Chapter 4

She let out a soft little sound.

I thought she was about to apologize for the social media post. Instead she went right on. "We've got a promo running tomorrow, and it's going to be packed. Come in and help out."

"So Otis doesn't wear himself out."

That made me laugh, the angry kind. "What's this? Not scared I'll steal anything now?"

Three years at the James family restaurant, and every promo we ever ran, I manned the stove alone, carried the whole thing myself.

I never once heard Marina say to find someone else to help.

Now that it was Otis, she was suddenly full of enthusiasm.

"You're a grown man, why nitpick over every little thing? That was just my dad drunk, posting nonsense."

Marina's tone was foul. "You just want money, right? I'll tell my mom and dad. We'll pay you a hundred bucks tomorrow."

"Maybe if you do a good job."

"My family will let it go and stop being mad at you."

Every word out of her mouth made it sound like her family was being so generous.

Like I was supposed to thank them on top of it.

"I heard you gave Otis a fifteen-thousand salary, plus ten percent equity. That right?"

I couldn't stop myself from asking.

"That's different."

Marina made a face. "You think you can compare to Otis? He's a Michelin head chef, he's got the Chef God title, and he's good-looking too."

"You? A hundred bucks is about all you're worth."

I listened, and my fist closed tight.

So that was it.

From start to finish, Marina had never thought anything of me. She thought I was ugly.

No wonder she could burn the bridge with such a clear conscience.

"I can't afford to take that hundred, and I don't have it in me to wait on your whole family anymore."

I gave a cold laugh. "Go find someone better."

What?

Marina's mood soured in an instant. "Vincent Fox! Drop the act! I know you can't actually live without me!"

"I'm handing you a way out here."

"If I don't see you tomorrow morning, then we're really finished!"

She said her piece, sure she was right, and hung up.

I tossed the phone aside, took a shower, went to sleep, and went to Ella Harding's restaurant the next day.

But there were hardly any customers.

Everyone had been pulled over to the James family restaurant, wanting a taste of what that Michelin head chef Otis could do.

Afternoon.

I went to buy a batch of tableware and ran right into Nathan.

Nathan was busy bragging to a few vendors, and the second he spotted me, he pitched his voice up on purpose.

"I'm telling you, once we kicked out the rat and welcomed our lucky star Chef God Gilbert, the place was slammed today! Line stretched out sixty feet!"

"Next month I'm opening a few branches! I'll probably need to order a thousand sets of tableware."

When he finished, he shot me a glance.

Made sure the others noticed me.

A wave of laughter went up at once.

"What's the matter? Regretting it now that you've seen for yourself?"

Marina's voice came from behind me.

I turned around.

Marina had her chin up, eyes full of scorn, wearing that high-and-mighty look.

Like she was waiting for me to bow my head and beg.

I didn't say anything. I turned and walked into a shop.

I did regret it.

Just not the way she thought. I regretted ever meeting Marina, regretted wasting three years of my life.

That night.

A friend sent me a message.

Said Marina and Otis had gone public as a couple.

The caption read: [After the storm there's always a rainbow. Leave what's bad behind, and something good will finally come.]

Clearly a dig at me.

But if Marina and the rest ever learned the truth, that Otis was a con man, and then looked back at that caption.

Would they want to smash their own heads against a wall?

The next morning.

Ella came to pick me up for the restaurant, and as we passed the James family restaurant, we saw a crowd jammed at the door, shouting.

"Crooked, rotten restaurant!"