“I am sorry. You are not fit for the job.” The manager politely slid her resume toward her. Disappointment washed over her. It was the second place she had tried that day. The small café shop had a sign that they needed a waitress. Since she had no experience, they rejected her. The first place she tried was a salesperson's job in a small outlet. They asked her about her experience and after knowing what she did for a living, they ushered her out quickly saying they did not need a salesperson. She had never felt so insecure as she did after failing to secure a job in those two days. She had been seeking a job since the previous day when she got a call that she was fired. She was not going to give up. She would find a job soon. She left the café and decided to call it a day. Her phone was dead and she was so tired because she had not been sleeping and eating properly. What she worried the most about was how to inform her mother that she had lost her job and how to bear the expenses.
“What?” She could not believe her ears. Her eyes were about to pop out, “Are you drunk?” That was the best conclusion she could come up with in her state of shock. She heard him chuckle making her frown. “No. I am not drunk. I know what I am talking about. I want to marry you.” He said with all seriousness he could muster. Her reaction was making him amused as much as it was making him nervous. He did not want to show her he was nervous about her answer. Damn! There have not been a lot of events in his life that made him anxious. He was a go-getter in everything, especially in matters concerning women. Also, he did not see the point of why she would reject his offer. But he was indeed anxious. “Are you out of your mind? Why would I marry—you?” She said it like it was the most unbelievable thing she had ever heard. It was exactly how she was feeling. “Look, I have an offer. You marry me for a year and I will take care of everything in your life including your mother. I know she is
“Oh my God Sana, I cannot thank you enough. You have no idea what you have done.” She was on the verge of crying. She had been so emotional considering everything that had happened in the past week. She was unable to find a job, and her mother needed to go to her monthly check-up. For that, she needed money. A piece of paper, without which, they would be kicked out of the apartment and her mother would not be able to continue her treatment. Sana had done her a huge favor. “Don’t be silly. And I’m sorry it took me so long. Dad was busy with his trip, so he could only help once he was back. Thankfully, he was able to secure a job. But, the job is not that high-paid like your previous one.” She could hear the hesitation in Sana’s voice. She chuckled. “Right now, what I need the most is a job even if that is low-paid. I will try to do a part-time job as well if the pay is not enough. Once again, thank you, Sana. I love you!” She blew a kiss making Sana laugh. “Enough with your "thank y
“Olivia, I am going to take a break for a while. Can you handle it?” The friendly bartender asked her and she nodded with a smile. She loved the new work environment. Everyone was so friendly while the people back in the club were always rude to her. She thought that the reason might have been that she was a stripper and was profusely judged because of that. They may have concluded that she was just a money-hungry gold digger. Despite her trying hard to mingle, they distanced themselves. She could not control people’s perceptions though. She gave up eventually after they gave her a cold shoulder. Here, her coworkers were very friendly. It was her fifth day at work, and she was already comfortable and adjusted. Three bartenders handled the people at night. It was not a big bar but an average sized. She was glad that it was not crowded like the club she previously worked at. She was busy serving drinks to the customers when she heard a few taps on the counter. The music was softly p
“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, but she also convinced her manager to give her an 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 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 into the changing room. Before she could go inside, the manager appear
“What did you say?” He asked with clenched teeth. His expression turned harder. She saw how he did not care about getting wet under the rain anymore. The umbrella was long forgotten as he unconsciously lowered it and grabbed it tightly in his hand. Now, both of them were drenched to the core as the heavy rain kept pouring all over them, not caring about anything. She wished she was as carefree as nature at that moment. “I said what you heard.” She spat and turned around. She was not in the mood to argue with him in the middle of the street with people watching like some movie scene was unfolding before them. Before she could get away, he grabbed her wrist and turned her around. “Nobody” He whispered angrily, “Nobody has ever disrespected me like that. I thought losing your job would make you see sense, but no! You are going to regret this.” He glared deep into her eyes making her lose her breath for a second. There were so many emotions—not so-pleasant emotions—in his eyes. She wa
"Doctor, is my mom alright?” His mother had been admitted to the hospital. She started having pain again and started bleeding. She just had her chemo three days ago. Olivia could not understand what the hell happened. “Please come to my office.” Dr. Robert had a serious expression on his face. Olivia followed him with her heart beating harshly. She had been crying non-stop. “Please take a seat.” The doctor told her gently when she kept standing and looking at him worriedly. “I want you to listen to me carefully. What I am going to tell you might shock you.” He said in all seriousness making her take a few deep breaths. She was worried to the core. Why was he behaving that way with her? What was wrong with her mother? “Your mother has entered stage four of cancer.” He told her regretfully. She looked at him dumbfounded. What did he just say? “M-my m-mom has, w-what?” She could not think straight. She just stared at the doctor blankly. She felt like the world had fallen upon her an
There are times when one has to go through the agonizing pain of waiting impatiently for someone—he had faced those situations rarely in his life. It was one of those rare times when he sat by the huge window of the café she had sent the address to and waited for her to arrive. To think that he was behaving weirdly ever since he met her would not be wrong. He was never pushy—never threatened or coerced someone into giving what he wanted. But there was also the fact that he was never rejected or treated indifferently just like how she loved to treat him. Moreover, he also never waited for a woman like he had been waiting for the last hour. Even to himself, he seemed strange. Why was he doing all that? He was sitting and looking at the time when finally, she decided to grace him with her presence. He was glaring at his phone when he heard someone clear their throat. He looked up to find her standing there with all her glory. He could not understand why he was left breathless for a