A week passed the girls returned to Mexico. Pengxi insisted Sunny stayed behind for her safety.
Monday morning, Sunny went to work earlier than usual. She met Mariana cleaning the chairs. "Good morning chef" Sunny said.
"You're here early.... Too early. What's the occasion?" Mariana asked. Sunny took a deep breath, she brought out an envelope and hands it to Mariana. "What's this?" Mariana asked.
"My resignation letter" Sunny said calmly. "Is this a joke? You're quitting? Why?" Mariana asked. "I... I... It's personal" Sunny said. "Personal? You received a promotion just months ago.. how can you quit now?"
Sunny runs her fingers through her hair. "I had time to think.... Look all you need to know is that I am honored to have worked along side you" Sunny said. "Why didn't you give it to chef?"
"I can't face her right now" Sunny said as she tries to be in control. "Drop it on her desk. I can't give her such news" Mariana said. Sunny took the letter to Alejandra's office, she placed it on the desk.
"I swear I wish there was another way out of this" Sunny whispered into space.
Sunny returned back home. "How did it go?" Ariana asked. "Well, I guess" Sunny replied. "Did you hand it to her?" Melissa asked. "No, I dropped it on her desk" Sunny said.
"I see" Ariana nods slowly as she analyzed the information. "You need to get ready for work, you don't want to be late" Sunny said.
"Hey how about I get a job for you?" Ariana asked. "I'll settle with anything except dishwashing" Sunny said with a smile.
"Alright leave that to me" Ariana said with a thumbs up.
Alejandra woke up from her bed, she knew something was off when her alarm clock didn't ring. When she tried to make coffee and the machine didn't work. Her bike had a flat tire.
That wasn't all, someone spilled juice on her shirt causing her to curse internally. That was when she found a white envelope sitting neatly on her desk.
She picked it up. "What's this?" She asked herself. She opened it, her soul left her body when she read it. "Sunny's resignation? She's quitting?"
Alejandra called Mariana to her office. "What's the meaning of this? Is this a joke?" Alejandra asked. "No chef. Sunny came to work pretty early this morning, she dropped the letter here"
"Why?" Alejandra asked in confusion. "I don't know, she didn't give me her reasons" Mariana said. "She asked for a week off... I gave it to her.... Now she quits out of the blue" Alejandra said.
"Chef... Perhaps she had her reasons" Mariana said. "You may leave now"
{Why did she leave? Could it be because of the kiss? Did she hate it? She didn't drop her house address}
{Why is this driving me crazy? Why is she driving me crazy? That kiss... I didn't hate it... If anything I kinda like it}
"What am I doing? No wonder bad things has been happening this morning" Alejandra said. Her phone rang. "Abuela" Alejandra said. "Mija, I need you home immediately" Abuela said. "I'll be there in a minute"
"Abuela I'm here, what's the problem?" Alejandra asked. "I need you to handle the issue in the west" Abuela said. "Um... The warehouse in the west? I thought Antonio had handled it"
"You know your brother, he wouldn't do anything once his mind is made up" Abuela said with a sigh. "Alright"
"Alejandra, there is a rat infestation. Find it and get rid of it swiftly"
"Leave that to me" Alejandra replied.
Alejandra drove her bike to the warehouse. She met Elena the supervisor of the warehouse in the west side of the country. "Boss, I wasn't expecting you here" Elena said awkwardly.
"I just came to check how well things are moving" Alejandra replied. Elena walked Alejandra through the warehouse, showing her how far they've gone with the shipment.
"How about the accounts? I would like to know how money comes in and out of this warehouse" Alejandra said. "Very well, follow me"
Alejandra followed her into an office. Elena handed her folders concerning the warehouse.
"Shit... Paperwork" Alejandra whispers. Elena left the office so Alejandra could work on the files. Half the day goes by and Alejandra noticed money has been leaving the company account and entering a foreign account. The money wasn't much, just few millions here and there.
It has been happening for a year now. "How did everyone miss this?" Alejandra asked. She eventually traced the account to Vincent. One of the most trusted man in the Castello family.
{To think he betrayed us for a couple of millions} Vincent was escorted to a room where Alejandra sat patiently waiting for him.
"Alejandra it has been a while" Vincent said. Alejandra remained silent, her expression was unreadable, but her eyes were as cold as ice. "Tell me Vincent, how stupid did you take us for?"
"I... I don't understand" Vincent stammers. "Explain to me how millions of dollars has been moved into your account for about a year now... Do explain because I can't rap my head around what your intentions were"
"I... I can explain..." Vincent said. "I'm waiting" Vincent stood up abruptly but a man pushed him back into the chair. "You know it's the audacity you have that still baffles me" Alejandra walked towards Vincent.
"No, No... Please don't kill me... I have a daughter" Vincent said. "It's high time I send your head rapped up in a box and tied with a ribbon as her christmas gift" Alejandra said.
"Please have a heart!!! Don't kill me" Vincent said. "Killing you is a merciful punishment that I can't afford to give. I intend to hurt you till you wish for a quick death"
Two hours later, Alejandra stood beside Vincent who was tied to a chair, whizzing for air. Alejandra was able to punch Vincent countless times. She managed to disfigure his face.
Alejandra stabbed him multiple times on the chest, stomach, thighs, on his hands, she even cut off his tongue and his groin. "You are lucky Abuela instructed me to keep you alive" Alejandra said.
Alejandra got changed, she rode a bike to the other side of the city.
Two ladies were seated in a room, a therapist and her client.There was an awkward silence that filled the room. {We don't have an appointment scheduled for today} The therapist thought.
She cleared her throat to ease the tension. "Tell me miss Alejandra, why are you here? It's been a year since our last appointment " The therapist said. Alejandra sat up straight knowing very well about the appointment.
"I'm aware about our appointment Mrs Smith, but i just needed someone to talk to" Alejandra said.
"Very well, now that you're here there's no need of walking you out of my office because i have nothing better to do. So shall we begin?" Mrs Smith said. "Today has been stressful " Alejandra said.
"Alejandra, you know very well that i can't help you unless you open up to me. That's the reason why you're here. You are the only client I have, that has spent three years together without any progress, so I'm begging you to let me help you"
Alejandra chuckled softly before asking. "I am here for a different reasons. Would you like to know why Mrs Smith?"
"Alejandra i'm trying to help, you need to take it seriously"
"I'm sure you'd love it" She said with a smile. With no choice Mrs Smith had to listen to her.
"I needed extra hands in the kitchen so my assistant cook placed ads about it. That night my brother and I had a falling out so I went to a club to clear my head...."
"A girl came to seat with me and by the gods she didn't stop talking. I suspected she was a spy but I noticed she was too dumb to be a spy. She left the club with her friends and I prayed it was the last time I saw her but unfortunately karma is a bitch for sure"
"Then I saw her in my kitchen.... I swear I thought I was dreaming. She wore a leather jacket, she even dyed her hair. Honestly I thought if I pushed her far away, she would eventually give up..... I thought she would leave knowing she wasn't able to collect the information she needed"
Mrs Smith nods as she wrote somethings in her book. "That was until my restaurant was attacked by some stupid bastards. I thought she was inside the kitchen with the rest of my employees. I mean everyone knew the drill, once we are under attack everyone stays in the kitchen"
Alejandra sighs as she tried to keep her hands from shaking. "She was stabbed... When I saw her in that state... For the first time in many years I felt scared. I was trembling when I carried her in my arms and took her to the hospital"
"Could you tell me why you were trembling and scared?" Mrs Smith asked. "I don't know... I still don't know. I stood by the emergency room praying for her to get better. Eventually she made it, I met her in the room. I offered her the chance to leave the restaurant so she could find other opportunities but she begged me not to push her away. She said she wanted to be my friend"
"How did that make you feel?" Mrs Smith asked. "Honestly I felt skeptical... I was trying to find out if it was a trap or something. I left the hospital that day, I didn't return. I told myself that if I avoided her then I can get my sanity back, I was told she was discharged from the hospital"
"That was until Roberto told me she was brought back to the hospital because of some minor issues. I couldn't think straight, I went to the hospital and threatened to kill the doctor and his entire family. I asked him to give her a refund with an additional fee for his foolishness"
"Why did you threaten him because of your employee?" Mrs Smith asked. "How irresponsible of him to attend to the wound if he knew he didn't do it properly. With that out of the way I tried my best to avoid her"
"If you don't mind me asking, did you visit her in the hospital?"
"No, heavens no. I didn't know how to control myself if I am around her. It is the scariest thing I've ever experienced"
Mrs Smith wrote something on her book. "Please continue"
"I've watched her from afar each passing day and I couldn't stop myself from stealing glances at her. That was until....." Alejandra paused. "Until what miss Castello?"
"One night I had an argument with Abuela about being engaged to some son of a bitch who I didn't give two shits about. I was in the restaurant, I was about to leave but I heard strange sounds from the kitchen. She was cooking... She looked like a goddess who didn't deserve to be on earth. Her cooking was divine. It felt like floating on the clouds"
"I don't know why but I asked her to join me for a drink"
"Did she reject your request?" Mrs Smith asked. "No, she accepted" Alejandra said. "How did you feel when she did?"
"Relieved... I drank a lot... She took a little wine... I really don't remember if she drank anything but..." Alejandra rubs her face trying to bring herself back to reality. Mrs Smith didn't interrupt, she knew this was the moment Alejandra has to face on her own.
"I kissed her.... I didn't remember the kiss but when I watched it from the CCTV footage, it became clear.... I had kissed her"
"How was it? The kiss I mean?"
"I remember her lips being soft and warm. I never wanted to stop, the sounds she made didn't make me function.... But I blacked out after that"
"Did you talk to her about it? I mean if she wasn't as drunk as you said she was, then you must have at least try to iron the misunderstanding" Mrs Smith said.
"No.... How was I supposed to address the issue? I am straight... I am not supposed to enjoy the kiss... I am not expected to have these feelings. It's not.." Alejandra paused, she tried to find the proper word.
"It's not right? It's not what Abuela expects of you because she wants your life to be perfect" Mrs Smith said.
Alejandra sighs in exhaustion. "I never asked for this.... I can't quit even if I want to... Abuela knew about the kiss, she wasn't happy"
"You didn't bring up the topic and she didn't bring it up, then what happened?"
"We or rather I created a comfortable atmosphere... I didn't want it to feel like we were walking on eggshells around each other" Alejandra said.
"I see" Mrs Smith said. "Two weeks ago I covered my cousin's wedding... She looked at my work with awe. She praised me for being talented. She praised me for telling a story from nothing"
"How did it feel to be praised for something outside your family business?"
"It felt good, really good. I didn't know someone saw me as a human being and not a tool to be used" Alejandra said.
Mrs Smith smiles. "The wedding went on smoothly.. that was until she bumped into my guest.... He spoke chinese and she replied"
"You didn't know she spoke chinese?"
"No... I didn't. After that encounter, she was tensed. I noticed she wasn't comfortable, she kept glancing behind her. I eventually pulled her to a room so she could calm down despite the fact I had no idea what was going on. Unfortunately Antonio ruined the moment by calling me out. I asked her not to leave but when I returned she wasn't in the room"
"I didn't think much about it... Two days later she asked for a week off. I think she mentioned something about taking her friend abroad for a treatment. I allowed her, I guess she returned yesterday because she was supposed to return to work today"
"But I don't understand why..... Why she.... I don't get it...."
"Alejandra calm down, take deep breaths" Mrs Smith said. Alejandra took a deep breath and exhaled shakily. "I knew something was off when mother nature decided to make my morning a laughing stuck. I entered my office, I found an envelope.... I.... I can't still believe it...."
"What was in the letter?" Mrs Smith asked. "Her resignation letter.... She quit" Alejandra replied. "What? Why did she quit?"
"I've been asking myself the same question the entire morning... Why did she leave? Was it because of the kiss?.... Or is there something I don't understand... This is the same person who begged me not to push her away, the same person who said she wants to be my friend. I don't understand"
"How do you feel about the present situation?" Mrs Smith asked. "I feel betrayed... I feel hurt, I feel empty. Do you know Abuela ask me to torture someone today. I thought it would help me forget the pain but it only clouded my thoughts. I kept seeing her face, her smile. The warmth of her hands when we accidentally touched"
"Do you think she likes girls?" Mrs Smith asked. "Yeah... I mean her girlfriend came to pick her from work one evening so that explains a lot.... She isn't the problem... I am... I can't be craving her presence. She's my employee... I mean was... I can't even define this feeling"
"Isn't it obvious? You like her.... I know it's weird after Mateo...."
"You don't understand... This has nothing to do with him. This has to do with the fact that I have erotic dreams about her... It isn't normal"
"With what you have told me, I have come to the conclusion that you like her but you are scared of accepting your sexual orientation because of your family"
"I can not like my fellow gender... It's disgusting, literally"
"Very well... I have an assignment for you. You have to stay two weeks without thinking about her but if you do then it proves that you have feelings for her. Deal"
"Deal" Alejandra replied in exhaustion.