Alissa's POV
I stumbled upon a handsome stranger in the crowded café, and our collision left me breathless. His chiseled features and piercing eyes captivated me.
"Is this man real, or am I hallucinating an angel?" I wondered, my eyes fixed on his face.
Without thinking, I reached out to touch his cheek, but my gesture was met with a scathing response.
"Take your disgusting hand off me!" he growled, his voice low and menacing.
I recoiled, shocked by his hostility. "What the...?" I trailed off, my eyes wide with surprise.
The stranger's gaze swept over me, his expression disdainful. "Where is that horrible smell coming from?" he asked, his tone dripping with disgust.
I felt a surge of indignation. "It's really obvious, isn't it?" I shot back, my voice laced with sarcasm.
The stranger raised an eyebrow. "Obviously, the smell is coming from you."
I gasped, taken aback by his rudeness. Who was this guy, and why was he being so cruel?
Just then, my boss, Mr. Bolin, called out to me.
"Alissa."
"Yes, Mr. Bonil?"
"Little girl, it's Bolin. Get it right."
I bristled at his tone. "I'm not a little girl, Mr. Bonil."
The stranger snickered. "You sure look like one."
I glared at him. "You moron, I wasn't talking to you."
Mr. Bolin intervened. "Alissa, shut up."
The stranger smirked. "Mr. Bolin, what a decent employee you have there. She insults customers even when she's wrong."
Mr. Bolin apologized. "I'm sorry, Mr. Krillian. She's new here."
I was horrified. Oh no, it's the Krillian. What do I do?
The stranger continued to taunt me. "Yeah? Mr. Bolin, do you think she's good for this café? You'll surely lose customers."
Mr. Bolin threatened to sack me. "Yeah, I'm going to sack her."
I protested. "You can't do that, Mr. Bolin."
The stranger sneered. "You sure still have the nerve to call me a jerk."
Mr. Bolin fired me. "You're fired, Miss Peyton."
I begged him to reconsider. "Please, Mr. Bolin."
The stranger laughed. "I've given you so many opportunities."
I apologized to him. "Please, I really need this job."
Mr. Bolin demanded that I apologize to the stranger. "Apologize to Mr. Krillian, then I'll consider giving the job back to you."
I looked at the stranger, who was smirking at me. I'll do anything to remove that smirk from his face.
I apologized again. "I'm sorry, Mr. Krillian."
The stranger accepted my apology. "Okay."
But then he delivered a parting blow. "I've had enough of your insults. I'll just take my leave, as I can't stay one more minute here. The odor is unbearable. You don't know how to take proper care of yourself at your age. Your mom did a good job training you."
I was furious. Who did he think he was?
After he left, I went into the employees' room to call my sister Lina.
"Hey, sis," I said, trying to sound calm.
"Hi, Alissa. How are you doing?" Lina asked.
"I'm good. How's Mom doing?" I asked, trying to hold back tears.
"Alissa, I'm scared. Mom isn't getting any better. She needs to do the operation. The medicines are not working, and she's getting frail," Lina said, sobbing.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, feeling guilty.
"Because I know you don't have the money, and I didn't want you getting worried, and Mom said I shouldn't, since you've done enough," Lina explained.
"Still, you should have told me," I said, feeling frustrated.
"I'm sorry," Lina said, tears in her voice.
"It's fine," I said, trying to reassure her.
I ended the call and burst into tears. Bella found me crying.
"Alissa, why are you crying?" she asked.
I tried to explain. "It's just...Mr. Krillian was so rude."
Bella was sympathetic. "Yeah, he's a jerk."
I continued to cry. "It's not just that. Mom needs an operation."
Bella gasped. "What do you mean? I thought she was getting better."
I shook my head. "She's not. She needs the operation, or she might..."
Bella hugged me. "We'll figure something out, Alissa. Don't worry."
I smiled weakly. "Thanks, Bella."
As I pulled myself together, I couldn't help but think about the stranger's parting words. Who did he think he was, anyway? And why did his opinion matter so much to me?
I took a deep breath and tried to shake off the feeling of unease. I had more important things to worry about, like my mom's health and finding a new job.
But as I walked back out into the café, I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever see the stranger again. And what would happen if I did?