Since they were still on the way, Amy asked Miguel, “Are we still far from Mr. Hoffner’s apartment?” “Probably twenty or thirty minutes left, miss. If the traffic stays as it is now.” Amy nodded. “Thank you.” Then she leaned her back on the car seat. If Samuel would give her a loan, it might solve her problem temporarily. Eventually, she must pay it back. Her mind was wandering to think how she could find money. As she hadn’t graduated yet, it would be hard to work full time. But she might try some part-time jobs. That’s when Amy remembered about Caroline. Since Caroline wasn’t from the rich family, she worked hard to pay for her college’s tuition. So, Amy texted her friend. ‘Hey, Caro, I wonder if you can help me find one or two part-time jobs?’ Caroline replied after a while, ‘Sure! The cafe where I work needs a few additional servers and baristas. You can send me your CV. I will send it to our personnel manager.’ ‘Oh, thanks! I’ll send it tonight or tomorrow morning. You are
Amy pulled her hand and stood right away. She walked farther from him. It was wrong to place too much hope on a stranger, even if the stranger was a billionaire. Who would have thought that Samuel Hoffner was a pervert? “Ms. Brooke, please sit down. I won’t force you to do something you don’t want,” Samuel said. “If it will make you more comfortable, I’ll put on my clothes first.” Then he left her to go to his bedroom. Amy bit her lower lip. If she didn’t need money badly, she wouldn’t think twice and already left the apartment. But considering Samuel might help her, who knew if waiting for a while and talked to him might change the situation into a better one? Who knew if Samuel only tested her? So, she finally returned to the couch, but she only slightly put her bottom a little on the couch. After his improper question and action, Amy prepared to bolt if Samuel showed any sign to harass her. She wanted to weep. In the past, she wouldn’t be concerned about groveling for money. But
Samuel drove Amy to the hospital. It was already late at night when they arrived at the hospital. He parked his silver sports car and accompanied her inside. “Thank you for driving me to the hospital. You can return now,” Amy said. “Can I see your sister?” “Oh, sure!” Amy and Samuel walked to lift. After passing two levels, they walked to the fifth room there. “Jillian, my sister, is here. The last time I left her, she was still unconscious. I hope her condition has improved now.” It was dark inside since the lamp wasn’t turned on yet. The only light was the moonlight from the window. Amy bit her lower lip, feeling guilty for leaving her sister longer than necessary. She left when it was still bright there. Amy pushed the switch, and the room was bright immediately. Then she pulled the curtain. Samuel stood near the bed. He stared at Jillian for a few seconds. “Amy? Can we talk outside?” Samuel asked. “Sure, but let me check Jillian’s condition first.” She approached Jill
Amy sent her CV that night to Caroline. Her friend promised she would send it to the personnel manager the first thing in the morning. Though it was still a work application, Amy felt like there was a hope, and that eventually, everything would be all right. The next day, she went to the center of the Jewelry Palace. It had several outlets at malls and in some of the most elite residences in the capital and also in other cities. But the center was the first place her parents built thirty years ago. Amy stopped outside, staring at the twenty-five levels building from afar. Her lips quivered and she must clench her hands together to stop herself from shedding her tears. The building was the landmark of her parents’ hard work. How could she let her uncle take it away from her? There must be something she could do to fight it back. Somehow, she could only think of Samuel. As he had already promised her, he would take care of everything, even things related to her uncle. Should she ac
Kelly showed Amy the front room first. It was the cafe dining room with some food displayed there. The customers could check their menu from the board on the wall or see the sample of the food displayed on the transparent showcase. “Can I take the food from the display and send it to the customers?” Amy asked. “If the customers ask for them, yes, you can, but ensure the food temperature first. Let’s say the customers want the cake, bread, or donuts hot. Never give the already cold ones to them.” Amy nodded. “I see.” “We will add ice creams soon on our menu, as our customers often come with children,” Kelly said again. “Maybe we will only sell the ice creams on some specific days.” “Only on the weekends?” Amy stared at Kelly. “It’s a good option, as most families visit us on the weekends. But I will give you an additional task, starting from today.” Kelly smiled. “Are you ready?” Amy nodded quickly. “Sure! What is it?” “Pay attention to our customers. Please take a note if an
Meanwhile, Samuel visited Vivian, his grandmother, as she called him to express how she was sad not to see him. Though they just met last week, Vivian loved seeing her grandson frequently. So, she pestered him to go to her house. Samuel smiled while driving his black sports car. While women often got dressed according to their moods, he loved choosing various sports cars to drive. Samuel had at least ten different brands of sports cars with different colors; all of his cars were the most expensive international brands. This time, he chose black because he didn’t want his grandmother to tease him again. The last time he went to his grandmother’s house with a red car was after he sent Cecilia home. Vivian teased him endlessly about his car’s color as a sign of upcoming nuptials and joy. Sighing when thinking of his grandmother, Samuel could never be angry at Vivian. He adored her because she was the only family he got left. After his parents’ deaths, Samuel had lived with Vivian for f
Samuel grinned to see how curious his grandmother was. So, he teased her. “Grandma, what will you give me to reveal your future granddaughter-in-law?” “What are you talking about?” Vivian grunted. “Everything I have is yours. What else do you want?” “I only teased you, Grandma.” Samuel patted his grandmother’s hand. “I know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.” He gave her a sad smile. “I didn’t remember my mother and father. But I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.” Vivian took a deep breath. “You are a poor thing.” Then she repeated things she already told Samuel so many times. “Emily, your mother, died when you were still three—breast cancer.” Vivian shook her head. “It’s when Bob’s world collapsed. I had never seen such a loving couple as them …. It seemed … Bob couldn’t live when Emily was gone ….” Her tears flowed to her cheeks, remembering his late son. “Grandma, you told this already. Please don’t be sad. It’s in the past.” “I know, but it still felt like yesterday.
As it was a part-time job with a six hours shift, at 4 p.m. Amy could go home. Caroline and some servers also went home, but the rest of the servers who worked full-time kept working. “Hey, Caro, what do you want for dinner?” Amy asked. “It's a celebration that I got the job.” “Ah, great! But not now. It’s better you treat me when you have already received your first salary. It would feel much better. Right now, I can’t eat as freely as I want.” Amy grinned, knowing her friend only teased her. Caroline knew how hard it was for her because of the debt she must pay. “Okay, then.” Then she remembered her plan to meet his uncle. If she was in a hurry, she might be able to talk to her uncle. “I’ll go now. See you tomorrow.” “Take care!” Then Amy ordered a taxi. Tomorrow, she would ask Caroline for cheaper public transportation since she would be broke soon if she kept using taxis everywhere. After telling the driver her destination, she took a deep breath. Preparing to have a talk wit