The Restaurant Owner Mocked Me and Wanted to Kick Me out but That Meeting Changed My Life — Story of the Day

I came for a simple job, wearing my best dress and holding on to the last bit of hope I had left. The restaurant owner mocked me and wanted me gone, and I truly believed it was the worst day of my life. But that same day turned out to be the most important one.

Life is unpredictable. Everything can change in a single day, and suddenly, everything you were used to is gone. That was exactly what happened to me.

One moment I had some kind of balance, and the next, I had nothing. But I tried not to fall apart. I told myself I just needed one small thing to feel better—a day at the beach.

Just one peaceful day with the sound of waves, the warmth of the sun, and the feeling of sand under my feet. That was all I wanted. That was my only wish.

So, I got up, put on my best dress, and walked through the streets. I had heard there was a fancy restaurant hiring people for temporary work.

Maybe I could earn a little money. I was weak, and I knew I could not handle more than one shift.

Still, I convinced the people around me to let me try. It was not easy, but I could be very persuasive when I needed to be.

The restaurant looked like a place I did not belong in. It was clean and shiny, with quiet music and rich smells.

My hands were shaking, but I forced myself to walk in. I spotted the hostess behind a small desk.

She was talking to someone and writing something down. I stepped closer, took a deep breath, and hoped for a chance.

“Good afternoon. My name is Hannah. I came for an interview,” I said. My voice was quiet, but I stood straight. I tried to sound sure of myself.

The hostess did not look up from her papers. “Wait at the bar. The manager will come to you,” she said.

I nodded, though she did not see me. I turned and walked to the bar. My hands were shaking. I sat on a stool and looked down at the floor.

A man in a suit sat beside me. He was loud. He had a phone in one hand and a deep frown on his face.

“I do not need it tomorrow! I need it now!” he shouted. I jumped in my seat. He hung up and slammed the phone on the bar. “These idiots cannot do anything anymore,” he said to the bartender.

The bartender stayed calm. He gave the man a short nod, then turned to me.

“Can I offer you something to drink?” he asked.

“No, thank you. I am here for an interview,” I said.

He nodded and walked away.

A moment later, something cold hit my chest. I gasped. Red wine soaked through my dress. It spread fast. My only dress. My best dress.

“Oh no,” I said. I grabbed a napkin and tried to wipe it off.

The man beside me rolled his eyes. “That is a bit much. It is just wine,” he said.

“Are you serious? This is all I have!” I said. My voice shook. “This is my best dress!”

He gave a short laugh. “That’s your best? My condolences.”

His words hit hard. I stood up. “How dare you talk to me like that!” I said. “Please, call the manager,” I told the bartender. The bartender did nothing. He turned his back.

“Who do you think you are, drama queen?” the man said. He pulled some money from his wallet. “Here. Buy a new dress.”

I stared at the bills. Then I grabbed them and threw them at him. “I do not want your money! You think money can fix everything? You are a terrible person!”

“Security!” the man yelled. “Get this lunatic out of here!”

A big man in uniform came over and grabbed my arm.

“Do not touch me! I can leave on my own!” I said. I pulled away and glared at the man in the suit. “You are pathetic.”

“I own this restaurant. I do what I want. You are the pathetic one,” he said.

The guard grabbed me again. My legs felt weak. My head spun. Not now. Please not now. Everything went dark.

I opened my eyes and saw a white ceiling above me. My body felt heavy. I was lying on a hospital bed.

Nancy, a nurse, was pushing me down a long hallway. I could barely move my head, but when I turned it, I saw him. The man from the restaurant. He was walking beside us.

“What is wrong with her? I swear I didn’t touch her,” he said to Nancy.

Nancy looked angry. “Leave her alone,” she snapped.

I forced out a whisper. “Tell him to get out.”

Nancy looked at him. “You heard her. Get out.”

He didn’t move. “Just tell me what’s going on. I don’t want to get blamed for this.”

“She is very sick,” Nancy said.

He looked confused. “Is she dying?”

Nancy didn’t answer. She pushed my bed faster. I could not stay awake. My eyes closed again.

When I woke up, I was in my hospital room. There were flowers on a table. I turned my head. The man was sitting in a chair by my bed.

“What are you doing here?” I asked and sat up.

He stood up. “The nurse said you should not sit up too fast.”

I looked at him. “So now you care?”

He sighed. “Let’s start over. My name is John. I was rude. I’m sorry. I want to help. I’ll pay for everything.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want your money. Not even a million dollars would make me forgive you. I only wanted one thing. One day at the beach. Now because of you I don’t even have that.”

“I’m really sorry. Let me help pay for your treatment,” John said.

“Go away,” I said.

“I just want to apologise.”

“Leave!” I yelled.

John stared at me for a few more seconds. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. He turned and walked out.

I watched him go and felt anger rise in my chest. I hated him. He had taken the only thing I wished for.

One day at the beach. That was all I wanted. After I fainted in the restaurant, I knew the truth.

They would not let me leave the hospital now. I was too sick. I would die here. I would never see the ocean, never feel the sand or hear the waves.

Days passed. Each one felt longer than the last. My body grew weaker. I could barely eat.

Every sound felt sharp. Every light was too bright. I wanted peace. I wanted silence.

One evening, nurse walked into my room. She smiled in a way that felt different. “Get up,” she said. “There’s a surprise for you.”

I was too tired to ask questions. I got out of bed, and she helped me down the hall.

We stopped in front of a door. She opened it. John was there. I turned to leave. Then I saw it. Sand covered the floor. I stopped. My eyes widened.

“Wait,” John said. “I want to make things right.”

I looked around. There was a sea on the wall. A warm light. A picnic. A beach, right here.

I looked at everything around me and felt confused. The sand, the light, the smell of salt—it all felt so real. “What does all this mean?” I asked, not sure if I was dreaming.

John stood in the middle of the room and smiled. “If you cannot go to the beach, then the beach will come to you,” he said.

I frowned a little. “How did you make it smell like the sea?” I asked.

He grinned. “Magicians do not reveal their secrets.”

I crossed my arms and looked down at my hospital gown. “Well, I do not want to sit here in this,” I said.

John nodded toward the corner. “Turn around.”

I turned and saw a soft summer dress, folded neatly on a chair. I walked over and picked it up.

“One more thing,” I said. “I do not want to be alone.”

John stepped closer. “If you want, I can stay.” I gave a small nod and left to change.

After I changed into the summer dress, I came back to the room. The soft fabric felt light on my skin.

I stepped onto the sand and walked over to the blanket. John was already sitting there, waiting for me.

He had set out plates with real food, probably from his restaurant. Everything looked fresh and smelled so good. I sat down across from him, and we started to eat.

We also talked. At first, just small things. Then John became quiet. He looked at me and said, “I was wrong. That day at the restaurant, I lost control. It was a bad day, but that is no excuse.”

His voice was soft. I listened. I could see he meant every word. As we talked more, I started to laugh.

It felt strange, but good. John laughed too. That night, we talked for hours.

After that, John came to see me every day. We talked, shared stories, and slowly, I started falling in love.

That scared me more than anything, because I was still dying, and I did not want to break his heart. The doctors gave me no hope. I was only getting worse.

The next time John came to visit, I was already sitting in the chair by the window.

I looked at him and took a deep breath. My chest felt heavy. “You have to stop coming,” I said.

John looked confused. “Why would I do that?”

I looked down at my hands. “Because I am starting to have feelings for you,” I said. “And I do not want you to feel the same. It will only hurt you.”

John walked over and knelt beside me. He took my hand gently. “Then it is too late,” he said. “I am already falling for you.”

My eyes filled with tears. I tried to speak without crying, but I couldn’t. “I have three days left,” I said. “That is what the doctors told me.”

John did not let go of my hand. “Then we will make those three days count,” he said. “They will be the best days of our lives.”

John stayed with me every moment. He pulled a chair close to my bed and sat there for hours.

When I had the strength, we talked. When I was tired, he just held my hand.

At night, he lay beside me on the hospital bed, holding me close. I felt safe.

Most of the time, I was too weak to stay awake. I drifted in and out of sleep, hearing his voice now and then, soft and steady.

One night, I woke up and reached for him. The space beside me was empty. I sat up slowly and looked around.

My heart beat faster. I got out of bed, opened the door, and looked down the hallway. At the far end, I saw him with Nancy.

“Is there really nothing that can be done?” he asked. “I’m willing to give any amount of money.”

Nancy shook her head. “I’m afraid there is nothing we can do.”

I didn’t want to hear any more. I had heard it before, over and over. Their words hurt, even when they were kind.

I turned around and went back to bed. My body gave in again, and I fell into a deep sleep.

When I opened my eyes, everything was different. I wasn’t in the hospital anymore. A woman came toward me and spoke Italian. For a second, I wondered if I had died.

“I did not know they spoke Italian in the afterlife,” I said. My voice was soft. I felt confused.

The light in the room was warm. Everything looked clean and bright. I saw a woman speaking to me in Italian, and I did not understand a word.

Then I heard a laugh I knew. I turned my head and saw John standing by the door. He looked calm. “You are not in the afterlife,” he said. “You are in Rome.”

My mouth dropped open. “Rome? What? Why am I in Rome?”

John walked over to me. “Nancy told me about a clinic here. They offer experimental treatment. I had to try.”

I stared at him. My thoughts were spinning. Did that mean I might live?

John smiled. “And by the way, today is the fourth day.”

My eyes filled with tears. “So they will cure me?” I asked.

“They will do everything they can,” he said. He took my hand and kissed it.

A smile grew on my face. “Then we can go to a real beach,” I said. “But you have to bring food from your restaurant again.”

John paused. “I do not have any restaurants now,” he said.

“What? You sold everything?” I asked. He nodded. I looked at him, speechless.

“It does not matter,” he said. “Now I have something much more valuable. You.” Then he wrapped his arms around me.

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This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only.