Chapter 5: Need Quick Job To Earn Money

Abigail didn't know how long she had been dragging her suitcase away from the apartment building under the scorching sun and the suspicious stares of onlookers. She ignored them all and kept walking down the street.

When her legs felt like they might give out and sweat started soaking her entire body, she finally stopped.

Despite her exhaustion, Abigail felt relieved when Ryland's apartment building was no longer in sight. She had arrived at a place she had never visited and was entirely away from his life.

"Where am I now?" Abigail muttered. She looked around but didn't recognize her surroundings.

She had never been to this area, a street lined with cafes, restaurants, shops, and boutiques. The pedestrians looked neat and stylish, and the tall trees and flower beds were neatly arranged along the sidewalk.

Surprisingly, she could see towering office buildings and apartments in the distance.

Abigail gasped in surprise when she realized she was just a few blocks from the central business district, where wealthy people lived. She and Ryland had once dreamed of having an office in this area, where only large companies had their headquarters.

'Oh, my goodness! How far have I walked?'

Abigail smiled bitterly when she checked her digital watch and saw she had walked 20,100 steps, almost nine miles.

Instantly, she felt all her muscles betraying her. She felt too tired and nearly fell. Luckily, she managed to hold on to her suitcase.

She felt her legs swollen and hot, making her longing for a warm bath, though finding a place to stay seemed uncertain.

'I need to find a place to stay tonight before checking out the new studio apartment tomorrow,' she thought while checking her suitcase.

Abigail slowly felt her heartache, and her vision blurred, holding back her tears. She felt exhausted and angry when she noticed that her suitcase had given up on her, with only three wheels left.

She had been so distracted while walking that she hadn't noticed anything until she arrived at this place.

Abigail sighed profoundly and continued toward the bus stop to catch a taxi. After a few steps, she spotted a pretty cafe with two stories and cozy-looking lights not far ahead.

As if something drew her, she found herself standing right before the cafe's entrance.

From outside, she could see the cafe was busy. Three tables were occupied by couples enjoying their afternoon coffee, and only one female barista was handling three people in the queue.

Abigail entered the cafe, dragging her broken suitcase. She felt starving, having eaten only a sandwich in the morning. After walking for three hours, she felt on the brink of collapse.

She needed to eat something, or she'd end up in the emergency room, possibly passing out on the street due to exhaustion—something she didn't want to happen.

After placing her suitcase at a corner table, she queued at the counter to order her food and drink. She waited a few minutes before the female barista finally took her order.

Looking at how exhausted she was, Abigail felt sorry for her. As someone with a barista certificate, she wanted to help her make some coffee.

"Do you work alone?" Abigail asked as the barista began making her iced latte and smoked beef panini for her late lunch.

The barista was surprised by Abigail's question. She smiled faintly and nodded.

"Yes, my friend resigned two days ago, and the other can't come; he has a health issue," she answered politely, though a trace of tiredness flashed in her eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Abigail said sympathetically.

The barista only smiled to respond. However, later, she said, "We opened new recruitment for baristas, but no one has applied yet."

Abigail's curiosity kicked in. After devoting her entire youth to helping her scum ex, Ryland, build his construction business; he betrayed her. Now, she needed a quick job to earn a living before she started looking for better career opportunities.

"What are the terms and conditions to apply?" Abigail asked curiously. Even though she had a barista certificate, she had no experience in the industry.

The barista glanced again at Abigail, surprised by her interest. A glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes as she said, "If you want to apply, you need to show us your barista certificate."

Abigail was taken aback. 'Is it that easy?'

"I see."

"All right, here's your iced latte and smoked beef panini; enjoy," the barista said with a smile.

Abigail accepted her order but didn't immediately return to her table. She asked, "How do I apply?"

The barista walked closer to Abigail, her eyes beaming. "Are you seriously interested? Do you have the certificate?"

"Yes. But honestly, I have no experience working in a cafe. I only make coffee at home," Abigail said, smiling ruefully.

Abigail was worried the woman would reject her. She started feeling nervous as she waited for her response.

"Miss, you don't need work experience. We need someone who can use this machine." A wide smile graced her face as she offered to shake Abigail's hand. "Welcome to the Crimson Leaf Cafe. When do you want to start? Can you start tomorrow?"

Abigail was taken aback. She didn't expect the woman to ask her to start right away. Why was it so easy to get a job here? She felt suspicious. Still, she awkwardly accepted the handshake, "Sis—"

"Call me Lana," she pointed to her name tag. "Eat first. We'll talk about it later. Ah, what's your name?"

"Abigail," she replied before walking to her table.

...

Abigail ate her smoked beef panini and finished her iced latte in just a few minutes. She felt better now, and her mind could focus on the job opportunity.

She glanced at the counter and saw Lana cleaning up. A few customers had left, and no one was waiting to order.

While waiting for Lana to finish, Abigail checked her cell phone. She found many texts and missed calls from Vanessa and Ryland.

She determined to ignore them, not giving them a fuck!

However, her heart skipped a beat as she noticed a text message from Nurse Rosa, a senior nurse at Autumn Garden Nursing House—a nursing house where her grandma now lives.

"Did something happen to Grandma? Oh God... I hope not. I hope she's okay," Abigail's hands trembled as she opened the text, but seconds later, her phone almost slipped when she read the message.