Emily worked per time at five different places; a cafe, a restaurant, a drive-in, a diner, and a bistro.
Hot ‘n’Chilly was a cafe she worked at in the morning as a server.
She grinned immediately she slip open the glass door and entered the restaurant. “Annyeonghaseyo!”
(A/N: annyeonghaseyo is a formal way of saying hello.)
“Annyeon Emily!” Without looking up, Madam Ma, the restauranteur grinned. She knew Emily’s voice so well.
She gasped as soon as she looked up at Emily. “Aigoo!”
“What happened?” She shrieked.
Emily pressed her lips against each other. “Ahhh, this?..”
“I got hit..” she smiled sheepishly.
“Aigoo!” Madam Ma exclaimed.
“I’ve always told you to be careful. You are too clumsy.” She scrunched up her face.
Emily scratched the back of her head. “I-was a bit care-ful.”
“So, the driver was blind?” Madam Ma frowned.
Emily gulped. ‘if that driver was here right now, you wouldn’t have said what you just said.’
“Erm… I came to ask for a few weeks off.”
Madam Ma smiled at her motherly. “Aishh!… you shouldn’t have troubled yourself coming here to say that.”
“Spend as much time as you want at home okay?…” She said, patting Emily on her back.
“Nde.” Emily smiled at her in appreciation.
“Kamsahamnida.” She bowed her head, said her goodbye, and headed out of the cafe.
As soon as she left Hot’n’Chilly, she went to the four other places she worked at; Xi’s Snack Bar, Forks’n’Fingers(a diner), Smiley Drive-in, and B-exclusive(a bistro) to also ask for a few weeks off. She had no time to mull over her heartbreak.
“Kamsahamnida!” Emily grinned as she stepped out of B-exclusive, the last place she worked at.
She walked forward a bit with the crutch and her right leg and then stopped. She decided she wasn’t ready to back to her apartment just yet. She let out a gusty sigh and kicked the air with her right foot. She crossed the road and decided to head to a cocktail bar, to *drink away her sorrow*. It was already noon and one of her employers had given her some money…
When she got to the bar, she found herself a quiet spot.
“Hey, pretty girl.” A man in his fifties who had been eyeing her since she entered grinned mischievously at her as he walked over to where she was.
“Annyeon.” Emily stole a glance at him and looked away.
“Errrr, you look really pretty and I’m sure you’ll be very good…” the man winked.
“Let’s spend the night together,” he smirked.
“I’m not a slut!” Emily snapped.
“Besides, as you can see, I’m injured.” She added, throwing daggers at the man with the look on her face.
The man smiled drunkenly. “Come on… I’ll pay you. Just one night.”
“Stop playing hard to get…” he laughed hysterically.
The man staggered to the side as he moved closer to Emily and touched her hair.
“Let go!” Emily yelled furiously, trying her best to remove the man’s hand from her hair with her right hand.
He tightened his grip on her hair. “Come now.”
He was still holding onto her hair forcefully when he felt a very rough grip on his hand.
“Ahhhhhh…” he screamed as his bones broke.
He looked up and the sight he met made him shriek.
“Ahhh… please spare my life. .. pleaseee….” He pleaded quickly, already on the verge of tears.
“I won’t do it again… I swear on my life. I didn’t know she was your….” his voice trailed off as he started to sob uncontrollably, his hands trembling.
He was pushed away by the hand that gripped him. He scampered on his feet and ran out of the bar at full speed.
“Miss, are you alright?”
Emily looked up at the person that had just saved her. It was her life-saver again. That stunningly handsome man had saved her from some guys the previous night.
“Neo!*” Emily stuttered.
(*You)
“We meet again.” He smiled, taking the seat next to her’s.
“Uwa..” Emily grinned.
“Have you been well?…” His voice trailed off as he took a peek at her leg and the crutch. “you are injured.”
“T’was an accident.” Emily pouted, staring at her bandaged arm.
“Ayah, Sorry.” He frowned.
He raised one of his brows and pressed lightly on his bud in his ear.
He smiled at Emily and stood to his feet. “I have to get going now.”
“Ahhh, nde.” Emily nodded her head.
“Errr, I didn’t get your name last night…” He said, smiling again.
Emily twitched up her lips. “Emily.”
He nodded his head. “Hmn.. my name is Vincent.”
“Bye, I’m leaving first.” He waved at her and turned to leave.
“Ahh..” Something flashed through his eyes and he turned back to face Emily.
He reached in his pocket and brought out a business card.
“Here’s my card. If you need anything, contact me.” He stated, handing the card over to Emily.
“Annyeon. You should leave soon too.” He smiled at her and walked out of the bar.
Emily smiled and dropped the card on the counter. She cupped her chin with her right hand and smiled again.
“I keep meeting handsome men.” Her lips curled up in a cute smile.
She took the glass of cocktail shake and gulped it down her throat.
“Ah…” She grimaced and dropped the cup on the counter.
She stood up on her right foot and reached for her crutch. She supported herself with it and leaped out of the bar after paying for her drink.
She huffed and rubbed her palms as the cold breeze hit her face. She hadn’t taken ten steps when an oncoming car’s headlights shone brightly on her face. Immediately, she stopped in her tracks and squinted-she might fall if she didn’t and she wasn’t ready to get things more complicated than they already were.
The car screeched, coming to an abrupt stop beside her. She stared at the driver’s side as the tinted window wound down.
‘huh?… it’s the handsome god.’ Emily opened her mouth as soon as she got a glimpse of the person in the car.
Joel’s cold gaze swept her over. “Get in.”
“Huh?..” Emily stuttered dumbly.
He looked away from her and pressed on the accelerator.
“Ahhh… wait!” She screamed as soon as she had regained her sense.
The cocktail shake she had definitely blurred her brain before.
Quickly, she grabbed tightly on the crutch and leaped towards the car, but she was already too late. She couldn’t meet up with the car, Joel had left. She let out a sigh and fell to the ground.
She sobbed silently, hitting her fist on her chest. “Everyone hates me… Why is this world so cruel, why!?”
She was still crying when a few minutes later she felt a car’s headlights shine brightly behind her. She sniffed, grabbed her crutch, and leaped up, on her foot. She turned towards the car…
‘… he came back.’ she cried happily.
She hiccuped and sniffed as she kept staring at Joel.
“A second.” Joel fluttered his eyelashes.
Emily got a quick hold of herself and leaped towards the passenger’s side of the car hastily. She wasn’t going to her chance slide past her this time around.
She stood still when she got to the door and looked down at her hands- one was injured and the other was holding a crutch.
She bit her on her lower lip and looked at Joel through the door window with her eyes motioning him to help her with the door but it seemed as though the man was staring at everything but her.
Joel huffed out a sigh and without looking her way, he pressed a button on his door side and the passenger’s side door flung open and hit Emily on her forehead.
“Ahhhhahhhhn” She screamed.
Joel snickered as he watched her. Emily quickly looked up at him but he was staring at her with his usual cold gaze. She bit her lip as she could have sworn he smiled just now.
Grudgingly, she stepped into the car and shut the door.
Joel pressed lightly on the accelerator and drove off in a direction that was unknown to the lady sitting beside him.
“Kumawo.” Emily stared at him gratefully.
(A/N: kumawo is an informal way of saying thank you)
“When you’ve healed, leave.” Joel’s cold voice pierced through her skin and she shuddered.
‘can’t he be less… as in really really less harsh on me…’ she sneered puffily.
In no time, Emily drifted off to sleep, her head dangling from left to right and front to back as the car moved.
As Joel drove straight into the villa, he stole a glance at the girl beside him-she was fast asleep.
‘fuck, she’s even drooling in my car.’ he clenched his teeth.
He bit his lower lip mischievously and pressed on the accelerator. The car moved speedily but then, he suddenly pressed on the brake.
Emily’s body lurched forward and she hit her forehead on the dashboard.
She woke up and clasped her hand on her forehead. “Ahhhhahhhhn..”
“Yahhh!!!” She yelled furiously.
“Can’t you…” her voice trailed off immediately she turned to face the god but was met by his cold glare.
She gulped. Her expression quickly changed from an annoyed one to a completely sober one.
“Ermm, I didn’t know it was you… Sir,” she stated meekly.