286 Where I Am Right Now

Ashley who followed her new found friends came face to face with a club. She was underage but they insisted that it is alright and that is indeed true. She was able to enter with just a card from the one leading them, Mike.

He together with other two friends Francis and Aaron were eating their lunch at the restaurant she works at and they ended up getting closer.

They were kind enough to listen to her stories while having their lunch and they would even give her advises.

They were college students at the age of 20 and three other girls were currently with them.

They were classmates of the same university and somehow despite being 4 years younger, Ashley was enjoying their company so much.

"So you really wanted to become a chef?" one lady asked.

"Yes, that is my dream for a while now," Ashley replied with a smile.

"Well, I think Mike would be able to help you with that. You saw what he showed a while ago right? This club is owned by his brother and he owns a few restaurants out there," another said.

Ashley's eyes brightened upon the mention of this.

She looked ta mike and saw him looking at her with a smile, "I can do just that."

"Really? You will really help me?" she exclaimed and her face couldn't contain the happiness she was feeling.

"Of course. Since you are a friend of ours now, why must not we help you?" Mike answered.

Ashley smiled as she started thinking of the future, she becoming a chef of a restaurant. Not just in any country but in Achernar where the main business were restaurants.

But for some odd reason words resounded in her mind.

~"There are a lot of small restaurants out there that are looking for a personnel to help in the kitchen. You can start by learning from them."~

These were words of the time she tried a test in a three star restaurant and somehow, that time still puzzles her.

It was a three star restaurant yet they allowed her to have a test in their kitchen.

It was not only a simple kitchen but a kitchen of a renowned restaurant, a three star may be at the middle but having a star was already big enough.

They specifically told her to try out in small restaurants. At first she didn't thought much about it and still tried to enter as an assistant chef in some restaurants.

Yet on another day where she was rejected in another restaurant, another person spoke to her with almost the same words.

~"Why not try to learn the basics? Since you have decided to pursue the difficult road of not entering a university. Then try and learn the basics of everything."~

Up to now, those sentences still resounded on her. They didn't know her but compared to every place she had been to, these two places actually gave her an earnest advise.

The smile on her lips slowly disappeared as she shook her head, "It's fine. I am fine to where I am right now."

That's right, even Amber started from the very bottom of everything before she reached the place she was currently at.

Despite having the talent, it is undeniable that she worked harder than most without talents in order to achieve her goals.

'That's right, this is something I have forgotten. She was not the Nathalie Price or Amber Wood I am facing now just because she was talented. She was here because of her own perseverance,' she thought.

"Why? Don't you want to experience the title of being a chef already? Even if you're young you could still learn through experiences," one lady asked.

Ashley shook her head as she smiled at them, "I want to try my hand at the things in front of me first. Taking a leap when I still don't know how to hop will only cause me to tumble over and over again."

"The restaurant can help you with that," Mike butted in.

"Indeed but, I want this. What I am doing now. I am learning better with everything that I have right now."

"Aren't you living rather poorly right now? Aren't you having difficulties?" Aaron asked.

"At the beginning indeed it was difficult but after a while, I got used to it and is currently enjoying it actually," Ashley replied with a smile.

Though she felt like something was off with his tone about her living in poverty. She shook her head and thought of it as nothing.

"Just accept the offer, you can still train all you want to the restaurants and act as a server all you want," Mike then said.

"Wait, why do I hear like you are belittling the servers?" Ashley could no longer hold it in and asked.

Sure they are older than her by four years or so but their tone somehow changed once they are out of that little restaurant.

Mike sighed and raised both feet in the table at the center of them.

Ashley frowned upon seeing the change in the atmosphere, she looked around and noticed that all of them are now exuding an aura of arrogance.

"I wanted to do this the easy acting way but it seems our little missy have enjoyed her time being a poor young woman," Mike spoke and the tone he had been using since they first met have changed drastically.

Ashley blinked a few times, she didn't expect this outcome at all.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

Mike scoffed and the others are looking at her with mock, "I guess the rumours are right. She is but an ignorant miss."

"I- How dare you spout such nonesense when you barely know me. I admit we have talked a lot and I have told you quite a story of myself but that doesn't give you the right to mock me."

She was already a stubborn lady so suddenly being mocked by this people whom she just met and befriended was a great bruise in her ego.

Suddenly, all of them started laughing.

Then Mike had someone bring in some files, this files were then placed in front of Ashley and upon looking at it, her eyes grew wide.

It was information about her, about her as Ashley Wright and not just Ashley of this place.

"Your face tells me that you are shock to find out that we knew of your identity. Truly you are an ignorant fool. If you had just accepted what we offered then we can just continue being friends."

Ashley looked at them and she felt... betrayed.

They befriended her because of her name, once again people befriended her because of the family name attached to her.

~"You should have learned how the society works but alas you chose the shortest path hurting everyone around you."~

For the nth time, she remembered Amber's words.

SHe started laughing, "What about it? Do you think once I use my name you are qualified to be my friend? Oh please you are not even qualified to polish my shoes."

Everyone was shock at the sudden change in her.

"Too shock? Why? You can show your true color but I cannot? Oh my, aren't you the ones being naive here?" she continued and at some point her demeanor became like that of Ashton when he turned serious.

'That's right, there's no point in being pained by the fact that they befriended me because of my name, they are not qualified.'

Maybe if this was the her from the start of Achernar, then she would start crying by now. But the rejections she suffered over and over again made her stronger emotionally that this current situation no longer bothers her as much.

Though of course she still feel irritated that they actually got close ot her after checking her background.

"Thank you for inviting me tonight," Ashley stood and walked towards the door to leave the room.

*BANG*

She was pushed to the fall with a loud thud and she couldn't help but to wince for it was painful.

"How dare you a runaway talk to me in such a way?!?" Mike said with gritted teeth and she could see the others glaring daggers at her.

Ashley scoffed this time, "Have you forgotten who I am then? Despite running away with one call your family's might end up in the drain."

Yes, this was something she had forgotten because of her insecurities.

That's right, even Amber tried to remind her of this.

Their family was an Empire, much bigger than most families and only other Empires could contend.

"Do you dare touch me then? Low life," her tone was void of emotion adn for the first time in her whole life, her demeanor changed to that of a real princess of an empire.

No more were the immature kid who went up against Amber on her own years ago or the kid who came here full of dreams after running away.