Who made you cry?

"Sorry, dude, but can you at least recognize her?" Erickson asked.

"Of course, yes," Charles answered, confidence in his voice.

"Then describe how she looks so we can help you with the search," Edward demanded.

"Well," Charles began, picturing Flower's face in his mind.

"She has thick and perfectly shaped eyebrows, long shiny lashes. She has round doll-like eyes, full pink lips, and..." Charles couldn't complete his statement as his friends burst into laughter.

"Why are you guys laughing?" Charles arched an eyebrow, confused.

"You were actually complimenting her, bro," Erickson replied.

"I wasn't! Besides, why would I compliment an 'ugly duckling' like her?" Charles scrunched his face in disgust.

"You were saying things like she has thick lashes, an oval face, doll-like eyes. God, you were busy complimenting her, dude," Edward laughed.

"Ugh, maybe I shouldn't have come here. I've made a grave mistake," Charles sighed, realizing his unintentional words of admiration for Flower.

…

Hamilton's Mansion

Charles emerged from his room looking sharp in his attire. He clutched his briefcase tightly as he made his way towards the dining area. He took a seat and carefully uncovered the plate to reveal the food.

Taking a bite of the pasta, he immediately spat it out in disgust.

"Who prepared this?" he yelled, causing the maids to tremble in fear.

A middle-aged woman swiftly stepped forward from the crowd.

"It... it was me, sir," the maid stammered, avoiding eye contact.

Charles stared at her for a moment before smirking.

"You're fired."

"What?" The maid gasped in disbelief.

"Please, sir, my son is sick and in the hospital. We desperately need money for his treatment, and this job is our only source of income..." the maid began to explain, but Charles interrupted her.

"Do I look like I care? Now get out," Charles yelled angrily.

"But, sir... I... please give me a second chance. I promise I'll do better," the maid pleaded.

"Go tell that to your damn son. I'm done here," Charles snapped, abruptly standing up and dialing a number on his phone.

"Japheth, find me a competent cook by the end of today, or you'll be fired," he warned sternly before ending the call, storming off in a fit of anger.

…

Eat and Drink Restaurant

Flower tied the apron around her neck, getting ready to cook. She wasn't the only cook in the restaurant; there were two others named Lizzy and Madam Jojo.

Madam Jojo had a reputation for being pushy. In her late forties, she enjoyed gossiping and giving orders. She always seemed to be on Flower's case, resulting in quarrels almost every day.

Lizzy, on the other hand, was the quiet and shy type. She often found herself carrying out all of Madam Jojo's orders.

Apart from the three cooks, there were also two assistants who helped them in the kitchen. Flower was currently making beef burgers, while Lizzy prepared a cheesecake. Madam Jojo was working on the pasta dish.

Flower added ground beef to a large mixing bowl, gently breaking it up with a spoon. She then added the necessary ingredients.

Dividing the burger meat into four 8-ounce patties, Flower shaped them into balls before flattening them into disc shapes slightly larger than the burger buns.

After a few minutes, the burgers were ready.

"All done," she sighed.

"Now, black bean noodles," she thought aloud.

...

Marrissa finished serving a customer and was about to head inside when she spotted Erickson walking into the restaurant. Excitement filled her as she prepared to serve him, but her heart shattered when she noticed a girl standing beside him. The girl reached out and hung her hands on Erickson's shoulder, and he reciprocated by pulling her closer and kissing her on the lips.

Marrissa quickly ran inside to hide her tears from prying eyes.

"Rissa," a voice called from behind.

She paused but didn't turn around. The owner of the voice appeared in front of her, revealing himself to be Dawson, a new employee.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, peering into her tearful eyes.

"None of your business," she snapped, intending to walk away.

"You're crying because of him, right?" he suddenly said, making her turn towards him.

"Who?" she asked, curious.

"Of course, Erickson. You know exactly who I'm talking about."

"I don't want to talk about it," she muttered, trying to leave. As she made her way to the restroom, she bumped into Flower. Marrissa attempted to avoid her, but Flower had already noticed her distress.

"Rissa, what's going on? Why are you in tears? Who made you cry?" Flower asked with concern, her gentle voice trying to soothe Marrissa's pain.

Marrissa's cries grew louder, but Flower pulled her into a comforting hug, offering her a shoulder to lean on. "It's okay, Rissa. I'm here for you. Just stop crying and tell me who hurt you. I promise I'll deal with them severely," Flower assured her, gently stroking her back.

Through her wall of tears, Marrissa managed to speak, her voice trembling with vulnerability. "Tell me honestly, Flower. Am I not beautiful enough?"

Flower held her even tighter, determination shining in her eyes. "Of course you are, Rissa. In fact, you are the most beautiful woman on earth, both inside and out. Don't let anyone make you believe otherwise."

" Stop flattering me flower. Be sincere" Marrissa remarked.

"Come on, I'm being sincere. You are truly beautiful. Whoever says you aren't beautiful is probably blind. You're even more beautiful than me. I'm jealous," Flower said with a warm smile.

"You know that's not true, Flower. We all know you are more beautiful than me," Marissa rolled her eyes playfully.

"Enough of that now. Tell me who made you cry, and I'll teach him or her a lesson," Flower vowed, making Marissa laugh.

"You can't do anything to him, Flower," she answered.

"Why can't I?" Flower arched an eyebrow.

"It's actually Eric. I saw him with another girl, kissing," Marissa explained, tears welling up in her pretty eyes. She was very unhappy.