𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐄𝐀 ✔︎ (ongoing)

|06| fight

I stand for a while, staring at the door Richard had just shut. Suddenly, I have an urge to run after him and give him a piece of my mind. Damn, how I wish I could knock his teeth off.

Before I can say, do or think anything further, Noel approaches me with a sympathetic look on her face.

"You must be in shock after my husband just yelled at you there. I'm incredibly sorry about the way he had just spoken to you," she says.

I look at her but don't say anything. If she really was that sorry, she could have interfered and stopped him or something. But I guess, since he's the main boss, everyone is scared of him here, including his own wife.

"I'm fine," I say.

"Oh no, there must be at least a trace of surprise in your nerves. Marina, Francisco needs a cup of Earl Grey," she demands.

Marina nods, grabs a tall, glass mug from the cupboard of family dishes that aren't supposed to be used for customers and begins mixing the hot tea with some sugar.

Noel places a hand on my shoulder and leads me to the dining table in the corner of the vast kitchen to settle down. She takes a seat opposite mine.

"Now, I understand that it's a family duty not to share secrets," she says as Marina places the mug in front of me. "But, Francisco, my darling, the world needs this secret ingredient of yours. Afonso's teas cure every illness. What would happen if he shares the ingredient? Think of the worst possible scenario. Nothing? Exactly. There are only positive results to this action. If you share the ingredients with the world, there will be more illnesses cured, more smiling faces, more happy people. What do you say to that, darling?"

Now, she's got a point there. My eyes widen as the new realisation hits me. If Grandad shares the Holin herb and the Moroccan spearmint, it would benefit the world.

However, I have a slight feeling that Noel is trying to manipulate me.

"I'm sorry," I begin to say. "But I need to check with my Grandad before sharing it with anyone."

She smiles and nods. "Of course, honey."

Just then, Richard bursts back into the kitchen and growls. He points a massive finger in my direction.

"Why is that... thing still here?" he roars.

I scowl at him, fury burning in my chest like hot lava while Noel stands to hurry up to him.

"Richard, my love, please. He's still a kid," she whispers.

"He's old enough for me to teach him a lesson. Get out of my property!" he shouts.

In the corner of my eye, I witness all the other workers shake at the loudness of his voice and the scariness of his tone. The younger ones, like Marina, even whimper.

However, I'm not going to let Richard stand above me. Most importantly, I'm not going to let myself cower away from him.

I stand up, my head held high as I glare menacingly into his cold, empty eyes. I walk closer to him, the anger clutching at my heart pounding through my ribs. The fire within me is about to burst.

"What are you waiting for, young man?" he says. "Leave! Get the hell out of here! Nobody wants you here! Unless you're gonna give us the ingredient, you're fired!"

A series of curses leave his mouth like shots of bullets. However, they don't affect me. The fury that is rising in my chest is making me bulletproof.

"You are a selfish, manipulative, toxic failure" I spit, the bitterness of my words scratching my throat. "After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me?"