Y/N's POV
I was at the café, standing behind the counter while my boss lectured me for what felt like the hundredth time. 😥
Boss: "You need to do your job properly, Y/N, and please don't disrespect our customers, okay?" 😠
I simply nodded. 😐
Boss: "And one more thing—my brother is coming to the café today. Please, for the love of everything, behave yourself. If you mess up, he might shut this place down permanently." 😠
"Okay, sir." 🙁
Boss: "He's an extreme clean freak and has the personality of an ice cube. So don't do anything that might annoy him." 😒
I nodded again.
"Okay, boss." 😧
With that, he sighed and walked into his office, leaving me alone in the quiet café.
I exhaled, slumping against the counter.
"Ugh… this place is so boring without James. Maybe I should call him later." 😩
As I pulled out my phone, I noticed a notification. A message from Mr. Idiot.
Message:
Mr. Idiot: "Good morning, babe. 😘"
I rolled my eyes and ignored it. He was always like this.
Before I could put my phone away, the café door chimed. Ting!
A customer walked in—an elderly woman.
Straightening up, I put on my best smile.
"Hello, ma'am! Welcome to our café. What can I get for you?" 😄
She returned my smile warmly.
???: "Thank you, dear. Could you bring me a cup of coffee?" 🧑🦳
I nodded politely.
"Of course, ma'am. Please have a seat. I'll bring your order in just a minute." 😃
She nodded and took a seat while I quickly prepared her coffee.
Once it was ready, I brought it over to her table.
"Here you go, ma'am. Enjoy!" ☕
She smiled kindly as she took the cup.
???: "Thank you, dear!"
She seemed like a really sweet person.
After taking a sip, she glanced up at me again.
???: "Do you mind if I talk to you for a minute, dear?" ☺️
I blinked in surprise but nodded.
"Of course, ma'am." 😄
She patted the seat across from her, signaling for me to sit down. I hesitated for a moment, glancing around to make sure no one was watching, then sat in front of her.
???: "What's your name, dear?" 😄
I smiled.
"It's Y/N, ma'am." 😀
Her eyes widened slightly.
???: "Really? And your last name?" 😲
"It's Night... Y/N Night, ma'am." 😀
To my surprise, she suddenly beamed.
???: "Oh, my! What a beautiful name. I'm Brittany, but you can call me Aunt Brittany." 😄
I nodded politely.
"It's nice to meet you, Aunt Brittany."
She leaned forward slightly, her expression softening.
Aunt Brittany: "I live near this shop, and I see you working here every day. You remind me so much of my daughter, Bella." 🤔
My eyes widened in shock.
"Really?" 😲
She nodded, her smile filled with nostalgia.
Aunt Brittany: "Yes, and I've been meaning to talk to you." 🙂
I felt a strange warmth in my chest.
"Where is your daughter, Aunt? I'd love to meet her!" 😄 I said eagerly.
But as soon as the words left my mouth, her smile faltered.
Aunt Brittany: "She passed away a year ago." 😔
I immediately felt a pang of guilt. Oh no… why did I say that?
"I—I'm so sorry for your loss." 😧
She sighed but gave me a small smile.
Aunt Brittany: "It's okay, dear. It was fate—we can't change it." 😌
I felt bad for bringing it up.
Just then, the café door chimed again. Ting!
A new customer walked in, and I quickly stood up.
Aunt Brittany: "By the way, here's my number. Call me sometime, dear." 😄
She handed me a small card with her phone number on it. I took it with a grateful smile.
"Thank you, Aunt. I'll call you soon."
She nodded, returning to her coffee, while I hurried back to the counter.
---
A little while later, the café door chimed once more. Ting!
A man walked in—he looked around 40-50 years old and was dressed in a formal suit.
I immediately straightened up.
"Welcome to our café, sir!" 😄
He barely acknowledged me, his sharp gaze scanning the shop as if inspecting every little detail.
"Sir, what would you like to order?"
He finally turned to me.
???: "I would like to meet Mr. Miles." 🤨
I frowned slightly but nodded.
"Of course, sir. May I have your name?" 😌
???: "Tell him that Dean is here. He'll understand." 😒
I nodded and quickly walked to my boss's office, knocking on the door.
Boss: "Come in."
I stepped inside.
"Sir, there's a man named Dean here to see you."
My boss's eyes widened in shock, his face paling.
Boss: "Oh no… he's here?!" 😱
He looked nervous all of a sudden.
"Sir…?"
Boss: "Miss Y/N, that's my brother! Please, whatever you do, behave in front of him. I don't want this café to be shut down so soon!" 😓
I nodded slowly.
"Understood, sir."
Taking a deep breath, my boss straightened his posture and walked with me to the front.
Boss: "Hey, brother!" 😁 He greeted the man with an overly cheerful tone.
The man—Dean—finally turned around. His sharp eyes locked onto his brother.
Dean: "Oh, so you're finally here, idiot." 😏
His voice was cold and unimpressed.
Boss: "Miss Y/N, please go and prepare two special coffees for us." 😅
I nodded and quickly disappeared into the kitchen.
As I made their drinks, I could hear snippets of their conversation.
Dean: "This café is so small, and look at how dirty it is. Your employees are useless, and you only have one waiter and one cook? How do you even run this place?" 😏
I clenched my jaw. Excuse me?!
Boss: "No, no, brother! We have two waiters—James and Miss Y/N!" 😑
I rolled my eyes. Gee, thanks for the backup, boss.
A few minutes later, I placed the two coffees on a tray and brought them to their table.
"Here are your two special coffees, sirs." 😃 I said in my most professional tone.
Dean didn't even acknowledge me as he turned to my boss.
Dean: "I told you, give this property to me. We can turn this dump into a luxury hotel." 😠
I saw my boss tense.
Boss: "No, big brother! I can't give it to you. This café is my and my wife's dream—" 🥺
Dean: "I SAID DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT WOMAN IN FRONT OF ME!" 😡
My breath caught in my throat.
What… wife?
Boss: "No, big brother! I can't give this to you! This café is my dream—my wife and I built it together!" His voice trembled as he pleaded.
Dean: His eyes darkened with fury. "I SAID DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT WOMAN IN FRONT OF ME!" He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, though his fists were still clenched.
Boss: Swallowing hard, he turned to you. "Miss y/n, you can go." His voice was weak, filled with regret.
Dean: "No. Stay here and listen." His tone was cold and final as he turned back to his brother. "And you… don't bother coming to this café from tomorrow."
I froze. "W-What?" My heart pounded in shock.
Boss: "WHAT?! Big brother, you can't be serious!" His face drained of color.
Dean: His jaw tightened. "I'm closing this café. That's final."
Boss: "No, please! Don't do this to me!" His voice cracked with desperation. "I know I was wrong about her, but I still love her!"
Dean: A bitter laugh escaped his lips as he shook his head. "You still love her? Do you even realize what she's done? She's happy with that sixty-year-old man now. She was only ever with you for money!" His voice dripped with disgust.
Boss: Tears welled up in his eyes as he lowered his head. "I… I thought she loved me."
Dean: "Wake up, brother! She used you, and you let her! You're over thirty now, wasting your life chasing a woman who never cared. We're going home. It's time you find a decent girl—someone who actually loves you, not your wallet."
Boss: His shoulders slumped as he let out a defeated sigh. "But… this café… it's all I have left."
Dean: His voice softened just a little, but his decision was firm. "No. You have me. And I'm not letting you throw your life away anymore."
Dean: "You better be gone in 10 minutes." His voice was sharp, filled with finality.
The sudden outburst sent a chill down my spine. I turned to look at the boss, hoping he would say something—stop this somehow. But he just lowered his head and gave a small, defeated nod.
I understood. There was nothing more to say.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I quietly made my way to the changing room. My hands trembled slightly as I took off my apron, neatly folding it even though I knew it didn't matter anymore. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the café for the last time.
As I walked down the street, a thought crossed my mind. "Boss has a wife… but where is she now?" The realization hit me like a wave of confusion.
But before I could dwell on it, another, more pressing thought struck me.
"I'm jobless now… What should I do?" Panic started creeping in as reality set in.
---