Chapter 4: Chandelier

Judy enters the restaurant and goes to the changing room to put on her uniform. Daisy walks alongside her into the dressing room.

"Morning, dear," she greets. "Morning." Judy gives a small nod. "Judy, when are your classes going to start?"

She did not tell her anything about the incident, but remembering what occurred to her changed her expression automatically. "Hey, are you okay?" With knitted eyebrows, Daisy looks at her. "Yes, I am." Her fast response increases the suspicion inside her even more.

"I asked you something?" She looks at Judy intently, trying to find out what happened to her. Taking a deep breath, she looks at her. The unpleasant memories of the incident happened to her; she doesn't want to remember it again. However, she has no choice but to reminisce about it.

"They didn't give me the opportunity, Daisy. Someone with power and money took the place of mine," she tells her with a straight face. "What! Are you serious? What are you telling?" Her eyes grow big in shock. "Yes, I'm serious." A sigh skips her mouth, which is full of agony.

"This isn't legit? I mean, how's that even possible? You've secured your place!"

"Who the hell in this world cares about me? You can make your life a bed of roses if you have money or power! You know, being poor sometimes s**ks!"

The rising flow of tears is about to make her vision blurry, but she controls herself, trying not to show much emotion. Realizing what her best friend is going through, Daisy hugs her immediately. She knows it is not easy for her friend to accept because the admission consumed a lot of her effort and time. Though it is hard to comfort her in this challenging situation, she can't let her best friend suffer.

Her dream is broken, although she tried her best. "It's okay, it's okay. It's not your fault; it's their fault because they chose money over merit, and who in this world doesn't value merit?" With utmost effort to solace her friend, she keeps trying, but it's not easy for her to accept reality. She worked hard, but the fact that is bothering her more is that she is going to wait another year, which isn't easy at all. She hasn't seen her grandmother for a freaking year.

"What am I going to say to Granny?" Judy utters in her broken tone. "Yes, I can understand your situation, Judy," Daisy says, patting her back.

Some thoughts cross her mind that urge her to think something, putting her hand on her chin. "Judy, I have a friend whose dad is a professor at a university. Sorry, I cannot recall the name, although it is not renowned like your first one, but who cares? If your result is good, the institution does not matter at all. I'll talk to him, and I think they haven't taken the admissions test yet; I think you should give it a try." Daisy says it with a firm voice that makes her eyes shine with hope. Judy hugs her instantly after listening to her.

"Thanks a lot, dear—I don't care about the institution—I just don't want to waste another year. Still, I'm so lost that can't even gather my energy to search for anything else."

"Okay, don't worry. I'll talk to him." She assures her again. After shaking her head in response, a deep sigh of relief skips her mouth. What will happen next, there's no clue, still the burden inside her chest feels removed.

As they exit the dressing room with buoyant spirits, addressing Judy, the manager prompts her to come near him. Shaking her head in response, she comes to him.

"Today is the 1st of September and our new owner's birthday," he says in a grumpy tone. In response, silence prevails as his information makes her wonder what she can do then, putting on a quizzical expression on her face. She looks at him bitterly, rolling her eyes, and keeps waiting for his further statement. "You have to deliver his birthday cake at seven o'clock," Judy responds by acknowledging him with a warm, congratulatory smile as he finally comes to the point.

"You could tell me that in one sentence," she says, "could you please give me the address?"

"Miss Judy, try to learn some etiquette!" With his usual grim expression that is familiar to Judy, the manager speaks to her, but she remains unaffected by it, having grown accustomed to his demeanor.

"I'm sorry, sir. Did I do anything wrong?" Judy asks her manager. "No, but never try to correct me." "Definitely." Judy leaves for another task.

At 7 p.m., she reached her owner's mansion, which is surprisingly the same as the day before yesterday. "So, they are the owners of our restaurant," Judy mumbles. Bringing her bike to a stop, she dismounts and carefully secures her helmet before picking up the box of cake. She starts to walk along the path to the splendid white and luxurious mansion that is standing in front of her, spreading its powerful and magisterial branches around the heart of the city. Her gaze is being trailed here and there to adjust her eyesight to the glossy, sparkling radiance of the mansion.

It is decorated extraordinarily; various kinds of lighting and decorations increase its beauty even further. The sparkling looks are giving her heart peace as the environment is giving off a fairy tale vibe. Her eyesight gets stuck on a small tree that is decorated with numerous small lights; it reminds her of how her granny surprised her on her birthday by decorating the tree in their yard and inviting her friends, except for her concern. A happy smile spreads on her face without any effort.

After admiring the background of the fairytale, Judy is brought back to the present by the pleasant sound of elegant ladies passing by, their cheerful chirping catches her attention. "It's already 7 p.m., but here I'm being nostalgic!" "The owner will surely scold me if I take more time." She scolds herself while quickening her pace.

However, to feel the moment of her childhood birthday again with her lovely grandmother arouses her heart. With her knock on the door, a middle-aged woman opens it, revealing the eye-sparkling interior of the mansion in front of her. A heavenly breeze blows over her body as soon as the door is opened. "Good evening, mam." Judy greets her with a broad smile on her face. "I'm sorry for being late; here is the cake Mrs. Isabella John has ordered from the Purple Restaurant."

"It's okay, dear." Her approach is amicable, with an affectionate look on her face. In a moment, the woman turns her face in response to being called by someone. "Oh, dear. I'm being called, it seems urgent." "Can you wait a little longer?" "Of course," she says, "you can go; I'll wait here." "Thank you," she says, "you can come inside; there is no problem with it." "No, ma'am, I am okay with it." "Don't worry, dear. You can come in because, for tonight, it is open to everyone."

The wish of visiting it makes her bound to enter the grand mansion, which definitely has beautiful architecture and expensive furnishings.

"Okay, I will wait here. You can go." With a gracious smile, her figure disappears behind the major walls. Many people are working hard to decorate the inside of the house, but Judy's eyes are caught by a girl around her age who is perched on a wobbling stool and securing the rope of a huge chandelier.