Luca tried to steady the plates in his hands but as he took a step forward everything came crashing down. This is the third time he had broken the plates this week, but it wasn't his fault it was the slippery tiles in the kitchen area were to blame, and his shoes too, which were slowly falling apart.
"Luca!" The sound of his name being called, made him turn back sharply. His eyes landed on his boss, Mr Ben.
"You bastard!" Mr Ben yelled as his hands moved towards Luca's cheeks, hitting him across the face. "How many times have I told you to be careful, huh?"
Luca tried to defend him but during that moment, he felt another slap on his face harder than the last.
His face stung but not as much as the pain he felt as he took a step forward. He had stepped on a piece of the broken plate, and it penetrated into his shoes.
Luca swallowed the pain, turning to look at his boss. "I…I will clean it!" He said.
"You better hurry up. People are waiting for their orders."
Luca nodded his head, watching his boss walk away. Once he was out of sight, he bent down, removing the glass from my shoes. Then he proceeded to clean everything up.
The task was a bit difficult because Luca was heavily bleeding, but he managed to push through.
Immediately he was done, he headed to the back room, to collect another plate of food.
"Send this to table 9." His colleague said. "Aaron has attended to table 10 already."
He nodded without saying a word, walking as slowly as he could so he didn't fall again.
When he arrived at the table, his brows furrowed. He didn't expect to see Coleman. If he had sighted him earlier, he would have given someone else to handle the order.
But Coleman had changed over the years-he wasn't the same blonde-haired boy he was in the Froster's home; he was now brown, which made him unrecognizable from afar.
Luca guessed that was what was being adopted by a wealthy man then. It changes you.
Now Coleman owned properties, sat on boards, rubbed shoulders with influential people. And when he didn't like something, everyone knew about it.
Luca doubted that Coleman had changed. He was probably still the heartless little boy that bullied him.
Luca's hands shook as he balanced the tray of dishes on his arm. He knew he had to be extra careful.
As Luca approached the table, his palms were slick with sweat, his breath uneven.
"Here we are, sir," Luca said, forcing a smile, as he carefully set the plates down.
Coleman barely glanced at him, too busy chatting with someone on his phone. Luca turned to walk away when his foot caught on the leg of a nearby chair. The tray slipped from his grasp, and before he could react, food went flying.
Pasta, sauce, and salad scattered across Coleman's lap.
The table fell silent. The noise of the bustling restaurant seemed to vanish.
Coleman's eyes moved slowly down to the mess on his expensive suit. He didn't even bother to stand up or wipe the food away.
Luca's heart hammered in his chest as he stammered, "I, I'm so sorry, sir. I, I'll get this cleaned up right away. It was an accident."
Coleman leaned back in his chair, still calm. Too calm. "An accident, you say?" He stared up at Luca with a disdainful smirk. "After all these years, you're still a wretch, aren't you?"
Luca blinked, pain burning in his chest. "I... I'm sorry, sir, it won't happen again."
"Oh, I'm sure it won't," Coleman sneered, rising to his feet. His large frame towered over Luca, and with a swift motion, he grabbed the plate from the table and slammed it into Luca's chest. The pasta, sauce, and salad were smeared across Luca's shirt and apron. The room seemed to gasp collectively.
"You think you belong here, serving people like me? You think you've made something of yourself? You're just as worthless as you were as a child. Probably that's why nobody adopted you and your sister."
Luca felt the sting of tears behind his eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall. Not here. Not in front of Coleman. He could feel everyone watching, waiting to see what he'd do next. His heart sank as he saw the owner, Mr. Ben, hurrying over.
"Mr. Coleman!" Mr. Battista called out. "I am so sorry, sir. Please, please, let me—"
Coleman cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand. "Your employee sneezed on my food before he even brought it to me. Is this the kind of establishment you run? A filthy one?"
Luca's stomach dropped. "No! That's not true. I didn't—"
Mr. Ben's face paled. "Luca, please... Mr. Coleman is a valued customer. If he says—"
"I didn't sneeze at his food!" Luca protested, stepping forward, but Mr. Ben shot him a warning look.
Coleman scoffed and turned away from the mess, brushing his jacket off as if Luca's very presence was contaminating. "I've had enough of this place," he growled. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer."
"Mr. Coleman, please!" Mr. Ben called after him, desperation in his voice. "Please, let me do this right. I—I beg you."
But Coleman didn't even turn around. He simply walked out of the restaurant.
For a moment, no one spoke. Luca stood frozen, still covered in food, as Mr. Ben's face twisted with frustration. He wiped a hand over his slicked-back hair, then finally , he looked at Luca, his eyes cold.
"What the hell were you thinking, Luca?"
Luca's mouth went dry. "It was an accident. I didn't sneeze. You know me, Mr. Ben. I've worked here for over a year. I—"
"You think that matters?" Mr. Ben snapped. "Look at the mess you've caused. Look at what you've done! Do you have any idea who Coleman is?"
"I know. I know, but I swear—"
"I can't have someone like you working here, Luca," Mr. Ben interrupted, shaking his head. "Not after this. You're fired."