Chapter 1: Chapter 1
"My life is disgusting."
I contemplated while washing the dishes; currently, I was inside a restaurant where I work. What's my job? Well, I'm a multitasker in this small restaurant. I wash dishes, take out the trash, clean the floors, and sometimes even deliver food to customers if the delivery boy is sick or overwhelmed with orders. Sometimes, they leave the gross tasks to me.
Some might wonder why I don't just stick to dishwashing. Well, the pay for that job is low, so to earn more, I handle all these tasks, leaving me extremely exhausted. I do this just to cover my bills and expenses and save a little money at the end of each month.
The reason I ended up in this situation is because of the bullying I faced in high school. I was a skinny, unsocial boy, not popular and without friends, which made me a target for bullies. They ridiculed me every chance they got, inside and outside the classroom, making me more of an outcast than before. People who haven't gone through bullying can't understand how devastating it can be for a person's psyche.
Unfortunately, despite all the anger and hatred inside me, I couldn't do anything in front of them with my frail body at that time. So, like a coward, I stopped attending school.
I sighed, trying to dispel the negativity. I caught sight of my reflection in the water—I've got black hair, an average appearance, and I'm not skinny anymore, thanks to all the leftovers I've been munching on here. One perk of this job: plenty of leftover food is consumed by staff, so I never worry about meals.
I raised my head to check the clock hanging on the wall.
"Still some time left," I wished only for time to pass quickly so I could finish work and return home.
"Are you in a hurry to leave, Jack?"
The sudden voice made Jack stop cleaning the dishes and turn around with a smile.
Before him stood the restaurant owner, a stout man in his late sixties. "Not at all, Mr. Thomas," unlike anyone else who might feel tense when their manager is nearby, Jack felt only happiness. He had always regarded Mr. Thomas as his mentor and role model. Mr. Thomas was the one who hired him and always treated him well. Sometimes, he would even make Jack stop working and share his experiences. His rich experience had opened Jack's eyes several times.
Mr. Thomas glanced at Jack for a while, noticing the fatigue on his face, then gestured with his finger towards one of the employees to come over.
"John will take care of dishwashing today, you can leave for the day."
Jack ignored the envious glances from the cooks; they always envied his special relationship with the manager. Initially, Jack didn't understand why the manager treated him so well, but when asked, Mr. Thomas said he reminded him of himself when he was young. Back then, no one advised or guided him, so after getting to know Jack, he decided to guide him.
"Mr. Thomas, there's really no need..." Jack's attempt to persuade the manager was silenced by a motion of Mr. Thomas's hand, indicating he should stop.
"Head home, get some rest, and I hope to see you full of energy tomorrow."
Jack realized there was no use trying to convince the manager, so he dried his hands and headed towards the restaurant's exit. But just as he reached the door, the manager's voice stopped him.
"Look at this." Thomas took out his phone and showed a picture of a beautiful blonde woman dressed as an employee. "What do you think?"
I looked at the picture carefully. "She's undeniably beautiful. If I were to rate her, I'd give her a 7.5."
"As always. you've never given a woman more than an eight, but that's good," he smiled, then returned his phone and said, "I'm sure you'll be surprised. Carl is going to marry this woman." By the end of his statement, he noticed Jack's expressions changing from shock to envy, then shifting to doubt.
I looked around to make sure that none of the chefs were around, then I said. "How is that possible? She's beautiful. How could she settle for someone like Carl?" If Thomas' teachings informed him of something, it's that there's something wrong in this situation. He always discussed everything with me, from money to women and all topics, and there's one point I agreed with him on: which is that women do not accept anyone who is less than them. Of course, there are rare cases, but the majority of women still want someone who is like them or better than them. Whether women admit this or not, this remains in their instincts.
Thomas nodded with satisfaction. It seemed that his teachings were not in vain. He said, "This woman works in a large company, her annual income is high, and she is beautiful and desirable, while Karl is just a cook and also not handsome. I also do not understand what is going on. Perhaps this is one of those rare cases that we talked about."
I nodded in agreement.
"Tell me, Jack, if you were presented with such an opportunity, would you get married?"
I shook my head. "Marriage is a responsibility, and there are expenses. I can barely support myself; if I get married, I'll drown, and I won't be able to achieve my dreams."
"Good. You're still young, and that's the kind of thinking you should have now. Focus only on improving yourself. Money should be your goal in life. With money, you can get anything you want. I won't keep you any longer, you can leave now."
I thanked Mr. Thomas once again and left. As my apartment was in the suburbs, it would take an hour and a half by bus to get there.
There was still a long distance before I reached the bus station, so I put on my earphones and played one of my favorite songs.
I browsed my phone looking for any interesting novels. I was an avid reader when it came to novels. Adventures, exploration, beautiful women, and becoming strong, who hates such things. They made me forget about the reality that I live in.
"But it is difficult to find good novels." I complained about the lack of novels that met my taste.
It takes half an hour to go from the restaurant to the bus station, but while I was browsing my phone, I barely noticed the time passing, and when I arrived, I found that the bus was already there, so I got on and took a seat in the back.
I'm tired. A little sleep should be good. I turned off my phone and closed my eyes, as work had left me very exhausted. I quickly fell asleep, not realizing that this would be my last sleep in this world.
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