drops that wetted her face and body.

At least, nobody would be able to tell that she was pouring her heart out along with the dark clouds—or so she thought.

She was walking with small steps when she felt the rain suddenly stopped pouring on her. she looked up slightly to see that it was not the rain that had stopped but somebody had placed an umbrella over her head.

She slightly turned around to see who had done that when she came face to face with none other than Mr. Thomas himself.

She kept looking at him strangely. He noticed that it was not only the raindrops that had drenched her face. He felt a slight tinge of guilt for being responsible for her condition.

He had been waiting for her to come out of the bar as he knew that she would get fired, and he would get the opportunity to present his offer again. But she looked so broken that it was making him feel bad.

He could not back away though. He wanted her to accept his offer. He himself was left without a choice.

“What are you doing here?” She asked in a hoarse voice. He was finding it hard to look at her eyes directly.

“I was waiting for you.” He replied truthfully. The umbrella he was holding was covering both of them. He was standing closer to her than she would have liked.

“I don’t want anyone’s help or pity. You can leave me alone.” She said after confusing the look of guilt in his eyes as that of pity. She turned around and started walking again. This time, with speed. She did not want to be near him or anyone else.

She wanted to be alone—to sulk in her own feelings of misery.

She could still feel hi walking behind her as the rain would stop pouring on her every time and then.

“Wait, Olivia!” He called from behind, but she ignored him and kept walking.

He felt his steps matching hers from behind until he was right by her side.

“I want to talk.” He said breathing heavily. The rain was getting heavier by each second.

“I don’t want to talk.” She replied while continuing to walk. She suddenly felt his fingers grabbing her arm halting her steps. Her anger soared.

“What the fuck is your problem? Why aren’t you leaving me alone?” She lashed out in the middle of the street. Her chest moved rapidly with how heavily she was breathing. A passerby gave them weird looks but passed by them without interfering.

Silence fell upon them while the heavy sound of rain hitting the floor filled their ears. Thomas kept staring at her without a word. He could not find the right words to say to her.

“I want to get it done with. What do you want? Why are you making my life a hell by appearing again and again? What the fuck did I do wrong to you to deserve this?” She shouted with all the remaining energy she had left inside of her making him surprised. It was the first time he was truly watching her lose control.

“I want you to marry me.” He repeated his stance making her go mad with anger.

“I don’t want to marry you or anyone else for that matter. I have told you numerous times that I will not marry you. First, you appear with your stupid offer and then you harass me with your warnings and threats. You cannot force me to agree to your despicable offer. Do you have any idea how pathetic you are? I have never seen a loser like you.” She poured all the anger she felt for him in that moment.

She did not have anything to lose, so she did not need to be afraid of anything or anyone.

She felt his eyes get red with anger.

“That makes the two of us.” She thought glaring at him dangerously.