Worst Days

Gia was shocked, her eyes widened, of all the people on the yacht, it had landed on Juno.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he roared, staring at his champagne soaked shirt. “You’ve ruined my shirt!”

Gia stood up as quickly as she could, mortified. “I’m so sorry, sir. It was an accident, I…”

“An accident?” Juno stood up, towering in all her height. “Do you have any idea how much this shirt costs?”

“Let me help you,” Gia grabbed a napkin and reached out to wipe the stain, but Juno pushed it away with a sharp shove.

It was that shove that made something inside Gia snap, all the pent-up emotions from the night before, all the frustration and pain, exploded at that moment.

“Who do you think you are to push me like that?” he shouted, surprising everyone present. “Do you think that because you’re rich you can treat people like trash?”

The silence that followed was deafening, the guests staring at the scene with their mouths agape. Odalis Sterling smiled with satisfaction. And Juno... Juno Greco looked at Gia as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"How dare you?" His voice was soft, but loaded with menace, he grabbed her arm tightly. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"You're hurting me!" Gia tried to break free, but he was too strong.

"Boss!" one of his employees intervened. "The reporters are watching..."

That seemed to make him react, he let go of Gia and turned to the staff manager.

"I want this woman off my yacht right now, and make sure she never works on any event related to Greco Enterprises again." He ordered in a low tone.

"Yes, Mr. Greco," the manager rushed towards Gia and grabbed her by the arm. "Come with me, young lady."

"This is unfair!" he protested. Gia cried as she was dragged towards a small tender. “It was an accident! She tripped me!”

But no one was listening, she saw Sondra looking at her with concern as she was pulled off the yacht, and Odalis Sterling raising her glass in a mocking toast.

Tears began to fall as the small boat pulled away from the Athena, not only had she lost the chance to earn the money she desperately needed for the hospital, but she had also made an enemy of one of the most powerful men in the city.

On the yacht, Juno Greco watched the small boat sail away as she changed her ruined shirt into a new one her assistant had brought her.

“John,” she called to her right-hand man. “I want you to investigate everything about that insolent woman, everything.”

"What are you going to do with her, boss?" Jhon asked, knowing the expression on his boss's face well.

Juno smiled, it was a cold smile. "Make sure she doesn't find work anywhere in this city, I want her to learn what it means to defy me."

"As you command, sir."

That afternoon, Gia arrived at the hospital, heartbroken. She sat down beside her mother's bed, taking her limp hand in hers.

"I'm sorry, mom," she whispered through her tears. "I couldn't get the money today. But I'll find a way, I promise, I won't let them disconnect you."

Her mother, of course, didn't answer, her face still as serene as ever, oblivious to all the drama unfolding around her.

Gia remembered what she was like before the accident, a woman full of life and love, always singing while she cooked, always with a smile for her daughter. That had all changed that terrible afternoon, when an argument with Regina ended with her mother rolling down the stairs.

The next few days were a nightmare, every employment agency Gia went to closed their doors to her. No one wanted to give her a job, no one wanted to even listen to her.

Finally, one night, when Sondra came home from work, she talked to her.

"Gia," her friend sounded worried. "I have bad news, I've just been told that Juno Greco has been calling every employment agency in the city. She's specifically told them not to hire you."

"What?" Gia felt her breath run out. "He can't do that! It's illegal!"

"I know, but no one dares to challenge him, Greco Enterprises is too powerful. I'm so sorry, Gia."

Gia fell back onto the bed, tears flooding through her. How was she going to help her mother now? How was she going to survive?

In her luxurious office overlooking the harbor, Juno Greco smiled as she read the reports on her tablet. Her grey eyes shone with satisfaction as she saw how her orders had been carried out to the letter. John stood in front of her desk, waiting for her reaction.

"So no employment agency wants to hire her," Juno placed the tablet on the mahogany desk. "Excellent work, John."

"Thank you, sir, I personally made sure that all the agencies understood the consequences of disobeying your orders."

"And what about her? How has she reacted?"

John smiled. "She's desperate, she's visited every agency in the city, the last one practically kicked her out when she mentioned his name."

Juno leaned back in her leather chair, satisfied, the image of that insolent girl yelling at him in front of all his guests still burning in her memory. No one, absolutely no one, had dared to speak to her like that before.

"No one challenges me and gets away with it," she muttered. "Let that serve as a lesson."

Meanwhile, in Sondra's small apartment, Gia was stepping out of the shower wrapped in a towel, drops of water still falling from her long hair.

Sondra had left for work early, leaving her alone, the apartment quiet except for the occasional sound of traffic coming in from the street.

She was heading to the bedroom when she heard the front door open.

"Sondra?" she called, thinking her friend had forgotten something.

But as she turned into the hallway, she froze—it wasn't Sondra standing in the doorway. It was Dan, her friend's boyfriend, a tall, burly guy who had always made her nervous with his stares.

"My, my," Dan smiled, his eyes unabashedly roaming Gia's body. "I didn't expect to find such a sight this morning."

Gia clutched the towel to her body, suddenly aware of how exposed she was. "Dan... I didn't know you had a key."

"Sondra gave it to me a month ago," he replied, closing the door behind him. The sound of the lock made Gia's heart race.

"I'm going to get dressed," Gia tried to push past him into the bedroom, but Dan moved, blocking her way.

"Why the rush?" she said, lowering her voice. "We could get to know each other better, don't you think?"

"Dan, please let me in."

"You're so beautiful," he ignored her request, moving closer. "Much more so than Sondra. I've always thought that."

"This is wrong!" Gia backed away, but her back hit the wall. "You're my friend's boyfriend."

Dan laughed, a sound that made her skin crawl.

"Come on, don't act innocent. Why do you think Sondra let you stay here? You clearly need help... I could help you."

Before she could react, Dan grabbed her by the waist and tried to kiss her. Gia turned her face, pushing him away with all her might.

"No! Let me go!" she screamed, struggling against his hold.

At that moment, the door slammed open. Sondra stood there, horrified at the scene before her: her boyfriend hugging her best friend, who was only wearing a towel.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sondra's voice sounded like she was being strangled.

"Sondra!" Gia took advantage of the distraction to break free from Dan. "It's not what it looks like, he..."

"Shut up!" Sondra advanced on her, her face contorted with anger. "Traitorous bitch!"

"Sondra, honey," Dan interjected, his voice honeyed. "She came on to me, told me that if I didn't listen to her, she would make up stories about me."

"That's a lie!" Gia couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sondra, you have to believe me! He came in unannounced, he tried to..."

Sondra's slap cut her off, the blow so hard it made her stagger.

"You're a bitch!" Sondra grabbed her wet hair, dragging her towards the door. "I'm taking you into my house and this is how you're repaying me!"

"Sondra, please!" Gia cried, trying to keep the towel in place as her friend dragged her away. "He's lying!"

"Get out of my house!" Sondra kicked open the door and pushed Gia into the hallway. "I never want to see you again in my life!"

Gia's suitcase and clothes flew through the air, scattering across the hallway floor. The door closed with a slam that echoed throughout the building.