Revenge Served at My Brother‘s Restaurant

Chapter 1 I was about to leave my younger brother’s restaurant when the restaurant manager called out to me, “Excuse me, miss. You haven’t paid the bill.”

I stared at this unfamiliar face, thinking that she probably was new and didn’t know who I was. So, I courteously explained, “Just put it on your boss’s tab. He’ll know.”

The female manager shot me a condescending look. “Miss, we are a restaurant with three Michellenium stars, and there has been no precedent of putting anything on tabs.”

Upon saying that, she presented a printed bill to me. I lowered my eyes to take a quick look and saw that the meal had cost 50 thousand dollars.

The tableware polishing fee was 3000 dollars. There was also an exclusive air purification fee for 5000 dollars, and a VIP’s emotional comfort service fee for 1000 dollars. Not to mention, there were also a bunch of other random charges.

I immediately let out an exasperated laugh. I didn’t realize my younger brother had opened a restaurant that was such a rip-off. “I’m the elder sister of your boss, Mr. Burnett. Tell him to talk to me at home if he has any issues with this.”

Nevertheless, the manager refused to give up. “Why are you putting on an act when you can’t afford the meal? How could you even think of associating yourself with Mr. Burnett?”

I sent a text message to Aiden’s secretary.

“Tell Aidey he can either fire this woman or I will withdraw my financial investment.”

“Stop wasting everyone’s time, miss. Just settle your bill,” the manager insisted in a firm and harsh tone. It was as if she had already determined that I was a vain woman and a gold digger who was trying to pull a dine-and-dash.

A number of people around us directed their curious gazes toward us.

I furrowed my brows, not wanting to waste my time on such meaningless matters. So, I pulled my phone out and dialed Aiden’s number right away.

However, all I heard was a cold tone on the other end of the call. I tried calling him a second time, but it was the same cold tone that responded again.

It was a working day. What was this brat up to?

I lowered my phone and stared right into the eyes of the pushy woman. I emphasized, saying, “Let me say it one more time—My name is Shirley Burnett, the elder sister of your boss, Aiden Burnett.

“I can’t get through to his phone right now, but you can check his card. It’s registered with my photo and information.”

I thought that this was the most straightforward and effective way to resolve the issue. Nonetheless, the manager did not verify the information after hearing my name. In fact, she burst into a shrill, ear-piercing laugh instead.

Her laughter drew the attention of even more people.

Then, she suddenly leaned in toward me and lowered her voice. In a voice so soft that only the both of us could hear, she whispered, “Still putting on an act, are you? I saw your face on my darling Aiden’s Instagram a long time ago.

“You’re a shameless bitch who’s secretly seducing my man! How could you have the audacity to come to his restaurant and put your bill on his tab? Are you that shameless?”

Momentarily stunned, I took a brief look at the name tag in front of her chest. It read, “Linda Cross.”

Instantly, I was rendered speechless.

She was Aiden’s girlfriend, the person he had been so secretive about that he’d even refused to show me her photograph.

So, Linda was this foolish and evil woman right before my eyes. How could his taste be so bad?

As it turned out, this exorbitant 50 thousand-dollar bill from today was not a misunderstanding. Rather, it was a calculated, premeditated act of humiliation.

Linda lost her patience completely before I could even say anything.

“Since this woman wants to dine-and-dash, we have no choice but to first keep her here and wait for the authorities!” She gestured over her shoulder to two buff security guards waiting by the side.

They advanced immediately. One of them firmly clamped his hand over my mouth while the other twisted my arms behind my back as if he was wringing out a cloth.

I struggled as hard as I could, but my efforts were all in vain. After all, there was an overwhelming difference in strength between a man and a woman.

The security guards disregarded the rage in my eyes and the looks of terror in the eyes of the patrons around us. Aggressively, they dragged me toward the kitchen at the back.

Following that, I was heavily tossed into the storage room behind the kitchen—a space that was filled with the stench of disinfectant and food waste.

The door then slammed shut, cutting off every bit of light and sound from outside.

Chapter 2 Once we were locked inside the storage room, Linda did not say a single word. She merely raised her foot in the dark and stomped right on my lower belly. Her high-heeled shoe only served to intensify the pain, making me instantly curl into a ball.

My stomach churned.

“This is for spending my man’s money and seducing him!” she screamed, her voice filled with envy and fury. She glared down at me and commanded the security guards, “Beat her up. Beat her senseless!”

Both the security guards were clearly her subordinates. Without any hint of hesitation, they began punching and kicking me over and over again.

I clenched my teeth, biting back the cries and groans of pain escaping me. I felt like my bones were being grounded, and my internal organs seemed to have shifted out of place.

Yet, Linda continued screaming, “Who do you think you are? You’re just a whore!”

“I told you—I’m his elder sister. If you don’t believe me, ask Aiden. Call him right now. I’ll speak to him!”

Though I did all I could to explain myself, Linda refused to listen. She only raised her hand to signal a stop to the beating when I was seeing stars.

With her high-heeled shoes, she stepped on my shoulder and grinned. “You’d better be good and pay your bill today. Fork out another 50 thousand dollars on top of that. This is what happens when you seduce my man and spend his money.

“I’m not afraid of taking a life. Denny will have a way of settling matters for me.”

I curled up into a ball in pain. In a weak voice, I argued, “That’s my money. Like I said, ask him if you don’t believe me.”

Linda’s face fell, and she gave me a kick. Then, both the security guards took the cue and resumed punching and kicking me once again.

I knew that Linda wasn’t going to listen to me no matter what I said. If this went on, I might actually end up dying.

After spitting a mouthful of blood from the beating, I managed to feel for my phone on the floor with the last sliver of strength within me. “S-stop… I-I’ll pay.”

Linda gestured to the security guards to stop, seemingly very satisfied that I had given in. She crouched down and gave me a pat on my swollen cheeks. “You should have said so long ago, don’t you think so? Why did you have to learn the hard way? A hundred thousand dollars, and not a single penny less.”

I lay sprawled on the ice cold floor, gasping hard for breath as my lungs throbbed in pain. But I disregarded Linda and called my best friend, Madeleine Lark.

It didn’t take long for my call to get through.

“Maddy, bring 200 thousand dollars to Aidey’s restaurant. I need it right now.”

On the other end of the line, Madeleine froze for a moment. Instantly, she sensed that something was wrong. “Shirley? What happened to you? Why do you sound so—”

I interjected, “Don’t ask. Just hurry up.”

Then, I hung up the call.

Linda’s eyes lit up with a flash of greed the instant she heard “200 thousand dollars.” She probably assumed that I was terrified from the beating and had taken the initiative to pay more in order to plead for forgiveness.

“I’m glad you came to your senses,” she remarked, no longer able to hide the glee on her face.

Chapter 3 Madeleine acted with great speed. Not long after, the door to the storage room flung open from outside.

Madeleine, along with two bodyguards, strode into the room. She was greatly startled when she saw me miserably curled up on the floor with blood on my lips and my clothes disheveled.

She hurried forward and helped me up.

I shook my head, signaling to her to not say anything. I simply took the bank card from her and flung it to Linda.

After taking the card, Linda didn’t pursue the matter further. She motioned with her hand and said, “I’ll be able to track you down if you gave me a fake card. Now, get lost.”

I limped out of the revolting place with Madeleine’s help, holding back the searing and agonizing pain within me.

When we got to the door, I thanked her, saying, “Thanks, Maddy. I’ll return the money to you once I settle this. It won’t take long.”

Madeleine studied me with a worried gaze. “It wasn’t much. Don’t worry about it. What actually happened to you though?”

I let out a chuckle. “Aidey found a wonderful girlfriend. It’s time I settle the score with him.”

I pulled my phone out and found the restaurant’s deputy general manager’s contact.

The deputy general manager, Marco Miller, was the actual person-in-charge of the restaurant’s operations. Plus, he was someone I’d headhunted personally. Thus, he was fiercely loyal to me.

Once the call went through, I went straight to the point. In an emotionless voice, I said, “I’ll give you ten minutes to fire the manager named Linda Cross. Otherwise, my family will retract every single penny of investments from the restaurant.”

The instant Marco heard my voice, he was frightened out of his wits. Perhaps this was because he could hear the frailty and unnatural strain in my voice.

He repeatedly agreed, so terrified that he didn’t have the guts to even question it.

Upon ending the call, I flagged down a cab and went straight to the police station. There, I articulated everything that had just transpired to the attending officer while being in the clearest and most composed state of mind.

After I was done giving a detailed statement, I went to the hospital to get an official assessment of my injuries.

As I held onto that thin medical report, the fire of betrayal within me intensified.

I needed an explanation. I needed Aiden to give me an explanation in person.

My assistant looked into it for me and found that Aiden was in his house. By then, my driver and bodyguards had also arrived, and we headed straight for Aiden’s villa—one which I had gifted to him too.

However, I was only greeted by deafening heavy metal music when I arrived. Then, a throng of men and women came through from within the villa.

I couldn’t believe that Aiden was having a party. It was no wonder he’d failed to answer my call earlier .

The main entrance to the villa was left slightly ajar, but for some reason, I didn’t push the door open and enter right away.

Soon enough, I heard a familiar voice of a woman sobbing—it was Linda. She was lamenting to a houseful of people, painting herself as a pitiful victim who had gotten bullied by an arrogant mistress and then unfairly punished.

“All I did was ask her to pay the bill. Then, she slapped 100 thousand dollars on my face and had me fired…

“Aiden, she really went overboard. She doesn’t respect you at all. All she wants is to humiliate me and for us to break up!”

Inside the villa, Aiden’s scoundrel-like friends seconded her in righteous indignation. Meanwhile, Aiden loudly comforted Linda as he held her in his arms. His voice was full of sympathy and tender affection as he said, “Don’t worry, Linda. I most certainly will not allow you to suffer such injustice!”

Thereafter, as if to prove his resolve, he solemnly swore to everyone present, “I will force that woman to her knees and apologize to you once I get my hands on her!”

The scoundrels continued to back Linda up, shouting out suggestions on how to make me pay.

“Aiden, just say the word and a few of us will track her down right now!”

“That’s right. We have to show her who’s boss!”

I couldn’t bear to listen any longer. I lifted my hand, and my bodyguards kicked the main door to the villa open.

The party music came to a sudden halt, and the booming laughter and clamor vanished instantly. Dozens of people turned to the door, their gazes full of shock.

“No need to track me down. I’m right here. Which one of you wanted to teach me a lesson?”