CHAPTER ONE — AN UNPREDICTABLE OUTCOME.

Chapter 01.

AN UNPREDICTABLE OUTCOME.

Brianna's POV.

Storming into the restroom, I quickly got into one of the stalls and locked myself in.

“Not now, please.” I said, my hands trembling as I poured out some pills from the pill box into my hand and threw them into my mouth.

Drinking a bottle of water, I swallowed the pills, and dropped the empty bottle on the sink counter. Letting out a shaky breath, I gripped the edge of the sink and then closed my eyes for a moment as I tried to pull myself together.

After staying that way for a few minutes, I opened my eyes, gripped the empty pill box and bottle water and tossed them into the garbage bin at a corner and then strode out of the restroom. However, as I returned to the mart, I noticed that there was chaos in the place.

“What's going on, Tracy?” I asked, walking towards her from behind.

Standing beside the rack which had grocery items arranged on it, was a cop with a pen and notepad, ready to take down the statement of the young woman standing in front of him.

“Why are there cops here?” I asked, coming to a stop as I got to where she stood.

“Where did you go to?” she asked, speaking through her teeth as she gripped my arm and pulled me into a corner. “Don't you think that if there was any reason for you to leave your seat, you should have told someone that you wanted to step out? Why did you leave without telling anyone?”

“Did something happen?” I asked, the words seemed to drag themselves from my throat.

“Are you kidding me right now?” she asked, letting out a scoff. “Do you think the cops would be here if nothing happened? Really? What are you thinking about, Brianna? Of course something happened; someone carted away goods worth a thousand dollars while you went out.”

As her words fell upon my ears, my skin crawled.

“Wait a minute,” I asked, blinking my eyes rapidly as I took a step backward in order to understand what she meant by those words. “I don't understand; what do you mean by someone carted away goods worth over a thousand dollars? I mean, that's not possible.”

“Really? Is that what you think?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest as she looked me straight in the eyes with a raised brow. “Look around, Brianna. Is there a better way to explain the presence of the cops here? I'm telling you that someone stole goods worth a thousand dollars and all you've to say to me is if it's possible? Do you even know what kind of situation you're in right now, huh?”

“No, it–it doesn't make any sense.” I stuttered, shaking my head. “I only stepped out for a few—”

“Seconds, right?” she asked, stealing the words from my lips.

“Yes. I was only away for a few seconds.” I said, in a soft voice and with a subtle nod my head. “So, there's no way someone would come in here and steal goods worth over that amount.”

“You still don't believe it, do you?” she asked, the look on her face telling me that the earlier I accepted the reality of things, the better for me. “I am sorry, Brianna. But it seems you've finally gotten yourself into some real trouble here.”

“Do you really expect me to believe what you're saying right now? It doesn't make any sense.” I said, my eyes suddenly moist with tears. “I wasn't even away for up to a minute and now that I'm back I'm being told that someone stole goods worth over a thousand dollars. It just doesn't add up. What about the CCTV cameras? Didn't it—”

“Don't even go there.” she said, cutting me off as she shook her head. “You will only be disappointed. It didn't capture the face of whoever stole the goods. What am I even saying? There was nothing on the footage. Nothing at all.”

“No, that–that can't be true.” I said, blinking back tears as I shook my head and pushed my fingers through my hair. “There has to be something on that footage. Anything at all.”

“Hey, there's nothing.” she said, putting a hand on my shoulder as she lowered her head and looked into my eyes. “So don't even try to put your hopes on it.”

“So what do I do now?” I asked, trying to quell the sob rising in my throat. “What becomes of me?”

The words had barely left my lips when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. As I turned, I noticed that the woman who was being questioned by the cop pointed a finger towards the door. Curious to know what she was pointing to, I turned around.

But there was nothing there. When I returned my attention to her, she pinched her fingers together, as if trying to show how small. And after that, she lifted a hand. From the way she acted, I could tell that she was trying to describe the man — whoever he was that stole the goods, to the cop. But that wasn't all.

As if trying to lift something from the back of her neck to the top of her hair, she moved her hands. Although, I knew that Tracy was talking to me and I didn't mean to ignore her words, but I'd to know what the woman was trying to say.

Still watching her, as if trying to close a zipper, she ran a hand from the bottom of her blouse to the top, and then tried to shove her hands into the pockets of the blouse. But when I looked closely, I noticed that the blouse she was putting on had no pockets.

Tilting my head from side to side with pursed lips, it was then I realized what she was trying to say: the man whole stole the goods was putting on a jacket with hood.

“Hey, are you even listening to me right now?” Tracy asked, her voice breaking in on my thoughts as she nudged me in the arm. “Don't tell me I've been talking to myself for the past five minutes. What were you looking at?”

“I am so sorry.” I said, returning my attention to her with an apologetic look in my eyes. “I guess I must have been carried away. So what were you saying?”

“It doesn't matter anymore.” she said, forcing a smile through her lips. “I guess you'll figure it out by yourself one way or the other.”

“Come on, Tracy. I didn't mean to—”

“It's nothing really.” she said, taking some steps back as she withdrew herself from me.

Heaving a sigh, I watched as she walked away from me with her back in front for a few seconds, before finally turning around. Still, I watched her until she was out of sight.

“Miss Brooks!” — the voice came from behind.

“Yes, sir.” I answered, turning around.

There he was — Mr Yang, beckoning on me with a hand.

Without delay, I walked towards him to know what he had to say concerning the issue. In as much as I was listening to Tracy, I was also sweeping my eyes all over the place, trying to find him.

“I guess you must have learned of what happened, right?” he asked, something in his voice caused my heart to skip a beat.

“Yes, sir.” I said, in a soft voice, lowering my head as my face grew warm with shame.

“Good. I just received a call from the Williams family to come over right now and discuss what happened behind closed doors.” he said, with an edge to his voice. “I guess we'll never really know until I return.”

He turned his head in the direction of my seat and glanced at it for a few seconds before returning his gaze to me.

“Sir, I only stepped out—”

“Miss Brooks?”

“I need you to listen to me, sir. It just doesn't make any sense that someone came in here and carted away goods worth over a thousand dollars.” I said, with a broken voice as my eyes burned with tears. “There has to be something—”

“Miss Brooks!”

My spine stiffened at the curt note in his voice, causing me to stop talking at once.

“I can't do this with you right now.” he said, shaking his head. “However, I will let you know about the outcome of the meeting when I return. But in keep in mind that there could be a thirty percent deduction from your salary each month to repay for the goods that were stolen. However, in the meantime, I need you to take off that shirt; you're done for the day.”