Joan’s pov

The night breeze blew gently outside the restaurant. The angry voice of the head chef could be heard, clattering of plates and spoons, rushing and bustling of the chefs moving hurriedly in the kitchen.

I was trying hard not to piss the chef off because the man has a pink nose already and that means trouble. I smiled to myself thinking of the last time he got so angry that….

“Are you going to give me a reason you are smiling Joan?” The chef boomed from the stoves.

I smirked and continued the food I was making. Today was a busy day and we are at a rush hour. People seem to be rushing in non-stop making it really hard for us. Chef really need to hire more people to do the cooking. I was mainly in charge of marinated chicken and frying and I was really losing my mind at this point. People are ordering much already.

I am Joan and I am twenty-three years old. I like to think on a normal day that I was a beautiful lady but things have not exactly been normal for me for a long time. I have a very long curly hair that I consider a curse sometimes because of the amount of work I have to do to tame it. I have a younger sister who is in high school and we are orphans. Our life, or let me say my life has been a joke since my parents died in a car crash on their way to the police station to pick me after I was arrested for a crime. Yes, I was not your exact definition of a good girl.

I smoked, hung out with the bad girls and guys of school and even took drugs. There was no manner of bad stuff I didn’t do in high school. The only thing I didn’t do was lose my V card. Since the day they died, I have been staying lowkey and been a gentle whim. Something I never was.

The day they died, it was as if my whole world came crashing down even though I didn’t shed I single tear, something in me died that day. My sister, Kylie didn’t know what happened that day and I preferred to keep it that way. I don’t know what I would do if she finds out that our parents died because of me. I won’t be able to handle it if she blames for the death of our parents too.

She is in grade 10 and fifteen years old presently. I vowed to give her the best she can get in this world even if it means me not getting what I want. I want to sponsor her to her education peak and all that. Kylie is a lovable girl and very pretty too; the spitting image of my mother and very smart too. I didn’t go to university, I take culinary classes online because of the jobs I do on the side I don’t have the luxury of going to college physically. I take courses because I love cooking more than you think and I try to get myself any chance at it.

I checked the watch on my hand, “Shoot!”. I had ten minutes to my next job.

Thankfully the lady that was supposed to take my spot for the next shift was already putting on an apron.

“Hailey, its time” I said

She just snubbed me and walked on. She has such a bitchy attitude with her long nose that looked very funny. Loads of surgeries, I guess. None of my business anyways.

“Night chef” I shouted as I made my way towards the locker room.

“Don’t be late tomorrow Joan” he said in a seemingly stern voice.

I smiled to myself. Chef was such a big baby. He is a very playful man but when it comes to the kitchen, he does not play with it.

I rushed out fast into the rush of New York and glanced up first and the stars looked so breath taking. I was so carried away that some guy with a lumpy looking shirt bumped into me and I didn’t notice.

“Hey watch it” I said angrily

“Leave the walk way then, we all have places we are rushing to” he said.

I gave him a sour expression then looked away. He was right though.

I turned and walked the other way to continued my journey. My next job is cleaning. Yes, I do clean, like, I’m a janitor in one of the biggest hotels in NY. It was not exactly far from Chef’s restaurant.

I started walking and running at the same time. I don’t want to face the wrath of Jessica today again. The woman has been on my case recently. And I really don’t want to get fired because the job pays well.

I made it within 5 minutes and walked straight to the side door that leads to a long hallway. I stood in front of the door for a few seconds and sighed softly; I opened the door to the locker room gently and was greeted with Jessica’s snort.

“…and look who decided to grace us with her presence” Jessica said sarcastically.

“I’m sorry Jess….” She cut me short

“Do you always have excuses Keith? You are two minutes late!”

Because of two min…… “I’m sorry it won’t happen again”

I said gently instead of arguing with her.

She huffed and left the locker room pissed. I wonder sometimes if the woman ever breaths. She is so uptight and she has the tightest ponytail I have ever seen and she does not change it so it has given her this particular fixed look and it’s so scary.

“Jessica is really after you” Vivi said

“I know right” I said quietly

I looked at the roaster for cleaning to check my station. It’s the penthouse, I internally groaned.

“What?” Vivi asked

“I am working in the penthouse”

“Anywhere but that place” she said

“Since he got back, the place has been a total mess. Rubbish upon rubbish. And I have been meaning to ask, for a fine man like him, how come he can’t tidy up after himself?”

“I don’t think he is a dirty man, because most times, what you think is rubbish might actually have meaning. I mean it has a kind of sequence and I think he breaks things intentionally coz I can’t count the number of vases I have replaced in that penthouse within the short time he has been back.” The uptight Angie said.

“How about the pant and bras of the women he brings along?” Vivi argued.

“Well, those ones left them intentionally” Angie replied

For an uptight and gentle person, Angie knows so much. I feel like she is a gossip sometimes but you will never know on her face. For the record, I’m not comfortable around her; she gives me this creepy vibe.

I didn’t say anything throughout their banter, I just changed my clothes and pushed out the trolley that contained cleaning stuff. Cleaning the penthouse was a stressful part, I agree. The guy was such a pig. I don’t understand why they are all head over heels for him though.

I have never seen him before because I don’t work full time but according to the girls, he is quite an eye candy.

The hotel was a five-star hotel that was bought by Mr. Sean Adams, that is, the guy in question. And he owns several other investments that makes him a billionaire and one of the hottest eligible bachelors in the whole of NY and beyond I guess. It was easier to search him up because of his popularity but who cares anyways …

I thought and pushed the trolley into the elevator and pressed PH. As the door closes, I sighed and rested my head on the wall of the elevator.

I regret a lot of things in my life………

Sean’s pov

This is so not getting funny any longer.

This people are totally getting on my nerves. No one plays on my intelligence and goes free.

I picked up my cell to call my secretary when my phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, my anger fueled the more. It was the man that I call my father. I picked the call

“Better let this be important.” I said angrily but in a schooled tone.

“Hey son ……. that’s no way to speak to your dad” he said jokingly.

“It’s father to you. What do you want and make it quick” I snapped.

“Hey, watch the way you speak to me, I still raised you even if you were a piece of shit” he said angrily.

That hurts.

I still don’t understand why I let his words get to me.

That was the exact same thing my mother went through in his hands. Thinking about her makes me sad and angry.

“Why did you call?” I said, rubbing the bridge between my nose. I am too tired to engage in a brawl with him.

“I want you to come over to my place. You need to meet Tessa” she said.

“And who is that?”

“Didn’t you read the text I sent to you?” he asked.

I saw the notification of the text, but decided not to open it.

“What is this about?”

“We are getting married next week” he said nonchalantly.

This is his fifth marriage if I’m not mistaken. It is not by any

chance surprising. I guess all the other women left him because of his violence. And the most annoying part is that, you will never see it on his face that he is a horrible man. He looks cool and handsome for a man of his age and a top lawyer by profession. Those women will not be able to sue him for domestic violence. My mother died because of the bastard.

“I’m busy Tom” that was all I said then I cut the call.

I can’t seem to get over my hatred for him. What he made me and my mother go through was not near nice. She was so in love with him and he was so obsessed with her that all her moves were watched by him. Any time he was frustrated from work, he takes it out on my mother by beating her and me anytime she could not take it again.

I walked towards the balcony and looked up at the beautiful stars. They were her favorite things in the whole world. I wish she was here with me to witness my success.

I walked in and angrily took a vase and threw it towards the door. I heard a sharp gasp. I looked towards the direction of the sound and saw a lady there.

“Who are you?”