Chapter 7

Schuyler Savannah's P. O. V.

The fact that instead of crying and doing nothing, I have chosen to work and earn money is what slaps me that I have nothing against Ezekiel Riego. That man... I can’t believe that I’m really married to him. And I will have no choice, but to always deal with how cruel he is when he can’t get his way to what he wants to claim.

I could call him a spoiled jerk for that, but that won’t suit him for his cruelty, right? For me, in this situation, he was more cruel than Alana. And I don’t think it’ll ever change soon.

“Finish up this one, Schuyler!” Our boss called me and pointed at the table at his side.

I silently nodded at him and went to that table after the other one. There are a lot of people coming today because of the festival, some are even foreign and have been giving us huge tips. 

Right now, every cent matters to me. Especially since I have a huge debt to pay tonight and no matter how impossible it might be for me to have that amount of money, I still wanted to try it. There is a lot that can happen today, and I am betting my lifetime luck here.

Because that’s all I can do and that’s how powerless I am.

“We should try shopping abroad next week!” I heard a girl scream in excitement while approaching my side.

With one quick glance in their direction, I saw Alana with her friends. She was brightly smiling at them and her face just looked so blooming today, as if something wonderful was about to happen to her life.

“We can do that after the party! It’ll be worth celebrating, right, Alana?” The other one asked and Alana just giggled.

“Of course, it’ll be! My father said he’ll introduce me to Mr. Riego, and he’s so freakin’ hot!” I stopped wiping the table upon hearing what Alana just said. “Still remember how he looked yesterday at the board meeting.”

Mr. Riego…

Could it be.. Ezekiel Riego? I mean, he’s not the only Riego in this place, but they’re both well off to be in the same circle, so..

“Are you okay, Schuyler?” One of my co-workers, Georgi, tapped my shoulder to get my attention.

“What?” My mind couldn’t process anything clearly as I was still trying to eavesdrop from the other table where Alana and her friends were.

“You’re wiping the table too hard! Don’t you notice?” I glanced at my hand and found how red they were. “Come on, let me have it!”

Georgi took the table wiper and did my job on his own. I was feeling a little embarrassed, but for some reason, I was thankful for the short time he helped me and I had the time to rest my arms from moving a lot.

“Thank you, Georgi!” I tapped his back lightly and picked up my spray bottle before hanging it on my waistband. “I’ll do the others.”

“No, don’t!” Georgi faced me and I noticed how serious his face turned out. “That Alana is here. I saw what happened the last time. Give it a break and stay out of her sight.” I glanced at Alana and realized he was right. 

If she sees me today, I’ll definitely burden myself with her words for the whole day. And honestly, I don’t need any of it right now or ever. I sighed and nodded at Goergi. 

“Just go in the kitchen, you can wash the dishes there. Swap with me for today!” Georgi winked and continued to clean the other tables.

I shook my head while smiling and made my way inside the kitchen. Though, despite being busy, I’m still wondering about what Alana said. Is she.. Interested in Ezekiel Riego? Or was it even him?

No matter, strangely, why am I even affected by it? 

After washing the dishes, I stood in the corner waiting for more dishes to come when our boss spotted me.

“Schuyler, go and help outside! We have a lot of customers coming!” He said and hurriedly picked up a tray.

“Here, take this to table eight!” Chef said and quickly went back to cooking.

Seeing how rushed everyone was, I did the same and carried the tray with me, but before I managed to get past the kitchen and the restroom, I felt my phone vibrate so I had to carry the tray in one hand and reached for it.

I saw a message popping so I opened it to check it, even nervous because it might be from the hospital, concerning my parents' conditions, but my worries subsided and I slowly furrowed my brows while reading the message.

‘You like getting touched, huh?’ My eyes widened when another text came in and I saw a photo of Georgi, staring at me and tapping my back shoulder.

I subconsciously roamed my eyes around me as I felt the cold feeling in my nape, with nervous hitting me at the same time. Who the hell would decide to keep his eyes on me at times like that, right? I only have Ezekiel Riego in my mind and I don’t even understand what his reason would be to watch me like that!

But unlike what I was expecting, I didn’t get to see anyone around. Not even Ezekiel Riego or his secretary.

I wanted so much to blame everything on him, but it’s wrong right? Ezekiel can’t be responsible for everything that’s been happening with my life lately. But who else would have the motive to do some of this bulgar? For me, it’s only him.

I clutched my head while trying to figure out everything when I suddenly felt like losing my balance and just when I did, I unknowingly bumped into someone and everything on the tray fell on that person.

I opened my eyes to see who it was after I heard a scream, but I couldn’t clearly see anything. My vision was blurred and my head was aching badly when I felt a pair of hands, forcefully pushing me away until I ended up stumbling on the ground.

“Schuyler!” I heard someone call my name and when I managed to clear my vision, only then, I realized what was happening around me.

Confusion was evident on my face as I looked at everyone around me. Even our busy chef in the kitchen is there and eyeing me with pity and worry in his eyes. I looked around before I slowly stood up, feeling embarrassed about everything that just happened.

My boss hurriedly came to my side, anger was visible in his eyes when he grabbed my shoulder tightly.

“Sir, let go of Schuyler! I saw everything, she didn’t mean it.” Georgi quickly came to my defense.

“Shut up and clean this mess now!” He whispered at Georgi before he faced everyone and pulled me with him. “Miss Alana! I’m really sorry for this!”

My eyes widened as I realized that Alana was the one I bumped into and probably even the one who pushed me away after the hot soup poured out on her.

“O-Oh, my..” I whispered to myself in disbelief.

Gosh, what have I done?! Alana probably had a skin burn because of the soup and it’s getting visible now. Her skin was turning red and she was so close to crying!

“Sorry?!” She angrily exclaimed while caressing her burned arm. “Do you think that a mere sorry can undo your employees' st*pidity?!”

“N-No, she cannot! But, please… Give us a chance!” My boss pulled me down. “Beg for her mercy and forgiveness now! If anything happened to her, her father would cut off everything he’d been giving to me for this restaurant!”

His harsh whispers made me flinch, but when I looked at Alana, I could already tell that forgiveness wasn’t on her mind as she stared at me, but I still had to answer for my mistakes.

I bent my head down until I dropped my knees before looking up at her. Her friends gasped before they tried to hide their insulting eyes and laughter as they watched me. I feel so little right now, but doing nothing will make me lose the job that I badly need.

“I-I’m sorry, Alana! Please, I didn’t mean to do it!” I desperately begged on my knees.

I saw when excitement crossed her face while still trying to remove the pain she was feeling in her arm. I looked down and bowed my head as I felt the tears starting to come out of my eyes. This is more than embarrassing.

“How st*pid could you be? I’m in pain here and your initial thought is to kneel there and beg for forgiveness instead of calling for the medic to come here and aid me?!” Alana shouted in so much anger. “If these scars on my skin, could you even pay for my treatments?! Of course not! And I’ll definitely kill you if it does, Schuyler!”

I know that I’m at fault, but it was an accident. I didn’t mean to do it! I bit my lower lip in agreement with her.

“I-I’ll call the medic, then—”

“Fuck, no need!” She shouted. “I’ll go there myself,  and you!” She turned to my boss. “How dare you hire st*pid and lame employees like this b*tch?! After everything my father has done for this disgusting restaurant of yours, this is how you’ll repay us?”

“Miss Alana, I never—”

“Whatever!” She hissed and turned her back on us. “You’ll pay for this, Schuyler! All of you here will!”

The moment Alana left, the other customers did the same thing and our boss tried to persuade them to stay here, but none of them listened. They’re probably afraid to get involved with the commotion just now, knowing how cruel Alana’s father can be to everyone in town when it comes to his daughter’s sake.

And I messed it all up..

It only meant one thing.. This restaurant will be bankrupt soon.

The moment everyone was out, our boss faced me and I couldn’t explain the emotion on his face. His strides toward me warned me to run away, but my feet froze on the ground, and weren't able to move as I felt the fear he had installed inside me.

He raised his hand and not any of us had ever expected when he hardly slapped me and I ended up falling on the ground.

“You, stupid bitch!” He shouted and was about to come to me again when our chef and Georgi came running to stop him from coming to me. “You’re a f*cking pest in my business! Just look at what you did!”

I carefully move aside just so he won’t reach me and I would even flinch from time to time whenever he would have the chance to step closer to me.

“Come here and I’m gonna kill you!” When he nearly got a hold of me, Georgi stepped in front of me to cover me from him. “You fucked up my business because of your idiocy! I’m not gonna let you live for this!”

One of my female co-workers ran to me and helped me stand up. I noticed that she was holding my bag when she got close to me.

“Schuyler, run! Leave this place now!” She pulled me to the door and pushed me away.

“I-I’m really sorry!” Tears came out of my eyes while watching everyone inside get yelled at by our boss.

I lowered my head and started heading back to the hospital. I’m done. I have nothing more to do here.. But I don’t want to accept the fact that I’m losing. I had to do something! I can’t just sulk and watch as they take my parents to a public hospital.

I know hospitals here. They lack medical equipment and everything is always based on availability. With the number of patients in this place, my parents' lives would be in great danger first before they could get any assistance from the staff.

The moment I reached the hospital and my parents' room, I found six men outside, standing and keeping their eyes on me when they saw me. One step and one of them went to grab my shoulder harshly.

“What are you doing?” I panicked the moment he pulled me. “What do you want?! Let me go!”

The people around are all looking in our direction, but none of them decided to step in and help me. 

“I said let me go!” He opened the door to my parents' room and dragged me inside. I even fell on the cold floor. I faced him back with my eyes full of hatred. “Why are you doing this?!”

I saw the other three men come after him while the two remained outside. They all stood next to the door as if mocking me that I wouldn’t be able to go out and escape from them.

I slowly stood up and was about to push out when at the side of my eyes, I saw someone sitting on the single couch and glaring at me. Realization dawned on me when I noticed who it was.

“I see.. There’s no need for introductions, right, Schuyler?” I balled my fist when he smirked at me. 

“Why.. are you here?” I tried to calm myself so I could speak with him without feeling afraid of what he might do to me.

He puffed on his cigarette and I almost wanted to shout at him to stop it and just answer my question!

“How did you even get in here?” 

He laughed at my question as if I was merely joking with him. “This is a hospital, not your home. Did you expect the guards to look for your parents the whole day?” I gritted my teeth and I know that he noticed that when his face darkened as he stood up to face me. “I heard what you did to my daughter..”

“It was an accident! And she knew that. I wasn’t feeling well earlier and I—”

“I don’t care for whatever you were feeling!” His voice echoed in the whole room and I almost covered my ears. “Alana is in the hospital now and receiving treatments for skin burns! But instead of asking for forgiveness, you acted highly and told me that it was merely an accident?!”

I glanced at my parents' side and hoped that they wouldn't hear us right now.

“I have asked for her forgiveness, but Alana doesn’t want to accept it—”

“How the hell do you think that my daughter would just accept your forgiveness after you hurt her?! You..” He stepped forward to me and I wasn’t able to get away from him as he tightly grabbed my jaw. “You ruined my plans for Alana!”

“S-Sir—”

“I was supposed to offer her to Mr. Riego for a merger! If she doesn't get chosen tonight because of that burn on her skin, I’ll kill you and burn your parents somewhere away from your grave!”

He let go of me and pushed me away from his way. His men eyed me first before they left with him and I wasn’t even able to get over it first when someone knocked on the door and three nurses came in.

“W-What is it?” I started worrying when they didn’t answer me and just went to my parents' bed. “What are you doing?!”

I ran towards one of them when he pulled out the dextrose from my dad, while the other one did the same to my mom. The third nurse was collecting their medicines and throwing them all in the trash.

“Stop it, please! Why are you doing this?” I shouted at them, but no one listened to me. “This is illegal! I’ll sue you for this!”

“Before you do that, consider paying our hospital first.” Someone said from behind me.

I quickly turned around, only to see the president with the doctor, standing there and watching us.

“W-What?” Disbelief was written all over my face while eyeing them. “I-I told you already, I’m going to pay you!”

“It’s afternoon already, Miss Savannah!” He hissed and motioned for the nurses to leave. “Only an hour away before the evening. Surely, you can’t find the amount of money we need to keep your parents here, right?”

My tears were threatening to fall from my eyes as he slapped me with the truth. My knees trembled, I had no strength left in me and I just broke down while crying in front of them.

I had a lot today. The luck I was expecting to bet had never happened. No one came to my rescue and I have to do something now. Just like before, I’m left all alone. And I have to deal with it.

“Schuyler..” The doctor went to me. “As much as we want to give you more, you know that we can’t. You owe us a lot and that can’t keep on happening.” I slowly looked up to him, but my vision wasn’t clear as my eyes were clouded with tears.  “Besides, there’s nothing wrong with public hospitals here.”

“You don’t understand..” I shake my head as a sob escapes from my lips.

“Schuyler..” I heard him sigh and left my side. “We have to prepare your parents for transportation now. And we have already informed the hospital they’re transferring.”

I continued to shake my head and nothing else could be heard from the room, but my loud sobs while crying and glancing at my parents. I have tried so hard to keep them alive. No matter what their situation was, I tried to do everything with the hopes that they would one day wake up and come back to me. But was I wrong for that?

Was I being selfish? Because the truth is, I can’t take it anymore. I can’t do much for them, the same way they can do everything for me.. But what if they still want to live, right? No matter how tiring it is.. Just what if?

I slowly stood up and looked at them with desperation in my eyes. “Please, I’m begging you just this one last time..” I swallowed hard and lowered my head to wipe my tears, but they just won’t stop me from falling. “I have no cards left… but this one.”

“What do you want?” The president asked me, his voice not sounding merciful.

I feel like there’s a lump in my throat preventing me from saying anything, but I still force myself to say the words.

“Wait for me..”

I started walking away from them, not bringing anything with me. Because right now, I know that I only have one way to go and there’s no turning back. I took my phone out of my pocket as I dialed the same number from earlier.

And the moment he picked it up, I had to brace myself while listening.