"So what do you think?" Gabby asked Orva who's been biting her nails for the past fifteen minutes even after taking short breaks to cool off. It has been three hours since the three men in black suits left the restaurant but Orva hasn't been feeling herself since then. Donald sudden change in attitude, a friendly talk with three strangers? It felt too suspicious in the eyes.
"What do I think?" She asks, creasing her brows together. There is was nothing to think about, the mere knowledge of the three men in black designer suits sitting at the corner was enough to get Orva shaken up. But why was she shaken up when they didn't call for her attention or say anything about her? It was- because her uncle is involved in this, which means Orva may somehow get involved someday.
"Yeah, you know... Donald's getting strange visits to his restaurant these days and he-" Gabby start but was cut off by Orva's shocked voice.
"Wait did you say Donald has been having visitors lately and I don't know?"
"U rm-- yea-"
"Since when? How did I miss that!" Orva exclaim. She worked in the restaurant for nine years but had never encountered or heard of Donald's visitors, not even a lawyer, contractor, or secret agent, it was like time elapsed without her knowledge and she was hearing new things for the first time.
"Hold on-- hold on, since when did you start getting interested in your uncle's business?" It was Gabby's turn to be surprised. The scene played out there wasn't anything he imagined Orva would be. She was always like the 'I give no care in the world' kind of person even though she worked harder and efficiently than most staff, she would always shut her eyes and ears to whatever happens in the restaurant. Whether the restaurant was on fire, it collapsed, got robbed, or got torn down by hooligans, Orva will always turn a blind eye.
"As long as I am involved I am interested." She grit at him
"Well, I am positive they said nothing about you." Gabby insisted.
"Answer me Gabby." She demanded in an attempt to drag him by the collar.
"You're really strange Orva-" He tried dodging the question as he could, but forgot no one dodges Orva's questions, doing so was like setting yourself for a battle you can't win until she gets what she wants.
"Don't say a word and I'll slit your balls wide open." She threatened. "And I am talking about the hairy ones."
Gabby's face morphed into pure terror and fear, he ran quickly to the island and snatched an apron then used it as his armor to guard his manhood from Orva's angry eyes.
"I will tell you if you promise not to hurt mighty." Gabby squeaked it made Orva grimace irritably. She looked strangely at the weird attendant without any idea of what he was referring to.
"Who is mighty?" She asks.
Gabby rose an eyebrow first then took a look around the kitchen, he then motioned with his eyes to his crotch behind the apron. Orva eyes widened in shock and disgust as she realize what the idiot was talking about.
"Gosh! Gabby! What kind of guy are you, you disgust me!" Orva exclaimed and threw away the napkin in her hand then left the break room.
"Come on Ovi, you know I was just joking." Gabby chuckled playfully and followed from behind.
"No you weren't, you're a pervert I know!" She yelled without watching where she was going then bumping into someone on her way, when she look up Donald's angry features greeted her 'oh dear lord of mercy on me, not the devil again' Orva sighed in disappointment knowing fully well she was not going home when he sees her.
"Why aren't you on duty?" He challenges her. Orva looked at his white beard that resembled a stubble when far away, it covered most of his sharp jaw, defining his proud dominating aura. Though Donald still had his youth face and voice it didn't mark out the fact he was an old man with little wrinkles clouding around his eyes and nose.
"I am." Orva replied without flinching a bit. She knew this was his way of dominance, to make her feel inferior, scared and pressured. He thinks these actions would make the young girl feel useless and helpless but Orva was determined to make her right known. If no one was going to help her fight, she will do the fighting herself until she is able to achieve everything she planned a long time ago.
"This is not the counter. Your office is in the front." Donald spoke with a hard tone to make Orva uncomfortable. She bit on her tongue in irritation plus, held a great number of insults that threatened to escape her mouth, now wasn't the time to cause unnecessary attention, there were customers around the restaurant and any of them wouldn't mind having a live drama display. A few more months that's all and she would be on her way… hopefully.
'He thinks he owns me but he guessed wrong. No one owns me, I get what I want and when I want. Nothing's going to stop me!' each day Orva continues to tell herself in the mirror these build-up words to encourage herself and prevent herself from having a mental breakdown. She always hope for better days and those better days were walking free at last from Donald and Mindy and maybe moving to a bigger place in a different country.
"I know." She nods confidently.
"Then get going." He pointed behind him, challenging her to argue about it.
"Sorry, but I need to go somewhere and it's important." Orva replied composedly, she moved to get around him but he blocked her. She was not really ready for any drama and wished Donald would just leave her alone and bother the other staff.
"What's so important than the job I favored to give you, to help you have a life." He taunts.
Orva scoffed and rolled her eyes in disbelief, something she has been trying to avoid for a long time, it was time she also showed that upset side of her she has been caging for years. Donald will have a portion of Orva's bad side.
"What kind of job could you possibly offer me? You own this fancy restaurant, really famous though and you give me a job that pays me only five dollars a day and you call that a favor?"
"You should be happy I gave you something to do, I didn't let you starve, or did I leave you without a shelter." Donald insisted his help was better than any she would get outside.
"You call that shaft a house?" She grits out. "I don't know where you got that trash from but I hate you."
"You are so ungrateful despite what I have done for you. Orva I haven't taken care of anyone as I have done with you." Donald pointed a chubby finger at her. "Who took you in when no one wanted you after your parents were gone?"
Orva's mood changed from being sweet to being hard in an instant. Everything he said spiked anger and unforgettable memories into her mind, then she remembered something.
"I don't have time to deal with your nonsense so if you would excuse me, I need to attend to humans and retire for the day at my own time." She tells him confidently and walked past him.
"You won't dare that." Donald challenged. His nose flared in anger at how disrespectful she talked at him, how could she insult him like that and walk out.
"Try me." Orva challenged him and looked back at him while waiting to see if he was going to say or do something, when it looks like he was not going to do anything she slowly made her way out flipping her hair to the side as a bonus.
"Orva." He barked her name.
Orva pause to hear what he had to say even though her mind told her not to listen and walk away.
"Remember to watch, you never know when it comes hitting from behind." Donald spoke suspiciously which gave her chills.
Those words rang like chills down her spine in weird ways. Donald only uses such words when he gets provoked by her, or when he tries to punish her but now it sounded more realistic and threatening it made her think the old man had something going on up his sleeves. Orva had two choices to make, the first is to cut the corners, get that fame and run far away or the second is to suffer the pain Donald already planned for her and get stuck forever under this modern enslavement. The options seem tricky but Orva hopes whatever she chooses will be the right one.