Chapter 3

3.

It went on until a customer complained about the wait.

I looked back and saw the two of them just standing there, relaxed, watching me struggle.

I was about to snap, but Whitney put on a fake pained expression.

"I'm so sorry. You see, this summer hire is from a poor rural town. Her dad is paralyzed and needs medicine money."

"We're letting her handle the big orders so she can get the commission. We're just trying to be nice, you know?"

I finally saw the game. They were a little clique.

Debra had lost the first round, so Whitney was helping her get revenge.

I turned around with a bright smile.

"Here is your Black Tea Float! Enjoy it while it's cold! Also, if you have a moment, please leave a review on our employee system. My name is Romi."

"Oh, of course! You're such a hard worker. I'll give you a great review right now."

The two women, who were busy eating oranges and touching up their makeup, froze.

They whispered to each other.

"The boss said the person with the most positive reviews gets a huge bonus this month. If she says that to everyone, she'll win!"

"You're right. Stop eating, let's get to work!"

I looked down to hide my smirk.

There was no such thing as a commission for doing more orders. They were just lazy.

But the boss had recently launched an employee rating system. That part was real.

I grew up watching my dad navigate the business world. I knew how people worked.

To deal with people like this, you have to hit them where it hurts―their wallets.

Since they couldn't just use me as a slave anymore, they tried something else.

A week later, I was cleaning when I noticed the rags were covered in thick, greasy oil.

I didn't have time to wonder where grease came from in a boba shop.

I knelt down to grab a clean cloth from the cabinet.

As soon as I opened the door...

"Ah!"

A scream of pure terror escaped my throat.

I fell backward, my head slamming into a bucket of taro paste. The bucket tipped over with a loud thud.

The sticky purple paste poured out everywhere.

"Oh no! My fresh taro paste!"

Debra rushed over, but she couldn't hide the gleam of joy in her eyes.

Covered in taro, I pointed a trembling finger at the cabinet.

"There's a rat..."

A huge, fat rat with a long tail jumped out of the cabinet. I scrambled away in a panic.

"Help me!"

As I slipped on the taro paste, I caught Whitney's eye.

She and Debra were standing together, trying not to laugh.

In an instant, my fear turned into cold rage. I lunged forward, pretending to lose my balance.

I crashed right into Whitney.

She was wearing three-inch heels. She lost her balance and hit the floor hard.

The rat, frantic to escape, jumped right onto her face.

Whitney screamed, her eyes wide with horror. She clawed at her face, tears and snot smearing her makeup.

Debra was terrified too, but Whitney shrieked at her to help.

Debra grabbed a broom and swung it wildly at the rat.

The dusty bristles smashed right into Whitney's face.

Debra didn't even notice. She kept swinging until she accidentally jammed the broom handle into Whitney's open, screaming mouth...

The next day, when the shop was quiet, I slammed the schedule onto the counter in front of Whitney.

"What is this? You scheduled me for twenty-four hours straight?"

Whitney didn't even look up.

"When I started, I worked three days without sleep. You're young. Pulling an all-nighter won't kill you."

"Besides, you're poor, right? I'm giving you more hours to earn money. You should be thanking me."