Chapter 2

When I got back to the shop, I pushed open the door to the little room I had been using as a bedroom and shoved my suit catalog deep into the bottom of my suitcase.

This room used to be a storage closet. I had cleared it out myself and made it livable. The bed was a folding cot that I kept against the wall, and the wardrobe was something I had found at a secondhand store.

Back then, Harriet had stood in the doorway watching me work. She even laughed. "Just hang in there a little longer. Once we get the new house, you won't have to live somewhere like this anymore."

I believed her.

Behind the door, the countdown board I had made myself was still hanging in place. It had started at 180 days, and every morning since then, I would cross off another day.

Today, there was only one day left.

I stood there for a while, staring at it, before finally reaching up and taking it down. There was not much to pack, so I was ready in no time. By the time Harriet returned, I was already dragging my suitcase toward the door.

She stopped the moment she saw me.

"Where are you going?"

"There's an open bed in the employee dorm. I'm moving in."

She immediately blocked the doorway. "Enzo, are you seriously going to do this?"

I did not look up. I just tightened my grip on the handle of my suitcase. "I want to sleep somewhere with a window."

She stared at me. "The dorms are crowded. It won't be comfortable."

I finally looked up. "So, living in a storage room is comfortable?"

She fell silent for a moment. Then, her voice softened. "There's really nothing we can do about Jeff right now. Can't you just give us some space?"

I nodded. "Sure."

She seemed relieved. She reached for my suitcase, but I pulled it away.

"I can handle it myself."

That night, I moved into the employee dorm.

The next day was the grand opening of our fifth location.

I arrived at 6:00 am. The first thing I noticed was the new promotional banner hanging outside. The section that was supposed to have my name on it now had Jeff's. He stood beside Harriet in a brand-new uniform.

One of the employees joked that he was the new boss.

Jeff lowered his head and accepted it without saying a word.

I walked over and stopped in front of Harriet. "Who changed the banner?"

She pulled me aside.

"The evaluators need proof of income. Jeff needs to be listed as a co-founder." She lowered her voice. "He helped with the shop's promotion and interior design. It's not like we just put his name there for no reason."

I stared at her. "During those two years when we were running the food cart, you had a high fever. Who finished delivering all those orders for you? When our first shop opened, who stayed in the kitchen until his legs were shaking and still refused to leave?"

Her brows furrowed. "I know how much you've done. But you don't need a banner to prove your worth. Jeff is different. Right now, he needs that proof."

The host called her from the front, and Harriet straightened her cuff. "Don't cause a scene today. I'll explain everything later."

I said nothing.

The opening ceremony began. Harriet took the microphone, then turned and reached for Jeff's hand. "The person I owe the biggest thank-you to is Jeff. He took on so much of the work and stayed by my side through the hardest times."

The crowd burst into applause.

Someone lifted Tania up onto the stage. Harriet gently touched the little girl's head and smiled.

I turned and walked into the kitchen. The oil in the pan had just heated up when a drop splattered onto the back of my hand. Harriet came in to grab something and noticed the red mark.

"What happened?"

I did not answer.

She glanced outside, then looked back at my hand. "Run it under some cold water. Don't let it affect service later."

I gave a quiet response and held my hand beneath the faucet.

A few minutes later, we heard a commotion outside.

Tania had knocked over a glass of water. Harriet immediately handed the microphone to someone else, picked up the little girl, and carried her into the break room.

After the opening ceremony ended, Harriet called me into her office. A new staff assignment sheet was waiting on her desk.

"For now, Jeff will be listed as the manager of the new location."

I flipped through the pages. Then, I looked up. "What about me?"

"You're going back to the main store." She sat in her chair, looking at me with a calm, steady expression. "We can't run the kitchen without you. You know the entire process, and you're willing to do the hard work."

I was quiet for a moment, then I placed the assignment sheet back on the desk. "Got it."

The tension left her face. "Enzo, I knew you'd understand. Once things settle down, I'll make it up to you."

I slipped my burned hand into my sleeve without saying another word.