Rena!" She called cheerfully. The beam on her face was too large, it was hard to associate this bright expression with her rageful self from yesterday.
Rena was puzzled.
She had not expected to run into Estella first thing nor had she anticipated seeing such countenance on her face.
She couldn't help but feel slightly wary.
Estella, as if not seeing Rena's probing gaze chuckled, her figure stepping closer towards her.
"Ah, I had thought you might not come due to my words yesterday but thankfully you did."
Rena's tone was rigid. "How could I not? I haven't taken my salary yet."
The one thing she cared most about was her pay. Even though she was bound to be dismissed, she was firm on taking it alongside her. She wasn't leaving it be.
Estella's face turned pretty hard.
Although she tried to maintain the smile on her lips but the disdain in her eyes were evident.
The flippancy in Rena's tone was enough to infuriate her.
She had already thought Rena did be much meek today and ask for some leniency in her termination but she still had the boldness to remain totally unbothered. The sight of it was irking her nerves.
She bit her lips slowly.
Her loathe for her was still present, it had not in anyway plunged, infact it had kept overflowing since yesterday.
Since her highschool graduation at the countryside, her father had retained her grandparents inheritance and thus seized ownership of a number of lands in the Capital City.
They thereafter began the culinary business.
It got quite successful, hence causing her to gain a considerate amount of regard and recognition upon herself.
She had never been humiliated and insulted as yesterday!
Throughout her life, she had always been the one in control, how could she accept it when the quiet, timid girl she had once stepped on, dared to talk back, especially when she was just merely one of her father's workers?
It was a disgrace! She of course wasn't letting such go. Firing her could not ease her anger entirely, she was deemed to make her suffer even more.
Rena frowned at Estella's silence.
The woman seemed to be in thoughts, with fleeting emotions passing through her gaze.
Rena made to leave, not wanting to spend another moment before her any longer but Estella, now present-minded grabbed her hand to stop her.
Her smile formerly stagnant grew quite wide, almost as if it would reach her ears.
Rena was displeased. "What is it?" She scowled.
The sight of Estella's joyfulness gave her a feeling of discomfort.
It was obviously strange.
Yesterday she had stormed off wrathfully but now she was here acting differently, almost as if nothing had happened or as if she was a friend who had only done a little mischief.
Estella spoke, her face forming a remorseful appearance.
"Yesterday, I'd say to fire you but that was solely because of your insolence. If you want, I can call the sack off, you need not to leave."
Confusion settled on Rena's expression. Her tone thickened. "What is it?"
She wasn't stupid.
She could still see the distaste and antipathy in her eyes.
Her act currently was a pretense and it was clear.
But yet she wondered — why was she acting this way? The thought made her more cautious.
Estella's eyes narrowed at Rena's plain distrust. She muttered carefully.
"You see? We were once classmates and now you even are a worker under my father's roof. We are quite fated to be associated, don't you agree? I had reasoned — it's pointless to keep enmities, so why don't we be friends instead?"
Rena nodded meaningfully. Her eyes showing a thoughtful reaction as she voiced. "You might be right."
Estella's eyes brightened but again Rena spoke.
"So why don't you knock your head over the floor and wipe my shoes for me?"
"What?!" Estella was shocked. She couldn't believe her ears for a second. "What did you just say?"
"I said knock your head over the floor and wipe my shoes for me."
"...You bitch!" Estella blurted out just to close her mouth the next second but the fierce light in her eyes remained. "How dare you ask me to do such? Are you out of your mind?!"
"What?" Rena faked hurt. "I thought you wanted to be my friend, that was the only condition for you to be one. Remember, I had practically laid on the floor repeatedly just to bow to you and you had even asked me to clean the spiked coffee you had intentionally poured on the floor. My conditions compared are far simpler, so why can't you do it?"
Estella choked.
Her face turned red and blue in anger but she just glared at her, speechless.
Rena felt a twinge of satisfaction at her reaction.
This was the real Estella she knew — the one with her abhorrence unleashed. Seeing her pretend was nothing more than an eyesore.
She snorted frigidly. "Besides, being my friend comes with lots of considerations. As for you, you are unworthy. You are malevolent, rude, hateful and too spiteful to be liked. Only those with same or similar characteristics can solely tolerate you, am not amongst them so I pass. Nonetheless you can keep the sack, being in your presence is nauseous enough, I can't bear with it if it continues more often."
"..."
Estella was too full of ire to speak. Staring at Rena and watching those words freely spew out from her mouth, she really wished she could grab her neck and tear her apart.
Rena, though guessing her thoughts didn't care.
She simply went into the restaurant to resume her duties.
She had expected to be called to receive her termination letter soon after but no one sought for her. Apart from the still lingering gossips of her flowing r
ashly out of people's mouths, she wasn't disturbed.
Well until her shift ended and she prepared to leave.
"The manager wants you in his office right now." One of the workers informed her.