Chapter 2 The life out there

Gabrielle had no time slacking. Even if she is losing her mind with hunger and her energy has started to run out, she cannot possibly rest.

Sweat fell under her chin, her feet felt sore. She doesn't know when her shift will end, and neither when her struggles meet the end of the tunnel.

Luckily enough, she was able to reach it by afternoon without passing out. The rush hour ended and all she sees are minimal customers, wanting to be assisted.

"Good afternoon, ma'am..." Gabrielle greeted, forced a smile, and fixed her poise. She's pale, her lips are starting to dry out and she's nowhere like the energetic woman she was when she woke up. It was like she was running out of every droplet in her body and might cause her to fall ill after.

"How may I assist you?" She smiled faintly.

"Give me the menu." The woman, who seemed arrogant, ordered her around.

She sat on the chair with no manners, and threw her bag on Gabrielle, expecting her to treat her fairly.

Her patience is running dry. She had been dealing with all sorts of customers for as long as she can remember, and this might just become her turning point; she hated it.

She walked to the counter and asked for the menu. It wasn't at that moment that when she came back to the table, the woman instantly went feral.

"Where are my earrings?!" It was the loudest shout she had ever heard. It rang in her ear's multiple times, and it made her feel goosebumps.

It was the customer who treated her poorly.

"You..." The woman pointed her index finger at Gabrielle. She sweats really cold, gathering attention from the people inside the restaurant. "Give me... my jewelry back!"

She grabbed Gabrielle by the collar, the woman's breath stinks, and it was making her feel more nauseated.

"Ma'am, I am so sorry, but I never took anything from you. I never even stood near you." She calmly stated. She tried to get away from the grip by forcing her to let go of her, but she was no one to be budged.

"You dare lie, you bitch?!" She cursed her out.

"Ma'am, you're hurting me." Her neck felt like it was being strangled with the intention of murder. Her skin was being pinched by her collar; it was making her rethink her decisions.

"What is happening here?!" The owner of the restaurant asked. The commotion has gotten her to the edge and her raging eyes make Gabrielle feel terrified for her life.

"What will happen now?" she fidgeted her hands as the thought filled her head. It was plastered on her face; the fear was evident. Even if it is, she has no choice but to live with it.

She is not at fault, but the world isn't as beautiful and fair as the books designed it to be. To the arrogant woman, she's nothing.

Gabrielle is someone that can be destroyed with words, she is just a toy.

"This bitch stole my earrings!" The arrogance of the woman was enough to make Gabrielle tremble in fear.

"I never stole anything, ma'am. I merely went to the counter to get you your menu... and we never even touched." She defended herself, although it is clear that prejudice is starting to build.

She doesn't know what to do. Her eyes were filled with worry, she did not endure six hours of working only to be fired because of an inconvenient lie.

Gabrielle stared at her employer, wishing she'd take her side. "Please, believe it or not, I would never steal anything from anyone."

A long breath of disappointment escaped the old woman's mouth. She stared at Gabrielle and lost her composure, "I shouldn't have helped you."

It was like a stab in her chest. How can the woman change her mind just because she was subject to baseless accusations? How can someone be that cruel?

Gabrielle tries to remain calm even if she is flooded with extreme wariness and the pressure is building up. She stared at the clear gazes of the people around her, calling her a thief in different languages.

It was the most degrading minute of her life. Having to bathe in attention is a bad one. She cannot cry, she cannot plead nor kneel on the floor and beg them to help her. Instead, she was forced to accept fate.

Six hours of overworking herself was thrown to waste. She was forced to get out of the restaurant and was thrown with only 52 dollars as her payment; not even half of the minimum wage.

She cannot even buy her stepmother's medicine which costs nearly a hundred dollars. She cannot buy foods that can fill her stomach.

All along, it was all a waste of energy and she's hopeless of what her life will be.

She stared at the woman who did her wrong, cursing her in her mind. Her first clenched as she stood firmly outside.

She did not receive any apologies, there is nothing.

Stare of shame and gossip, she can't even clean her name.

The sun is going down and the darkness is starting to elope in the sky. Streetlights have started to glow and the warm tone of her surroundings makes her bluer than blue.

Gabrielle's eyes roam across the streets to see homeless people begging her for cents.

"Will I be like them?" She wondered to herself. Whilst all that, she felt excruciating pain.

She cannot bring herself to the thought of becoming just another beggar across New York's streets. While wealthy people dressed in warm and cozy clothes pass by her, she'll be praying to be magically one of them when she wakes up.

Gabrielle doesn't want to end up just another person who had her life thrown to waste, it makes her feel disgusted by her whole being.

Her feet brought her to some place she was not familiar with. Strange people, strange food, strange colors of walls-it was nothing she was used to seeing.

Gabrielle felt a pang of fear, she seemed disarray. She's had her head filled with so many things that she cannot function properly.

It was at that moment that someone held her hands. Gabrielle jumped on her stand and was stunned to see a beautiful woman in front of her.

She's got her brows pierced. Brunette, fair brown skin, sleeveless dress-Gabrielle could not take her eyes off of her.

"Are you alright? It looked like you're about to jump." The woman whispered in the air with a tone of concern.