Chapter 53 Chat With Us, Miss.
“I’m sorry, but I have something to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now. Take your time, and we’ll catch up later.”
Eileen was accustomed to solitude and did not believe in the concept of true friendship.
She departed, and this time, no one tried to stop her again.
As Eileen stepped out of the shop, Mr. Samuels came out, wearing an apron and holding a plate of food. “Miss, are you in such a hurry? Those kids aren’t bothering you, are they?”
“No,” she replied.
“Don’t judge them too harshly. Those children aren’t bad; they just want to play with you.”
“Mr. Samuel, I understand, but I still have something to buy, so I’ll be leaving now.”
“Alright, remember to come over for dinner tomorrow, free of charge. Eat to your heart’s
content.”
Eileen smiled and nodded, saying, “Okay.”
After leaving, Eileen purchased some personal clothes, a few changes of outfits, and a couple of pairs of shoes, all at reasonable prices.
She was preparing to settle here for a considerable period.
Time flew by, and nearly three months had pa*sed since Eileen began living there. During this period, she worked as a waiter at Mr. Samuel’s restaurant, earning a decent wage of 50 dollars a day, along with daily meals.
The daytime customer flow was sparse, while evenings could get busier during supper time.
Initially, the work left her tired with sore feet and legs, but she eventually grew accustomed
to it
Being a waiter was a completely new experience for her, but it mostly cleaning tables, so it
was not too dithcuit
Thear days marked a rare period of peace for bren
Become to control her luxuroux comfort no plush bedy or fancy clothes
no
her Blake and shedder hands began dewater and wasting dishes, mab dig them
look unsightly with peeling skin.
Sharon was unaware of her job at the restaurant, as she had been absent for many days, likely preoccupied with taking care of Vera. Eileen understood the situation and was fine with it. She knew that if Sharon were around, she would never let her handle such tasks. For now, Eileen needed to save more money and plan for her future.
It was around eight-thirty in the evening, and the restaurant’s customers had already left. Eileen finished cleaning the tables, gathered a basin of dishes to wash, and headed toward the exit.
Outside, a group of drunk men in their thirties sat shirtless near the entrance, having consumed three or four cases of alcohol.
One of the men leered at Eileen and slurred, “See that person who lives next door to my house? According to my mother, she’s only eighteen and got expelled from school because she
got involved with someone. Every morning, she starts washing clothes at seven or eight, and the noise keeps me from sleeping. She looks so damn good, it gets me aroused every time I look at her.”
Another man questioned, “Really? This girl doesn’t seem to like talking to anyone and seems to play around with people. Is that true?”
Unaware that Eileen might hear their disrespectful words, they continued their conversation.
Eileen didn’t want to provoke the group of drunk men and decided to keep her distance.
“Yeah, how do you know such things, Thomas?”
“I don’t know much. If she really was a good student, why would she work here instead of studying all day?”
“Enough of the talk! Let’s call her over and ask!”
In a loud voice, Thomas directly yelled, “Hey, you there! Your name is Eileen, right? Come here, and take our order.”
Despite feeling uncomfortable with the situation, Eileen approached cautiously, trying her best to remain composed and not let their hurtful words affect her.
As Eileen continued washing dishes, she pretended not to hear the lewd comments from the group of men and instead looked toward her coworker, Hannah, who was about her age.
Hannah gave her a smug smile, Eileen turned away and left the men’s table.
Hey I’m calling you to take our order, ca,t your me? one of the men called out
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Eileen set down the plate, washed her hands, and quickly brought over a menu. “What dishes would you like to order?” she asked, taking out a pen and a small notebook to jot down their choices.
The five men stared at her with predatory eyes, giving off a pungent and disgusting vibe.
One of them spoke, “Pretty girl, do you need some money? If you’re short on cash, just tell me, I’ve got plenty of money.” He took out a wallet from his pocket, placed it on the table, and pulled out 300 dollars, offering it to Eileen. Spend the day with me, and the money is yours.”
Suddenly, Thomas burst into laughter.
“Sorry, I’m just a part-timer here, and that’s not the service we provide. Do you want to order more food? If not, I have work to do,” Eileen responded.
“What work? We’re the only table here. Come, sit with me, have a chat, and share a few drinks.” Another man pulled out a stool and placed it beside him.
Ignoring them, Eileen turned to leave.
At that moment, a man slammed his hand on the table and yelled, “You damn fool, who do you think you are? If you were a student, why would you be working here?”
Eileen took a few steps but then stopped abruptly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a delicate pink wallet with diamonds, opening it to reveal her student ID card. She placed it in front of them and said, “Sirs, take a good look. This is my student ID card, and the photo on it is me. I am a student at Petalburg High School, in my third year of senior high. Do you understand? Please refrain from making up false stories. Spreading slander and rumors is against the law,”
“Who the hell would believe it? You’re from Petalburg High School? Can you afford it? It costs tens of thousands a year, and at least a hundred thousand for three years.
Eileen put away her wallet speechlessly, she should not argue with them.
“It’s up to you if you wanna believe it.”
Hey what’s with your tone? You’re educated, and did your teachers teach you to talk to your eiders like thus
If you don’t fush das gla*s of wine today and apologize to us you won’t leave
Face dended us to engage with them and pld the wallet to the pocket under his pro Wat de wiewut of leaving she turned artsend walked away trouts the alte
the man’s lap. “What are you doing! Let me go!” she protested.
“Don’t be afraid, Miss. We just want to have a chat with you, nothing else,” the man replied with a smirk, while the others laughed at Eileen’s distress.
Hannah silently walked into the kitchen, deliberately pretending not to see what was happening.
With Mr. Samuel away on a delivery, Eileen was left alone with these rowdy and disrespectful
men.
As she saw one of them reaching toward her chest, Eileen reacted quickly and grabbed the wine gla*s. In a desperate move to defend herself, she splashed the wine directly on the man’s face and forcefully pushed him away.
“Damn you!” the man retaliated, seizing Eileen’s hair, causing her to cry out in pain.
3
“How dare you splash me! I’ll make you regret this!” he threatened angrily.
