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Chapter One: A Cheater and a Traitor

Adam Bishop

"Good evening, are you guys ready to order?" I asked the couple sitting at a two-seater table with a small notepad in hand, ready to write whatever meal from the menu they wanted to eat, so I could go back to the kitchen and serve the other tables. 

"Uhm... it's our first time here. What can you recommend?" The lady asked politely and I was more than glad to recommend some before going back to the kitchen to give them the customer's order. 

I work at a grill restaurant by the seaside and It's mostly packed at night and lunch. By the time we're done, I'm too beat and I often fall asleep without taking my shoes off or taking a shower.

I encounter different types of customers everyday. Some are polite, some are tourists or first time customers like the couple earlier, families, a group of friends, students, and of course, not a day will pass without you encountering rude ones. Oh, how I love serving them.

"Excuse me." 

I turned to a table and saw three middle aged people. The moment I saw them, I knew what they wanted or what type of customers they were. But as always, I had no choice but to serve them with a polite smile on my face. 

"What can I help you with, ma'am?" 

The older woman with dyed blonde hair spat out a piece of meat from her mouth to the table and I had to suppress a wince of disgust. 

"My food had hair in it." The woman stated, picking up a strand of hair from the half-eaten plate. 

Great, rude and mannerless people. Just my lucky day. 

"Mine's cold and the chicken still had blood on it." Another woman with purple hair complained, pushing the almost empty plate in front of her. 

They both looked expectantly at the man they are with and he put on an annoyed look on his face. "You gave me the wrong meal!"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. It's not often, but I do encounter shameless customers like them who will make up some complaints, just to get free food. How else would you explain complaints when they are almost done eating?

Still, we were not allowed to talk back to our customers, no matter how rude they were. No matter how much I want to scream at them, I don't have the luxury to lose this job. I have been working here for three years since I had to leave college when my father died when I was eighteen. My mother had just given birth then and I knew she couldn't support us both so I needed to choose between my dream or family, I obviously chose the latter, and now I am supporting my mother who's looking after my two-year old brother. 

Life can be unfair sometimes, but if you let it defeat you or get to you, life won't be fair. You gotta beat it and fight. 

"We won't pay for this!" The blonde woman said loudly while slamming her hand on the table. 

"Ma'am, I understand you are not satisfied with our service, I can compensate you for your meal, but sir here already finished the meal," I said calmly, pointing at his plate before turning to the woman with purple hair. "And ma'am I'm sorry but you're almost done with your meal as well. I'm afraid you two will have to pay for your meal."

What happened next was already a familiar scenario for me. The blonde woman purposely created a scandal to get a free meal, but I was not having it. Do they have any idea who will pay for the meal they are refusing to pay for? I'm not even earning much and they want me to pay for their meal? 

"I'm sorry, ma'am. If you refuse to pay for the food you ate, we will have to call the cops." 

As expected, they demanded the manager, but I was prepared. Joe, my manager, was not having it either. He knew I was on the right. We escorted them outside and after threatening to call the cops, they were forced to pay with a promise to get back at us next time. 

"I'm surprised you did not lash out on them, man. That isn't you." Charlie, a fellow waiter with a big build who went out with us just in case, told me, making me scoff. 

"I can't afford to lose this job. It's shit, but the pay is good. I'm not a college graduate, how many restaurants do you think will hire someone like me?"

I fight back and I won't back down, but I know when to swallow my tongue. My attitude won't feed my family. My pride won't put food on our table. 

"True." Charlie agreed and we went back inside to continue our shift until it's closing time. 

Today, however, I won't be going home. I already sent a message to my mother that I might not be able to go home because Josh and I will be celebrating our one-year anniversary. 

A smile bloomed on my face as I inhaled the air and walked my way to the nearest bakery shop to buy a cake. I can only afford a small and cheap cake, but I hope Josh will love it. I will give it to him along with a letter I wrote. We've only been dating for a year but I really love him. 

I met him at the restaurant more than a year ago. He asked for my number and I turned him down at first because I wasn't interested in dating. I wanted nothing but to work and earn for my family, but he didn't give up. He came to the restaurant a few times with his friends or families while repeatedly asking for my number until I just gave up and gave him a chance. 

A year later, it was the best choice I've ever made. I love him. He's my first boyfriend and he's my first in everything. Hell, dating is hard when you're gay. I tried going out with someone when I was in high school, but they are often in the closet or bisexual. You don't ever want to go out with either. Closeted gays will make you feel like shit while bisexuals are mostly fuckboys. 

I couldn't stop the smile on my face, excited to see my boyfriend after not seeing him for a week now. He's a college student taking up nursing and I knew how busy they could get so I understand. I miss him so much and I can't wait to hold him again. To make love to him on our special day after dancing to our favorite song. 

I went to his condo without sending him a text because I wanted to surprise him. He called me this morning to greet me, promising to celebrate when he's free and telling me he will be busy, but a few hours of his time won't hurt, right? 

I already knew his password so I just went right in. Nothing could have prepared me for what I witnessed next, however. The cake I was holding dropped on the floor as well as my heart. Because right in front of me are my boyfriend and my best friend, Geneva, going at it like it was the end of the world. Along with their sounds of pleasure is the sound of my heart breaking.

When they heard the sound of the cake falling, they both turned to look at me, scrambling to get away from each other. 

"Babe, this is not what it looks like, I swear." Josh, who was now standing in front of me, said while Geneva was pale as she tried to cover herself. 

"Let me guess, she accidentally fell on your dick?" I asked sarcastically but tears were already prickling my eyes. 

Suddenly, the letter I wrote that was in my pocket felt like a ton that was weighing me down.

"It's nothing, okay? You're the one I love."

I let out a bitter smile while picking up the cake I bought. "This is why you shouldn't date a bisexual. Look at me wasting an entire week's worth of my salary for this." I chuckled to myself, sighing at the now ruined cake. 

"Please let me explain, okay? She came to me. Babe—"

I didn't let him finish as I smashed the cake to his face, making sure to cover his entire face with the icing. 

"There. Now it's not wasted. Money well spent. Shut up, will you? It's bad enough that I let you fuck me with your four-inches dick and you just had to cheat on me?" I laughed to myself before looking at Geneva. "Really, Gen? You can do better than that."

"I-I'm sorry, Adam." She stuttered with tears in her eyes and I just rolled my eyes at her. 

"Oh, save it to someone who cares. You guys make a better couple. Have a nice life."

I turned on my heels, ignoring Josh as he called my name. I walked out, hands still sticky from cake with tears now falling from my eyes. When I was far from them, I leaned against a wall and broke down. He was my everything. I gave him everything. I thought he was the one. I thought he was the silver lining in my situation, but he turned out to be just an asshole. 

In the middle of my breakdown, I received a notification from the bank, reminding me of the total debt we had. My father owes a lot of money, and unfortunately, it has been passed on me. I thought that's it, my night couldn't get any worse, until I received a message from Charlie, saying that he overheard the manager firing some employees and he heard my name. 

I wanted to scream until my voice broke. I wanted to smash everything. I just want everything to end. 

"Why don't you just kill me?!" I screamed at the sky, hoping whoever's there could hear me. "Is this fair?! What did I ever do to you, huh?! What did I do to deserve this?!" 

I didn't know what I was doing next. My mind just went blank. One moment, I was mindlessly walking on the side of the road until I heard the sound of a honk, the screech of brake, and the next thing I knew, I was flying and my body fell with a loud thud. 

Before I lost consciousness, I could have sworn I saw a white figure with a cloak covering their face.