Yarrin was a busy city, and the people seemed cool and welcoming to newcomers like Lia. But Lia and Tamara had learned their lessons. Hard. Instead of creating medicine and actually helping people, her mother made soaps and other household materials as well as planting vegetables in the small plot of land behind their house. She then sold them in the market to earn an income. It pained Lia to see Tamara's skills go to waste.
But to survive, they only needed to bow down and stay on the sideline. That was enough.
It had been three months since then, and so far, Lia and her family fit right in this neighborhood.
Lia glanced at the darkening sky. She quickened her pace, avoiding crashing to other people who were going home after a long day at work, and soon, she arrived at a big building with bright lights. She rounded in an alley and entered the establishment using the back door.
Every day, after her job at the clinic, she would rush to this restaurant for her other work. Lia did not need a lavish lifestyle, but she wanted to give her mother a more comfortable house. And she had a secret dream. One day, when she saved enough, she wanted to travel around the country. She wanted to explore and learn… and just be free. So work she must.
When she entered the staff room, every personnel was bustling around. Nothing new as it was already dinner time. But there was something else in the air like everyone was either tensed or excited. Lia did not really care. She had no time to gossip, seeing as she came here to work.
The management provided them baskets to put their personal belongings, and Lia went to hers. She changed from her usual clothes to a white shirt and black pants -- the standard uniform for the staff. She fixed her hair which she cut short when they escaped. She kept this look feeling that she was a different person and that she could actually make a new life now. While she was changing clothes, she did a mental checklist of the things she would buy in the market after work.
Her workmates talked in the background, and they gushed about the rich visitors they have who occupied the entire second floor of the restaurant.
"I'm quite nervous," Chichi muttered under breath. Lia cast a questioning look at her coworker without really asking out loud. Chichi waved her hand towards the second floor. "It's rare to have the opportunity to serve those visitors."
Lia directed her gaze at the ceiling as though she could see right through them. For a brief second, she thought of someone that warranted that attention, but, heh, that was too much of a coincidence, right?
The manager barked orders, and Chichi visibly jumped beside her.
"Stop fooling around and go out there. Remember to be at your most behave selves once you serve upstairs. They are very important guests."
Automatically, Lia slipped into her work mode and kept her face as expressionless as she could. She hurried to grab a tray and brought it upstairs. The glasses clang as the tray wobbled when she took it. Lia cursed. The lack of sleep last night was already taking a toll on her.
The loudness of the group could be heard even from the stairs, and Lia wondered who they might be. This might be the first time in all of her months working here to have guests who could afford the entire floor. She reached the floor and placed all the drinks. When she was down to her last glass, her hand shook, and like in slow motion, she watched it slipped from the tray down to the floor. For some reason, the glass breaking seemed to be louder than the chattering around her.
The world stopped, and no one seemed to breathe.
With a gasp, she bowed to the person she was serving. "I'm really sorry."
She looked around for any cloth, and when she could not find any, she fished her handkerchief and gave it to the customer. She did not see their face, but she saw the clothes, and she was certain that it was a rich client. She was a lot surer that she would get a scolding from the manager. She winced just thinking about how much they would deduct at her salary.
Lia kneeled on the floor to clean her mess.
"Stop." A voice rang just as a hand gripped her wrist. "Don't pick that, you might hurt yourself.
As Lia wondered where she heard that voice, she looked up and almost recoiled her hand. Right in front of her was the face of the protagonist crouching with her on the ground!