By the time I arrived at the hotpot restaurant, it was almost closing time.
The thought of being able to rest soon made me happy, despite my growling stomach.
"This is..."
However, just as I was about to park my tricycle behind the hotpot restaurant, I noticed a familiar car parked at the entrance of the alley.
That car still had oil stains and dirt on it.
It was Elen's Mercedes.
"Has she come to the restaurant to make me pay?"
My face darkened.
Earlier when she threw my ID card back and drove away, I thought she was letting the matter go.
I didn't expect her to come make trouble at the restaurant!
If this woman is determined to make me buy the car, what should I do?
Where would I get that kind of money?
This car costs at least several hundred thousand - I probably can't earn that much in my entire lifetime. How could I buy it?
I stood frozen at the alley entrance, conflicted.
Not knowing what to do.
"Why are you only arriving now?"
While I was lost in thought, the manager came through the back door into the alley.
Seeing me standing dazed at the alley entrance, he immediately asked.
I snapped out of it and said, "There were more people delivering waste to the processing plant, so I'm a bit late."
The manager pointed at Elen's Mercedes and said:
"Take this car to be washed. You made those stains on it, right?"
"The owner showed us the dashcam footage. Lucky she's not making you pay for damages, just asking you to clean the car."
Hearing the manager's words, I felt deeply relieved.
So Elen only brought the car here to have me clean it.
At least washing a car doesn't cost much money.
I have about 30 dollars left, which should be enough.
I nodded.
Just as I was parking my tricycle to go wash the car, the manager suddenly added:
"Also, regarding today's incident, you've been reported again."
"You were wearing our restaurant's uniform when this happened, so it definitely reflects on our restaurant."
"The owner has already told us - your position won't be changed, but your monthly salary will be reduced by 30 dollars."
What?
I was shocked.
Elen actually reported me again!
This is the second time she's reported me!
The first report demoted me from server to waste collector.
My salary was cut directly to 150 dollars.
I didn't expect that woman still wasn't satisfied and would report me a second time!
With this report, my salary is down to 120 dollars!
What should I do now?
The previous 150 dollars per month wasn't enough for my sister's treatment.
Cut down to 120, I couldn't cover the medical fees even if I went begging.
I felt my whole body turn cold.
Elen is trying to drive me to death! Drive my sister to death!
Is this the woman I loved to my very core?!
To think she had such a cruel side!
She doesn't care at all about driving me and my sister to death!
Even without blood ties, anyone with a conscience wouldn't take things to such extremes!
Does she really want me dead?
Fine!
If that's what you want, Elen, then I'll die for you to see!
I had the urge to let Elen kill me with her own hands.
Seeing my silence, the manager spoke again:
"Don't blame our restaurant for being heartless. That customer who reported you originally wanted us to cut your salary by at least half."
"It was our restaurant owner who negotiated hard to get them to agree to just a 30 dollar cut. Otherwise, how could you have gotten off so easily?"
I almost laughed from anger.
Cut by 30 means death, cut by 75 just means I'll die faster.
Both paths lead to death - dead ends. So I'm supposed to thank Elen for driving me to a dead end?
I stayed silent.
My heart was filled with hatred for Elen.
But thinking again, I was the one who dumped her first. I was in the wrong, so her revenge now was reasonable.
Besides, this woman doesn't know about my situation with my sister.
How would she know how important 30 dollars is to me now?
I sighed and thought to myself:
"Elen probably won't be happy unless I die. Well, I really am about to die now."
"Since I'm really going to die, go ahead with your revenge if you want. Get revenge however you like - I don't care anymore anyway!"
Then I took the keys from the manager.
I drove the car to the car wash.
After washing it, I got the delivery address from the restaurant.
Then I drove to Galaxy Apartments.
This was the agreed drop-off point between the restaurant and Elen.
I called the restaurant to have Elen come pick up the car.
At this time, my stomach growled uncontrollably again.
Remembering seeing food stalls at the entrance of the complex, I decided to get out and eat something while waiting for the restaurant to contact me.
I walked out of the complex, bought a bowl of noodles, and squatted by the roadside to eat.
"Brother Luciano, we'll wait for you outside."
Just then, a Maserati stopped at the complex entrance, and someone got out from the back.
I recognized him.
It was Luciano Conti, who was eating with Elen yesterday.
Luciano nodded to the driver, then walked toward the complex.
Since I was squatting in the shadows by the road, and it was late at night, Luciano didn't notice me at all.
"Why is Brother Luciano coming to Galaxy Apartments so late? He doesn't live here!"
After Luciano entered the complex, the two men in the front of the Maserati started chatting.
"Picking up the car for his woman," said the blonde man in the driver's seat.
My heart stung.
His woman...
Isn't that Elen?
Although I resented Elen for reporting me, every time I think about how she's someone else's woman now, my heart can't help but ache.
I used to be her boyfriend!
But unfortunately...
In the end, I gave her up.
I rubbed my chest, trying my best to calm down.
"Hehe, has Brother Luciano really gotten serious about Elen?" The man in the passenger seat said with a cynical smile.
The blonde driver sneered: "Serious my ass, it's just for fun. Brother Luciano already told us, once he gets that woman in bed, it's bye-bye."
"Haha, that's more like Luciano's style. I was saying, Luciano has always been the type to play the field without getting attached. How could he fall for Elen? I heard she's had a boyfriend before?" The blonde man said.
The driver said: "Right, so he is even less likely to like her. If she wasn't good-looking, Bro wouldn't even look at her."
"Hahaha, didn't bro say he met Elen's ex-boyfriend yesterday?" The blonde man said.
"Not just met him - that guy got Elen's dress dirty. But no worries, our bro already reported him. Hehe, heard the hotpot restaurant cut that guy's salary by half! Feels great."
The driver said.
"What? Brother Luciano already reported him once? Then just now..." The blonde man said, somewhat surprised.
"That was the second report," the driver said. "Who told that guy to dirty my bro's woman's car? Just reporting him is letting him off easy!"