Sugar sugar baby

[24] Hard decisions

The restaurant, once buzzing with energy and excitement, now felt like a tomb. The last few weeks had been brutal—no customers, no buzz, nothing but the cold, hard reality of our failure staring us in the face. The social media scandal and the endless memes had done their damage, and we couldn't recover. The decision I had been dreading for days had finally arrived: we had to let some of the staff go.

I stood in the middle of the restaurant, the weight of the world pressing down on my shoulders. Half the staff was gathered in front of me, their faces a mix of confusion and concern. They knew something was wrong—how could they not? They'd been here every day, watching the restaurant grow emptier and quieter. They could feel the failure in the air, just like I could.

Sasha stood beside me, her usual fire gone, replaced with a somber expression. She had been the one who crunched the numbers, the one who finally told me, "Tristan, we can't keep them all. We're bleeding cash. It's either this or we shut the doors for good." It wasn't her fault, but I could see the guilt written all over her face.

I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. The faces staring back at me were more than just employees—they were people who had believed in this dream just as much as I had. And now I was about to tear it apart.

"I... I don't even know where to start," I began, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears. "This isn't easy for me to say. It's the hardest fucking thing I've had to do since we opened this place. But... we're in trouble. The restaurant... it's not doing well. You all know that."

A few of the staff members exchanged worried glances, but no one said anything. They were waiting for the hammer to drop.

"We've tried everything to get people back in here," I continued, my throat tightening with emotion. "Discounts, promotions, social media... but nothing's worked. We've lost our momentum, and the truth is... we're running out of money."

The room was silent. I could feel Sasha tense beside me, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

"I hate to say this, but... we can't afford to keep everyone on. We have to make cuts. Half of you... will be let go today."

I couldn't bring myself to look anyone in the eye as I said it. The words felt like they were physically choking me. I heard a couple of gasps, the sound of people shifting uncomfortably, and then... silence. No one knew what to say, and neither did I.

One of the chefs, Maria, a woman in her 30s who had been with us since the opening, finally broke the silence. "Wait... so, that's it? We're just out? After everything?"

Her voice was thick with disbelief, and it hit me like a punch to the gut. Maria had poured her heart into this place, just like the rest of them. She wasn't just an employee—she was part of the family we'd built.

I swallowed hard. "Maria, I... I wish there was another way. But the numbers... they don't lie. If we don't make cuts, the whole restaurant goes under. This... this is the only way we have a chance to survive."

Her face tightened with frustration, and I could see the anger brewing behind her eyes. "A chance to survive? And what about us, huh? What are we supposed to do?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "I know this isn't fair. I know it's not what any of us wanted. But I'm doing everything I can to keep this place alive. I wish I could keep all of you. I really do. But right now, it's just... impossible."

Another voice piped up, this time one of the waiters, Marcus. He had a young family and had been relying on this job to get by. "So what now? We just... go home? That's it?"

I felt the weight of every word they were saying, every accusation, every ounce of disappointment. This wasn't what I'd signed up for. I wanted to build something beautiful, something lasting, and now... it felt like I was tearing it all down.