After picking up the kids from school, I kept my promise and brought them straight to their favorite ice cream shop.
They were both overjoyed, giggling and savoring every bite of their treats. Still, I gently reminded them not to eat too much cold or sweet food—it might give them a runny nose or worse, a sore throat.
When we got home, I immediately started preparing our dinner.
And just like our usual routine, after eating, I left them in the care of Tess—our kind and loving neighbor who was absolutely smitten with my kids.
She always looked after them like they were her own, allowing me to head out to my second job—as a waitress at a high-end bar.
It was Monday, which meant a busy night ahead.
Mondays usually drew in a good number of customers, and I was already bracing myself for another demanding shift.
I needed to work extra hard tonight. After what happened at the restaurant earlier, my boss had slashed my paycheck in half. I had to make up for the loss somehow.
I still remembered the way that rude woman treated me earlier at the restaurant. She acted like it was all my fault.
It was still fresh in my mind—how she had intentionally bumped into my hand while locking eyes with me. It wasn't an accident at all. Then afterward, she kept throwing those cruel, judgmental looks my way—as if she got some kind of satisfaction from seeing me struggle.
Why would she do that? Was it just for fun? A random whim to pick on someone as lowly as me? Or was it because she simply looked down on people like me—just a waitress in her eyes?
Sigh...
Maybe it's better to just shake off those thoughts and focus on the job I had to do tonight.
I was now at the bar, freshly changed into my waitress uniform. I couldn't help but tug at the hem of my short skirt—it seemed to get even shorter with every step I took.
Sometimes, it made me feel exposed, and there were moments when drunk customers would leer or throw inappropriate remarks.
I'd never experienced outright harassment. Our bar had decent bouncers who were always ready to step in and protect us if any drunk customer crossed the line.
As usual, once I'd made sure I was properly dressed and presentable, I approached our manager to report for duty.
After checking the assignments for the night, he assigned me and another waitress to VIP duty. We were tasked with serving drinks to our high-end customers.
So the two of us headed toward the VIP room to serve drinks, but before we could even step inside, Sophia—one of my coworkers—suddenly came to a halt.
She stood frozen in place. There was a strange uneasiness in her expression, and I could immediately tell something was wrong.
She looked nervous, which was completely unlike her usual composed self.
"What's wrong, Sophie?" I asked quickly, stepping beside her.
I also noticed that she had gone slightly pale, which made me worry even more.
"Oh my god, are you sick?"
"Huh... ahmm... no, no... but I have a favor to ask, please..."
"What is it? Maybe I can help."
"Ahmm... would it be okay if you go ahead and serve the customers in there by yourself?" she asked hesitantly.
I noticed her hands were trembling slightly, and she kept glancing toward the VIP door with visible tension.
"Why? What's going on? Can't you move? Or... is there something about the customers that's bothering you?"
"No, no... it's not like that," she said quickly, shaking her head. "It's just... I don't really know how to face our VIP customers. What if I mess up? What if I say something wrong? I don't want to cause any trouble..." she trailed off, lowering her gaze in embarrassment.
I could tell she was battling with nerves—probably overwhelmed by the pressure of serving high-profile guests. It wasn't uncommon for new staff to feel that way, especially with VIPs known for being picky or demanding.
"H-how about this—I'll be the one to prepare their drinks, and you can go in, take their orders, and serve them." she added.
"Uhm... s-sure?" I replied, still a little confused.
It felt like she was avoiding something—or someone.
I decided not to question her further. Maybe there was a personal reason she wasn't want to share. So instead, I gave her a small smile and headed inside to take the customers' orders.
As I stepped into the room, I was greeted by a dimly lit atmosphere. The only source of light came from the red-toned lamps scattered around, casting a soft, moody glow.
Inside, I could already see our VIP guests. Though I couldn't clearly make out everyone's face due to the low lighting, I could tell they were influential people.
As I moved closer to their table, my eyes were drawn to one man in particular. He stood out instantly—not just because of his looks, but because I knew him.
He was a familiar face—the same handsome man who was a regular customer at the restaurant where I worked during the day.
Though I had entered quietly, the moment I approached, their conversation stopped. All eyes suddenly turned to me.
"Uhm… uhm… Good evening, sirs. May I take your order, please?"
As they looked at me, one of the men suddenly snapped back to attention.
"Hey, miss beautiful, are you the woman our Alpheus here has been talking about?" he said, tugging the man beside him closer and putting his arm around his shoulder — the same man who was a regular customer at the restaurant where I worked.
I looked at them puzzled. Then I noticed that the man they called Alpheus seemed embarrassed.
Quietly, he gave his friend an elbow and lowered his gaze shyly toward me.
"Uhmm… hi, so you work here too?" Alpheus asked me.
But the moment he said that, his friends burst out laughing, quietly teasing him. I even saw one of them lightly punch Alpheus in the arm, which puzzled me even more.
"Hahaha, so that's why you personally dragged us all the way to this bar — because you told us your ultimate crush works here too? Hahaha!" one of his friends teased.
Alpheus quickly punched him back and looked at me sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
"Hahaha… Sorry about my friends, they're always this noisy." Alpheus said with a sheepish grin as he stepped a little closer to where I was standing.
"By the way, are you okay? Won't it be hard for you to serve all of us by yourself? Looks like you're alone tonight."
"Yown! Hahaha! Alpheus is making a move, boys!" one of his friends teased loudly.
"Hahaha! Looks like he's not shy anymore!" another one added, and their laughter grew even louder.
I saw Alpheus' face turn bright red as he glanced at me in embarrassment. Then, he shot his friends a sharp look, as if telling them to stop.
But that only made things worse—the group erupted into even louder howls and teasing, clearly enjoying watching their friend squirm.
I couldn't help but wince. I had no idea what exactly was going on between them, but it was hard not to feel awkward in the middle of their chaotic banter.
But just as their laughter reached its peak, a cold voice sliced through the noise.
"What the hell is wrong with you guys?! Can't you see someone's still sleeping here?" the voice snapped from the far end of the room.
The room instantly fell into silence.
I froze in place.
That voice... It sent an unexpected chill down my spine. It was so familiar—so unmistakable—that my heart skipped a beat.
I didn't know why, but the moment I heard it, something deep inside me stirred.
Because that voice…
Was one I could never forget.