Chapter 2 - Job Offer

The sound of a car horn jerks Milan from

sleep. He had come home that night and slept outside the porch because Ella refused to let him in.

Rain had fallen so heavily that night, but he had to endure as he lay on the cold floor.

Milan, awoken from his sleep,squints his eyes as the harsh rays from the sunlight almost blinds him.

He watches a woman he recognises to be his mother-in-law emerge from the car and his mood changes.

He gets up abruptly to welcome her as she reaches the porch.

Milan's mother-in-law, Tessa, removes her sunshades and scrutinises Milan from head to toe like a lab rat.

"G-Goodmorning ma'am"

Tessa ignores his greetings and throws her bag to him, which he effortlessly catches. He was used to it by now.

"Tell me. What's so good about the morning when you're sleeping on my daughters porch? What do you think the neighbours will say you bastard?"

Milan lowers his head. It wasn't like he didn't know Tessa hated him for getting married to her daughter.

Tessa had never liked him from the start and had warned Ella to stay away from him. She even despised him more after he lost all his money and became jobless.

"Answer me when I'm talking to you!"

"I'm sorry ma'am It won't happen again."

"It better not. I mean, the backyard is there for you to sleep on the ground if you want to be a dog. Don't you have any shame sleeping at the door?"

Tessa scoffs and pushes past him, walking into the house with Milan following close behind.

They both see Ella rushing downstairs with her bag in her hand.

"Mom, welcome! Goodmorning. I've been expecting you but I have something to take care of at work now. I promise I'll will be back soon. "

Ella said, giving her mom a tight hug. Milan couldn't look at Ella. He felt betrayed and so disappointed in her, and she didn't even feel remorse as she forced him to sleep outside when it was raining heavily.

As Ella's eyes meet Milan, she walks up to him and sends him a scornful look.

"Don't you know how to greet me? Or are you that dumb as well?!"

She scolds, and Milan lowers his head a little to greet her.

"Good morning ma'am"

"Piss off!"

She pushes past him and grabs her bag. Milan swallows hard as he tries not to let her actions get to him.

"You better make sure you clean up this entire house before I return. I want it speckles as well as my favourite meal prepared!"

"Yes ma'am"

Milan replies as Ella waves at her mother before disappearing through the door in an extremely short cloth she called a dress.

"What are you waiting for, you idiot? Serve me some food!"

Tessa scolds as she makes herself comfortable on the couch, grabbing a remote and turning the on the TV.

"Yes ma'am"

Although Milan felt hungry and weak after not having dinner yesterday and sleeping in the cold, he makes a meal for his mother-in-law just like she had requested. As he serves her the food she begins asking him questions.

"Ella told me you got a job. What job was that?"

Milan cleared his throat firmly.

"I-I got a job as a cleaner but I was fired yesterday"

Milan looked down at his shoes.

Afterall he didn't want to blame himself for getting fired. He had finally gotten a job after searching for so long and Ella had gotten him fired in a second.

Tessa glared at him as she put a spoon full of spagetthi in her mouth. She shook her head in dissapointment.

"A dirty cleaner?! You call that a job you bastard? You can't even afford to get yourself a decent job. You are completely useless to my daughter and nothing but a burden"

Tessa glares at him.

"My daughter should have never married a man like you. You fooled her with that filthy money you had gambled and now just look at you!!"

Mrs Tessa clicked her tongue in dissaproval.

"So now what huh?! What's your plan to get a job because you do know you can't sit at home all day while my daughter feeds your stupid self!"

Milan fumbled with his words.

"I-I'll apply for another job"

Milan didn't even know what to do to get another job. He had been rejected in so many places he wasn't sure when next he would be opportune to get a job.

"What job? You can't afford to get yourself a job! Go make me some tea. I have a job for you"

Milan didn't know if he should be pleased that Tessa was offering him a job or not.

Milan quietly prepares her tea. As he proceeds to serve her the tea, his vision becomes slightly blurry but he waves it off.

Milan he had been feeling sick ever since he woke up. He suspected he might have caught a cold from sleeping outside the previous night but he ignored it.

"How long does it take to make a tea?! Or you can't simply do that as well?"

His Mother-in-law yelled. Milan took quick steps despite how he was feeling and proceeded to set the cup on the table for her.

A loud crash sound causes his mother-in-law to jump off her seat. Milan's eyes widened in shock when he realises he had dropped the tea cup which caused it to shatter in pieces.

Milan places his hand on his head as the room around him starts spinning and his head began pounding.

"You bastard!! What have you done to my precious tea cup!"

Mrs Tessa shrieks as she looked at her expensive tea cup in pieces on the floor.

Milan immediately goes on his knees begging.

"I'm so sorry. I-It must have slipped off my-"

Milan doesn't complete his sentence when a hot slap is thrown across his cheek. He slowly touches his cheek in shock and it stings.

"You imbecile! Do you know how much that tea cup cost??! You could never afford it even if you sold your useless self! How could you?!"

Milan ignored the pain on his cheek and continued to plead with her.

"I'm so sorry ma'am. It was a mistake"

Milan knew he was done for. Everyone in the family knew how much Tessa had cherished those teacups. She wouldn't drink from any other cup other than that one.

It was special according to her.

"Shut up! I don't need you stupid apology! Get ready! Once you're done cleaning up this mess and this entire house. You need to replace my teacups!"

Tessa throws a card at him and Milan slowly picks it up. An address and phone number is simply written on it.

"W-what is this?"

Tessa frowns at his question.

"A job"