Get Married Or Die

Episode 31

On the next day, I had the brand new car waiting on the driveway. It was beautiful. In the same color as my poor, abandoned Honda. Of course, the brand was different as well.

“I’m not going anywhere with this! What if I crash it? It’s too expensive”

He shrugged his shoulders, “Okay,” he said unfazed. “Giovanni can continue being your driver” 1

“Really couldn’t you get a normal car? How is this normal? People will stare at me whenever I go” I asked in frustration.

“Let them stare” Rafael didn’t see a problem.

I felt his gaze burning down my neck. I didn’t even try to fight him, I would lose in the first second.

I was furious to the point I’m speechless. I got in, wanting to slam the door, but I ended up closing it gently and respectfully. I opened the window and muttered softly “thank you” and quickly drove away to not see the smirk on his pretty face.

♦ ️ ♦ ️ ♦ ️

I had the night shift today although I wasn’t a fan of them. My shop was in an area where the crime rates were high, and in addition, customers who came in the early morning hours were often drunk, sometimes rude even violent.

Unfortunately. It was around five am when someone showed up, but I have yet to deal with this type who has been a regular, problematic customer.

He set loudly a small bottle of vodka on the counter and pulled out a handful of pennies from his pocket. 9

“Morning,” he said and smiled at me. The smile was a little crooked and I saw that this man was looking at my breasts without even hiding it too much.

“Good morning,” I replied politely and started counting.”Fifty cents is missing”

“I will bring them next time,” the client waved his hand and was about to pick up the alcohol when I took it from the counter and put it away. 1

“I’m sorry but I can’t sell you this if you can’t pay full price” enough. This is the third time in a week when this has happened. He never returns the money.

“I already said I will pay you back tomorrow, you don’t have to be so stingy” 1

“You can come and buy it tomorrow then. Preferably when you’re sober”

“Who do you think you’re talking to? I bet that ring of yours costs more than all items combined in tips store and you’re going to make a fuss about 50 cents?” He asked aggressively and looked at the engagement ring Rafael gave me with greed in his eyes. That’s what I’ve been afraid of. I quickly took my hand from the counter and hide it behind me. 4

“Sir, you need to leave otherwise I will have to call the police”

“For what reason ?! I want to speak with your manager” 5

“My manager is not here right now. Come back tomorrow,” I replied politely but firmly.

“You can’t treat your customers like that” He slurred and his leg took an unnecessary step back to return to the previous position, and I almost winced feeling his stinking breath on my face.

“That’s enough” I muttered and I picked up my phone. He grabbed the phone from my hand forcefully and threw it over the wall. It terrified me. I froze in place. 13

“Bitch” whispered with hatred. I knew that somewhere in the car in the parking lot there was a security guard who would help me if I screamed but I couldn’t speak.

I picked the phone from the floor with trembling hands. The screen was cracked but it was still functioning.

“I’m out of here,” he said, seeing what I was going to do. He raised his hands as if signaling that I had won and then he spat on the floor. Yuck.

After he left I mopped his saliva off the floor and foolishly thoughts that’s it for the day. But unfortunately, when one crisis ended, another appeared. I could feel in my bones something is wrong when my neighbor’s name appeared on the screen.

“How is the apartment flooded? The whole floor? Okay, I’ll be right there ” 8

I called Mike to ask if he could come an hour earlier for his shift and he did.

“Thank you, Mike, you saved my life”

“No problem” he smiled brightly and went to the backroom to change into employee clothes. I closed the cash register and it was time for me to leave.

I just forgot to call the security guard saying I’m leaving early. Which I didn’t think about until the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“You want to tell me something?”

“No?”

“You’re not at work. Why?”

“I had to leave earlier”

“And you didn’t inform your bodyguard who is now sitting in the car under the empty shop”

“Shit. I’m sorry?”

“We’ll talk about it at home,” he hung up 9

I shivered at the sound of his voice. Okay, I’m in trouble. 1

But I have trouble on every front. I will have to clean the apartment, talk to the tenants from downstairs, terminate the contract with my landlord I don’t need that apartment anymore, and start searching for the new one. Such thoughts swirled in my head. 1

Rafael is angry at me so that’s another thing to deal with. This is the last thing I needed.

The stay in the apartment did not take long because there was not much that could be done. The downstairs neighbors shouted that I shouldn’t have left the flat empty, the upstairs neighbor obviously said it wasn’t his fault either, I only took photos to document the damage and collected water that had accumulated on the floor.

When I finally left the apartment, I felt a strong blow to the back of my head. Then there was only darkness. 80