Chapter 2

Josh's workplace was a cozy, middle-class restaurant, in a quiet neighborhood. The exterior boasted a welcoming facade with large windows decorated by potted plants, offering a glimpse of the warm and inviting interior. The restaurant was known for its comfortable atmosphere and friendly staff.

Josh had been working at this place ever since he turned 18 and that was two years ago. He had a lot of memories of the place, some of them were good ones, while some were not.

Inside, soft lighting bathed the wooden tables and cushioned chairs, creating an ambiance that was both relaxed and inviting. The walls were adorned with rustic artwork, and a chalkboard near the entrance displayed the daily specials. Patrons would often find themselves enveloped in the comforting aroma of freshly cooked meals.

The menu featured a variety of classic dishes, from hearty burgers and pasta to flavorful salads and sandwiches. It was the kind of place where regulars felt like family, and newcomers quickly became regulars. Despite the day's challenges, Josh felt a sense of belonging when he finally stepped through the restaurant's familiar entrance.

Josh pushed through the busy restaurant entrance, immediately greeted by the sight of every table occupied with hungry customers. He knew he couldn't afford any more delays, so he hurried toward the kitchen, his footsteps quickening with a sense of urgency.

En route to the kitchen, he collided with a colleague, a man named Mark, who appeared to be around the same age as Josh. Mark had a disapproving frown on his face, as he shot Josh a cold look for being late. "Look who decided to show up, at last," Mark remarked, his tone laced with annoyance.

"I'm sorry, I got held up," Josh replied, his voice filled with regret.

"Yeah right," Mark replied, his tone showing that he didn't believe Josh's words. He thought Josh was just making excuses. "Don't answer to me, answer to Mrs Betty," he gave him a dirty look before walking away.

Josh sighed and headed towards the kitchen.

After entering the kitchen, Josh spotted the owner, a plus-size woman in her late forties, overseeing the kitchen staff. Her stern expression deepened into a frown as she noticed him, and without any introduction, she asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"

Josh quickly began explaining, "I'm sorry Mrs Betty, for being late, but..." He barely managed to start his sentence before the woman cut him off abruptly.

"I don't care," she snapped, her voice filled with anger. "You're fired." The finality in her tone left Josh stunned, realizing the consequences of his tardiness had just taken a dire turn. "Now get your ass out of here." She demanded.

This was the only job Josh had, and he couldn't lose it. Josh knew he had to try and keep it, so he tried talking to Mrs Betty. "Ma'am, I promise this will never happen again. I'll do whatever it takes to make amends. I can even work extra hours."

However Mrs Betty seemed unmoved by his words. And why would she listen to his plea, when this was exactly what she had been waiting for? She never really liked Josh in the first place and she had always wanted to fire him. And his lateness had given her the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Mrs. Betty's anger and frustration reached a boiling point, and her tone took on a cruel edge as she said to Josh. "You're a disgrace, Josh," she let out, her voice dripping with disdain and disrespect. "I've never seen someone as useless and unreliable as you. You're not even worth the trouble of firing properly."

After hearing her cruel words, Josh knew there was no point in begging her to keep the job, so he just stopped trying to keep the job. Looking over at her, he asked. "What about the previous month's payment?" He had worked hard, and he was hoping that she would pay him for the work he had done. It was also his only source of income,and without it, he wouldn't be able to pay the months rent.

Mrs. Betty's cruel demeanor persisted as she scoffed at Josh's request. "Payment? You actually have the audacity to ask for payment after this disaster? You're unbelievable."

"But, I worked for it, shouldn't I get paid?" Josh asked. Even though he was starting to feel irritated by her tone, he remained calm as he spoke to her.

"I won't pay you a single cent. In fact, consider it compensation for the inconvenience you've caused." Her words were laced with disdain, and she continued with a threat,"If you don't leave right now, I'll call the police."

Josh felt a sense of hopelessness wash over him. He knew arguing further was futile, and Mrs. Betty had made it clear that she would not relent. With a heavy heart and his livelihood in shreds, he had no choice but to comply. "Fine," he muttered, defeated. He didn't want to insist, knowing that she was not bluffing when she said she would call the police.

Turning around, Josh left the place, the weight of his job loss heavy on his shoulders. As he walked down the streets, an intense sense of heartbreak and uncertainty weighed on him. The reality of losing his job, his only source of income worried him, and he couldn't help but wonder what the future held in store.

Josh continued down the streets, lost in his thoughts, his mind clouded with the recent turn of events. As he wandered, lost deep in his head, he happened to glance across the street and was jolted out of his reverie by a surprising sight.

There, in a luxurious restaurant, he spotted someone all too familiar, his girlfriend Kathy, she was seated at a table opposite a man who appeared to be in his forties. The sight of her in such a setting, especially with another man, sent a wave of mixed emotions rushing through Josh.

Kathy and the man's animated conversation and the laughter that filled the air seemed oddly intimate, and the way Kathy touched the man's arm in a familiar gesture raised an unsettling question in Josh's mind. As Josh watched what was happening, the man moved from the table and leaned in to kiss Kathy.

Kathy reciprocated, kissing him, a scene that shocked Josh, leaving him completely heartbroken. He never thought he would ever see his girlfriend do something like that, with another man, it was so unexpected and so heartbreaking for him.

Josh couldn't bear to watch the scene unfold any longer. The image of Kathy kissing another man had shaken him to the core, and he needed answers. Mustering his courage, he started walking towards the restaurant's entrance.

As entered the restaurant and approached Kathy's table, his heart was heavy with hurt and confusion. He couldn't believe, someone he trusted so much would betray him, in the worst way.

Kathy spotted Josh approaching her, and she was startled by his sudden appearance. Rising from her chair she looked at him with a shocked expression. "Josh!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. "What are you doing here, Josh?"

Josh's gaze shifted between Kathy and the man at the table. He could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him. His voice was cold as he replied, "I could ask you the same thing."

Kathy furrowed her brows, a mix of disbelief and irritation clouding her expression. She seemed to think that Josh might have been following her around. How else could he have known where she was?

"Oh my god, Josh, are you following me?" she asked, her tone filled with a lot of frustration and disbelief. She was even starting to feel embarrassed at the moment, as she didn't want people to know that this beggar, who was so beneath her, was actually her boyfriend.

Kathy and Josh's relationship didn't begin in the usual way, at least not for Kathy. For Josh, it might have seemed like a typical start, but for Kathy, it was far from what she had wanted. In her eyes, Josh was the most poverty-stricken, pitiable and miserable guy she had ever come across, and she had no intention of associating herself with him. The only reason she had entered into a relationship with him was due to a bet. One of her friends, Cynthia, had challenged her, offering a tempting prize of 5 million dollars if Kathy could convince Josh that she liked him and wanted to be in a relationship with him. It was a wager that had led to a chain of events she had never expected.

And Josh had no idea about the bet, he was convinced that she genuinely loved him. Well at least now that he had caught her with someone else, he realized that she might have been pretending to love him.

Josh's voice was cold as he responded, "No, I'm not. Mind telling me what you're doing with this man." He gestured towards the middle-aged stranger seated across from Kathy. He already knew what was going on, but he wanted to hear her say it. He was still in disbelief, he never thought she would do something like this to him.

Kathy briefly glanced at the man behind her, before looking at Josh and replying, "Oh, this is Mr Carlos Rodriguez, he is my English teacher." She tried to fool Josh into believing that there was nothing going on between her and the middle aged man, but unbeknownst to her, Josh already knew, as he had already seen her kissing the man.

The fact that she was trying to lie to him, by claiming that the man was her English teacher, when in fact he was her lover, made Josh feel disrespected and even more betrayed. Back when they had started dating, she had promised him that she would never betray him, but looks like that was a false promise.

"Is that so? Well, do you kiss all your teachers?" Josh asked. He was still in disbelief, because he never thought Kathy capable of such a betrayal. Why would she even do something like that to him? Josh looked at Kathy with a serious expression as he said, "Kathy don't lie to me."

Realizing that Josh had seen through her lies, and there was no point in pretending any longer, Kathy sighed, rolled her eyes in annoyance, and finally admitted, "Congratulations, you've figured it out." The confession hung in the air, marking the undeniable end of their relationship.

The commotion between the three of them didn't go unnoticed by the other diners in the restaurant, and some of them couldn't help but focus their attention on the drama unfolding.

And then, Kathy boldly walked toward the older man, who remained seated, and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. She glanced back at Josh with a cruel smirk. "This is Mr. Carlos Rodriguez, my sugar daddy."

Josh could feel his heart breaking even further as Kathy's words confirmed the extent of her betrayal. The humiliation and heartbreak he felt were almost unbearable, and he couldn't help but wonder how someone he had loved and trusted so deeply could hurt him in such a cruel manner. "Kathy, how could you?"

Kathy let out a soft mocking chuckle as she kissed the older man on the cheek. She looked at Josh and replied, "How could I do it? It's simple, he is rich, and you're poor, Josh." She sneered.

The old man looked at Josh from head to toe, a look of disgust on his face. Just one look at Josh and he could tell that he was a very poor person, who couldn't even afford a nice pair of clothes for himself. Taking his eyes off Josh, he looked at Kathy and asked, "Who is this guy?"

Kathy, now fully committed to embarrassing Josh, looked at him with a smirk before turning to the man and saying, "Oh, this is just my ex-boyfriend, Josh. He's a bit... financially challenged." She emphasized the last words to underscore her point.

The man smirked as he looked at Josh and mockingly said, "Well, I can see why you left him then, who would want to be with such a loser."

The man's derogatory comments hit Josh hard, but he refused to let the humiliation overpower him. Gathering what little pride he had left, Josh stared back at the man,"Well sir, it's better to be a 'loser' than a shameless old man."

The man's face turned red with anger, his pride wounded by Josh's retort. He clenched his fists, seething with rage, and growled, "You dare speak to me that way, you insolent brat!"

With a snap of his fingers, the man signaled to his henchmen who had been discreetly watching the scene unfold. In a matter of seconds, they surrounded Josh, their menacing presence casting an intimidating shadow over him.