Sophia’s POV
It was hard taking Tina’s help mostly because I still felt I didn’t deserve her help but I had tried things on my own without anyone’s help and it had gotten me nowhere. It was time to accept help regardless of how undeserving I was of it.
“I just know you are going to ace it,” Tina waggled her brows, a bright smile on her face. “Who knows? If Marty is happy with your service tonight, you might even become a permanent staff!”
“I hope so too.” I said, holding back a sudden wave of nausea and anxiety.
I wasn’t nearly as confident as Tina was about this but I desperately hoped her prediction would come true. I desperately wanted to contribute and help out with our living expenses.
Staying with Tina, six weeks had gone by so quickly that I could barely believe it and in that time the press had quickly forgotten about the modern day Cinderella the moment a new scandal came up.
In fact, I barely made a footnote in the news of the extravagant engagement of Jerry Baxter and Kate.
On the other hand, I had been trying and failing to secure a job until Tina put in a good word for me at a reputable high-end restaurant where I had been working for the past two weeks as a temporary part-time staff.
They paid well and I knew if they took me as a permanent staff today after the owner’s visit, my pay would double if not triple and I would be able to work overtime.
I needed that money. I couldn’t rely on Tina forever and Mom was still in the hospital receiving treatment.
I guess I still had one thing to be thankful to the Baxters for since they continued to pay for her treatment despite the divorce but I didn’t know when their grace would end and I would need to take over Mom’s payments.
“Stop worrying,” Tina said nudging my shoulder and drawing my attention back to the present. “Everything is going to turn out well.”
I smiled at my friend, my queasiness subsiding momentarily.
“Alright, I’ll stop worrying. Everything will be fine.”
Spoiler alert. Everything didn’t turn out well.
“You have table six.”
After I attended two tables, I almost puked on my way to my next table.
The grilled cheese sandwich I had before work was determined to come back up.
Pushing down my nausea, I reached table six.
“Good evening and welcome to Renaissance. What would-” I recited only to freeze when I noticed the people I would be serving tonight.
It was Jerry and Kate. My ex-husband and his fiance.
“Look, honey, someone finally found her place.” Kate snickered, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
To think that the last time I had seen Jerry, I had sworn to take revenge on him. Now I was going to serve him.
My cheeks burned in embarrassment and I wanted nothing more than to leave but if I wanted to earn enough to continue Mom’s treatment, I needed this job.
Swallowing hard, I focused on the menu in my hands instead of the faces of the two people who had hurt me in different ways.
“What can I get you?” I asked in an even tone.
Kate giggled, unable to hide her delight at my predicament.
“We’ll get the house’s special,” Jerry said finally with a curt tone. “Without alcohol for my fiance.”
“Yes sir.” I said taking down the order before leaving as fast as I could.
I felt all shades of anger and embarrassment.
I had never been embarrassed of my job before. Mom had taught me that no matter what job I took, as long as it was honest work, I should be proud of it.
But serving both of them made me feel small in a way that disturbed me.
Serving their food went uneventfully apart from Kate tripping me but thankfully I managed to catch myself in time.
They rang their bell for the check and when I went to give it to them, Kate was looking around the table harriedly, her hand at her chest.
“Jerry, my necklace,” She exclaimed. “It’s gone.”
“Calm down, Kate, I’m very sure it’s around here somewhere,” Jerry tried pacifying her but Kate was on a roll.
She spun to face me, a cruel look on her face.
“Wait a minute, did you steal it? You bumped into me earlier on!”
My jaw very nearly dropped. I only bumped into her because she tripped me. I noticed the restaurant was quieter now with little murmurs as people glanced at our table.
“Please, I didn’t steal your necklace. If you could just check-” I was saying when I was interrupted by a booming authoritative voice.
“What’s going on here?”
I spun around to see Marty, the manager of Renaissance making his way towards us and my heart sank.
There went any chance I might have had of a permanent position. Even a false accusation was more than enough to blacklist me.
“Your staff stole my jewelry!” Kate stood to her feet, her voice carrying far within the restaurant. “I thought this was a classy establishment but you can’t even hire good staff!”
Jerry stood up as well an indecipherable expression on his face as he took Kate’s arm.
“Kate, lower your voice, I’m sure this is a situation that can be easily managed.”
Kate gaped at him, her surprise apparent.
“Lower my voice-”
“I apologise,” Marty interrupted with a soft but unyielding voice. “Mr Baxter, I assure you our staff’s integrity is impeccable and your fiancee’s jewelry will be found at once.”
Marty turned to face me, his expression no longer congenial but strict and rigid.
“Sophia will turn out her pockets to put yours and your fiancee’s minds at ease.” He said and I knew it wasn’t a request but a command.
I had to prove my innocence. It wasn’t even a problem for me to turn out my pockets, I knew I didn’t steal-
The necklace fell right out of my right pocket the moment I turned it out and shock raced through me.
What the hell? How was this possible?
“You see?” Kate said triumphantly, her eyes glittering with malice. “I told you she stole it!”
It was then I understood. Kate tripped me earlier and in the process of stabilizing myself, I bumped into her. She must have taken the opportunity to slip the necklace into my pocket.
The worst part was I couldn’t accuse Kate of framing me without making myself look worse.
I turned to Marty, my heart in my throat.
“I promise, sir, I don’t know how that got into my pocket.”
But it was already too late.
“Miss Evergreen, you are fired.” Marty informed me gruffly.
No, no. I couldn’t afford to lose this job.
“Sir, I promise I don’t know how-” I tried to defend myself but Marty didn’t even let me finish.
“Get out.” He boomed and I knew there would be no convincing him, no convincing anyone that I wasn’t the thief.
Kate smirked at me while Jerry… Jerry looked at me like this was the first time he was seeing me.
Turning away from the people who had upturned my life once more, I left.
I went to the staff room to get my bag ignoring the judgemental looks my former coworkers gave me.
I reached out to grab my bag and in that moment, the world spun and I stumbled. I tried to hold on to something as my world blurred but I slipped and the world went dark.