Chapter 3

I said, "I'm merely speaking the truth."

Then, I stopped smiling and added, "Uncle Liam, Aunt Jane, you two are my elders, and I respect you. But I will not hold back against anyone who tries to make a move on my cafe. Whatever Dad promised the Leroys, he can deal with it himself."

Liam shot to his feet furiously. "You… You're impossible!"

He and Jane stormed out without taking a single sip of their lemonade.

The next few days felt like an endless loop. Uncles, aunts, cousins, and every relative who could come showed up.

They all said more or less the same things—Dad had it hard, so I should be more understanding.

They also stressed that the Leroy family was struggling, so I should be kind.

And since we were family, we should value harmony. They advised me to back down.

I went through the motions in more or less the same way for a few days.

Just when I thought this would drag on forever, Jared showed up uninvited.

I was in the back kitchen testing out a new coffee grinder when one of my staff from the front came running in.

"Hugh, someone's here to see you."

I washed my hands and went out.

The moment I stepped out, I saw Dad sitting at a table by the window with Jared standing beside him. He was wearing that same plaid shirt. As always, his hair was slicked back with enough gel to make it shine.

A bulging canvas bag sat on the table.

Dad spoke up first. "I brought Jared here to learn the trade from you. He's decided not to buy a house for now. He wants to get a proper job and work for a while."

He didn't mention the house again. I stopped drying my hands.

Dad continued, "You're short of staff anyway. Let him work here. Just provide room and board. You can decide his salary. The kid's smart and a quick learner."

Jared grinned. "I'll work hard. I promise."

I didn't spare Jared a glance. I just looked at Dad.

I asked, "Dad, what exactly is our relationship now?"

Dad froze for a moment before responding, "Legally, we're father and son."

I continued, "But here, in this cafe, what are we? Are you a shareholder, a business partner, or the manager?"

Dad's expression darkened. "What are you getting at?"

I continued, "I'm asking what gives you the right to bring a complete stranger into my cafe and demand that I give him a job."

Dad raised his voice. "What do you mean by stranger? He's Gavin's son. He's practically family. He's the reason our family got through those hard times!"

My voice remained steady as I said firmly, "In my cafe, I only recognize two kinds of people—employees and customers. Is he here to apply for a job? Does he have the required food-handler certification? Does he have any experience working as a waiter?"

Jared cut in, "Hugh, my brother, I promise I'll learn and work hard…"

I turned to him sharply and said, "What brother? My surname is Cohen. Yours is Leroy. We're not related."

The smile on Jared's face froze.

Dad shot up, causing the chair legs to scrape harshly across the floor.

He berated, "Since when have you become so cold-blooded? If we give up a little profit, we can save an entire family!"

I repeated the word, "We? Who's we?"

Dad glared at me.

I said each word slowly, "This is my cafe. My loans. My rent. My equipment. My ingredients. I wake up at 4:00 am every day and go to bed at 1:00 am. I drink my own expired milk and leftover food no one wants. I haven't paid myself a salary in six months.

"What about you? Other than claiming we're in this together, what have you actually done?"

I walked over to the register, opened the drawer, and pulled out last month's gas bill.

"Do you know how much the gas bill went up this month? Do you know how much I had to pay when the local authorities came for an inspection just to avoid getting fined? Do you know how many regular customers I lost because of the noisy construction next door?"

I slapped the bill onto the table.

I said evenly, "You don't understand any of it. All you know is how to take what belongs to me and trade it for your reputation."

Dad's face flushed and paled rapidly. He pointed a trembling finger at me and scolded, "You wretch!"

I nodded and said, "Yes, I'm a wretch. Because I refuse to hand over my own life to someone else."

Just then, Jared spoke up. "Leonard, maybe we should just forget it. Hugh doesn't seem to want me here—"

"Don't be afraid!" Dad grabbed his arm and turned toward me. "You're taking him whether you like it or not. You have to. If you don't, I'm sitting right here, and I'm not leaving!"