CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

Liam's words, word by word, left Lindis astonished. Despite the noisy room and the blaring music, Lindis could hear every word Liam said as if they were spoken in a hushed tone. She had never expected her ex-husband to be so callous.

His words crushed any lingering hope Lindis had for him. The other men at the table seemed eager to have her sit down and pour them drinks, a task that wasn't her responsibility. Lindis trembled as remember of her ex-husband's words replayed in her mind. She lowered her head, avoiding any further eye contact with him.

While Lindis thought it was impossible to escape here, she still needed this job, and with great difficulty, she was able to work here as a waitress. Lindis suppressed her discomfort at being touched by these customers, trying to be patient. She thought that having accepted to come here to work meant she was ready to accept what was about to happen.

No one seemed to care...

"I'm truly sorry, please forgive us. Ana's job is solely to serve drinks and clean up, she can't take on any additional duties," Senior Manager Isa stepped forward, speaking gently as she took Lindis's hand and pulled her to stand beside.

The men at the table lost interest in the conversation. "They're all employees here, what's the difference? If she works extra, I'll pay her more. Don't be so rigid, Manager Isa," one of the men said.

Isa just smiled and remained courteous to the guests. "I apologize, even though this is a bar, there are rules to be followed. I can't make any exceptions. I can call other staff to serve you better if you prefer. Please understand this inconvenience."

But those men not only refused but became increasingly irritated. What intrigued them was that Lindis was Liam's ex-wife. They wanted to taste the flavor of Liam's former spouse.

Lindis heard the negotiation between Manager Isa and the upscale members, who were determined to make her serve them tonight, causing her to turn pale. She clutched the corner of Isa's clothing, fearing that Isa might abandon her to those ravenous wolves.

Isa sensed Lindis's fear and held her hand, whispering words of reassurance. Isa continued to smile at customers because XOX's premium members were not only rich but spending money to maintain their premium membership here could cost as much as a luxury apartment. However, not everyone who possessed a high-end membership card was truly wealthy. These cards came with various privileges and social status, making them highly coveted. Even Isa, as a senior manager, dared not offend them.

"If that, I'll provide complimentary drinks for you today. Furthermore, I'll let you choose any staff you'd like to serve you tonight. I'll even let you in on a little secret: All the girls serving you tonight still have their tags intact. Isn't trying something new more enjoyable than a plain, rustic woman like her?" Isa intentionally played to the preferences of the wealthy men, who couldn't resist the allure of beautiful and virginal women.

"Do you think we can't afford the drinks? Isa, just because you're a senior manager here doesn't mean you can say whatever you want," one man sneered, determined to have Liam's ex-wife serve him tonight.

Apart from that, Lindis's appearance was undeniably beautiful. Compared to the dedicated night staff, she was a rare beauty. Appearance mattered, but the stimulating factor was equally important.

Lindis wanted to run away from this situation, but she dared not. If she fled, she'd not only lose her job but also drag Isa into trouble. Just when it seemed Isa couldn't save Lindis, a quiet man who had been sitting beside Liam found the conversation in front of him tiresome.

"Alright, please take her out of here quickly. Bring more drinks here, don't kill the mood," Ethan said. Ethan was one of Liam's friends. At first, he didn't want to get involved in the conversation between the two, but the noise became too annoying, so he decided to ask Isa and Lindis to leave.

Upon hearing that, Isa quickly smiled and called for another server to bring more drinks while she led Lindis outside.

As they stepped out of the room, Lindis breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if she had just escaped a disaster. Isa turned to her and asked, "Why were you serving in this room? That's not your job, right?"

"Well, you're right. It's because Four was off today... so..." Lindis replied, feeling a bit sheepish. She hadn't volunteered to serve in those rooms, but another manager had called her up.

Isa understood the problem. If it weren't for someone reporting to her, she wouldn't have arrived in time to save Lindis. Isa understood that Lindis was not a flirty type of woman. In the case of employees assigned to serve the economy rooms, many people wanted to climb the ladder and deliberately went to the VIP rooms.

"Alright, you go back to your work. I'm afraid that guy won't let you off that easily today. By the way, how do you know Liam? They referred to you as Liam's ex-wife," Isa inquired. She and Lindis had become acquainted when Lindis's son and Isa's granddaughter attended the same school. They had known each other for only two years, so Isa was unaware of Lindis's past.

Lindis had no intention of bringing up her past, but since Isa had just saved her, she felt it was necessary to share some details. "Liam and I were married and lived together for three years, and then we got divorced, and I moved away. I never expected to run into him here."

"It's possible that's why you caught their attention," Isa sighed.

Everyone working at XOX had their own hidden pasts they wanted to keep concealed. No one was truly innocent, and the commonality among the staff serving there was money; they would do whatever it took to earn it. However, Isa had a feeling that Lindis was not like the others.

By the time Lindis finished her shift, it was already the next morning. She returned home and quietly opened the door to avoid waking up her son. Her rented house had two bedrooms, and she and her son slept separately, so Leo didn't know that his mother worked every night and didn't sleep.

Leo woke up and got ready for the day on his own before heading out of his room. "Mom, you're up early," he said. No matter how hard he tried, he could never wake up earlier than his mother.

"Come over here and have breakfast, Leo," Lindis said, placing a freshly cooked omelet on the table. After her shift at XOX, she would prepare breakfast for her son and then take him to school.

After completing these tasks, she could finally get some sleep. She could only manage about three hours of sleep before going to the upscale restaurant where she worked. After her divorce, she had used up all her savings to cover the cost of her pregnancy and Leo's birth, as well as the medical bills during that time.

In the five years since then, she had changed jobs frequently. Currently, she was juggling two jobs at the same time. During the day, she worked as a server at the restaurant until late evening, and after finishing work, she would pick up her son and have dinner with him. By the time her son went to bed, it was already 9 p.m., and that's when Lindis began her shift at XOX.

The restaurant where Lindis worked was called MayMay, a five-star restaurant known for its traditional Chinese cuisine. The restaurant was decorated in a distinctly Chinese style, and the staff's uniforms were carefully chosen and maintained. In particular, female employees wore gray cheongsams while serving.

On most days, Lindis served food and drinks to customers who were polite and didn't make unreasonable demands. She preferred this job over working at XOX, where customers did not often make excessive and inappropriate requests.

But perhaps these days are Lindis’s unlucky days.

"Lindis?" A sweet voice from a girl made Lindis startle, and she reflexively looked up.

"Oh! You work here?" the girl asked, tilting her head. This was the girl Lindis never wanted to meet because she was Thalia Donna, the one whom her ex-husband loved.

If Thalia was here, then surely the person accompanying her was Liam, Lindis guessed correctly. Liam was having his meal, only glancing at Thalia, not bothering to look at Lindis. Lindis knew exactly who Liam loved, but she still held a glimmer of hope, only to be disappointed.

"I'm working here, I have to get back to work. Enjoy your meal," Lindis felt that her presence was not appropriate here. Perhaps the two of them were on a date.

But Thalia reached out and said, "It's alright. Would you like to join us for a meal? In fact, with just the two of us, it can get a bit boring. With you, it would be more fun. The three of us can chat, do you mind? After all, you used to be my husband's wife." Thalia's words were filled with provocation towards Lindis, and Lindis could clearly see it. It was understandable that Thalia was uncomfortable with her, as it was because of her that Thalia and Liam couldn't be together.

Lindis just wanted to leave immediately; she didn't want to make herself more uncomfortable, so she immediately declined, "I'm sorry, but I'm on the clock and can't have a meal with you."

Before she could finish her sentence, Liam interrupted, looking at her with a cold and contemptuous gaze, "Thalia kindly invited you to join us for a meal, and you refused. Isn't it standard for employees to follow the customer's wishes? It seems like your manager doesn't train the staff well. Call your manager over."

Lindis tightly pursed her lips, feeling that she had done nothing wrong. She was currently on duty and not here for a meal like the two of them. "I apologize, but I'm currently working and cannot dine with you."

Just as the manager arrived, he greeted Liam respectfully and then looked at Lindis with dissatisfaction. "Mr. Liam, Ms. Thalia, is there an issue that has left both of you dissatisfied?"

Liam spoke coldly, "I feel like the staff here isn't too keen on serving customers. Is it due to poor training at this restaurant?"

"How can that be? I'm very sorry, both of you. Lindis, please apologize quickly," the manager didn't need to know the reason; he just needed to make sure the customer was satisfied, and right or wrong didn't matter.

Lindis felt indignant. She hadn't done anything wrong, yet she was being forced to apologize. She apologized because she wanted to be polite and decline their invitation for a meal, not because she had made a mistake. "I didn't do anything wrong. They wanted me to join them for a meal, but I'm currently working and can't dine with customers." Lindis thought that by explaining, the manager would understand, but she was mistaken. The manager, regardless of the reason, wanted a quick apology. He didn't care how unreasonable the customer's request was.

Lindis wanted to maintain her self-respect, but when she heard the manager would fire her, her resolve crumbled once again. She didn't want to lose her job over this issue. Thinking of her salary and expenses, Lindis lowered her head and said, "I'm truly sorry; I was in the wrong. I apologize. It would be a great honor for me to dine with you two, but I declined. I was foolish."