The job she'd been forced to give up… ended up in her best friend's hands instead?
Fiona froze on the spot, her emotions a tangled mess.
Logically, she knew she should be happy for Veronica.
But she wasn't happy at all. She couldn't even put what she was feeling into words.
That was only human.
Veronica understood. So when Fiona fell silent, she didn't push or say anything more—she simply waited quietly.
After a short while, Fiona pulled herself together a bit. She tilted her head back to look at the sky, forcing a smile that looked more painful than joyful, then let out a long breath. Doing her best to sound normal, she said,
"Of course I don't have a problem with it. This is a good thing. Why would I? Congratulations. You should go find Dexter as soon as you can. If you wait too long, things might change. I think he's already interviewing people today."
Earlier, Fiona had actually passed by Dex Restaurant and seen Dexter interviewing candidates.
Hearing that—
Even though Veronica knew Fiona definitely wasn't feeling great… she really wanted the job. After all, it paid a lot.
So she didn't say much more.
She'd already given Fiona a heads-up. That was enough.
Saying anything else would only make things awkward.
"Okay then. If you're free tonight, I'll treat you to dinner," Veronica said.
Fiona rejected it almost instinctively. "Tonight probably won't work. Some other time. I'll reach out to you later."
"…Okay," Veronica said after a brief pause.
"Then that's it. I've got things to do. Bye," Fiona said, hanging up.
Veronica put her phone away and sighed at Kevin, who was standing next to her.
"Sigh… it feels like I stole her job or something."
Kevin didn't see it that way. "Don't overthink it. She gave it up herself. You didn't take anything."
That was true, in theory.
Unfortunately, some things can't be explained with logic alone.
Veronica gave a bitter smile and dropped the topic, changing the subject instead.
"So, what now? Do we go buy some decent work clothes first, or go find Dexter?"
"Let's find Dexter first, then go shopping," Kevin said, clearly in a hurry.
"Alright," Veronica replied. She was pretty anxious too.
They didn't waste any time and headed straight for Dexter's restaurant.
---
Meanwhile…
Fiona stood dazed at the side of the road, looking completely lost. She couldn't stop imagining Veronica getting that job, making good money—and with Kevin's income added in, it wouldn't take long before the two of them owned a place together, maybe even a new car. Life would slowly start to feel comfortable and fulfilling…
And then there was her.
Still stuck doing part-time work—exhausting, degrading—earning nothing more than minimum wage, barely scraping by. Sometimes she couldn't even manage that…
Worst of all, this kind of life felt endless, like it would never stop.
The more Fiona thought about it, the more she wanted to cry.
She sniffed, then shook her head hard, forcing herself to stop.
But thoughts aren't something you can just control so easily.
She kept thinking. And eventually, she thought of Lip.
In that moment, she genuinely felt hatred toward him.
She imagined what her life would be like now if it weren't for Lip—what she'd be doing, what her future might look like…
Only seconds later, she forced herself to stop again.
Because she realized that the more she thought about it, the more she hated him.
She didn't want to become that person. So she hurriedly shifted her thoughts elsewhere.
She thought of Steve.
That morning, Steve had come to see her and confessed that he liked her.
And just a few hours later, he'd bought a washing machine and had it delivered to her place.
Thinking about that washing machine…
Fiona couldn't help it—the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
In her bleak, desperate life, a sudden ray of sunshine had appeared, warming her just a little.
She clung to that warmth.
The next second—
Fiona picked up her phone and called Steve.
As soon as the call connected, before Steve could say anything, Fiona said,
"I'm free tonight. Let's meet. My place. I need to relax."
"Okay," Steve replied with a laugh, clearly understanding what "relax" meant.
Fiona didn't say anything else. She hung up decisively, though her movements were a little frantic.
Casual fun—she liked that.
But when it came to real emotions, she was scared.
After hanging up, she put her phone away, rubbed her eyes, took a deep breath, and strode forward.
Not long after—
On that chaotic street, there was one more figure walking quickly, head down.
——
Veronica and Kevin arrived at Dexter's restaurant together.
Not long before, Dexter had just finished interviewing the last candidate.
Of course, that had only been a formality.
Very soon, Veronica expressed her interest in taking the job.
Dexter didn't waste words. He agreed immediately, then emphasized the dress code requirements for Veronica. After that, he smiled and added,
"You'll be working six days a week, so that's six work outfits. You can go buy them as soon as possible. Just remember to bring the receipts—the restaurant will reimburse you."
Veronica: "!!!!"
Wait—what?!
Six brand-new outfits for free?!
Even if those clothes didn't really match Veronica's usual style, they were still six free outfits!!!
She was genuinely thrilled.
"Dexter, does the other server get the same deal? If not, I really can't let you spend that kind of money."
Dexter smiled and nodded. "Same for everyone. No special treatment."
After answering, he smoothly continued,
"Speaking of the other server, I'd like to ask you two for a favor. This is a personal favor, between friends—not work-related."
"Just say it," Veronica and Kevin replied in unison.
"Alright. That server's situation is pretty special—and honestly, pretty sad. She's about to end up homeless. I promised to help her find a place nearby so she can settle down," Dexter said without dragging it out. "I'm not familiar with the area. Could you help me look? Ideally, I'd like to get it sorted today."
Hearing that, Veronica and Kevin exchanged a look.
"That shouldn't be too hard," Veronica said. "Any requirements?"
"No real requirements. As long as it's livable, with water and electricity," Dexter replied. Vivian was very capable with her hands—he believed it wouldn't take her long to fix the place up nicely.
"That makes it even easier," Kevin said. "There are plenty of vacant places on our street."
"Perfect. You might even end up becoming friends later," Dexter said with a mischievous grin. "Then it's settled. I'll leave this to you two."
"No problem."
It was getting late.
They still had to buy clothes and find a place to rent—plenty to do.
So Kevin and Veronica didn't stay long. After a few more words, they left Dex Restaurant and got busy.
---
Everything that needed to be done today was finally taken care of.
Dexter stretched, stood up, locked the restaurant doors, and headed out, planning to take a walk and loosen up.
Just then—
The person he'd hired earlier to handle the restaurant permits called him.
All the licenses were approved.
Dexter immediately changed plans, went to pay the remaining balance, and picked up the documents.
Half an hour later—
The licenses were in hand.
Everything was ready.
Take tomorrow off.
Open for business the day after tomorrow.