"Jake, this is your pay for the week. Thank you for always being generous and never stingy with your effort," said the project supervisor as she handed Jake an envelope containing his wages.
"Thank you, Boss. You didn't have to do this—I enjoy working here," Jake replied. In front of his female boss, the well-built man with a handsome face still dusty from the construction site opened the envelope.
"Wow, this is a lot. Are you sure this isn't a mistake?"
"Your pay is the same as usual. I just added a little extra—for your daughter, not for you," the woman with glasses replied with a smile.
"Thank you, Boss. I hope your family stays healthy. Send my regards to your husband," Jake said gratefully.
His boss stood up and walked toward him.
"Alright, go now or you'll be late. You still have your shift at the fried chicken shop, right? Be careful on the road and stay strong, Elsa's Papa!" she said as she playfully pushed him out of her office.
Jake Porter, a 35-year-old man, worked as a construction laborer on the Ostal Town hospital project. At night, he also worked at a fast-food chicken shop. He was well-liked by his coworkers because he never held back and always delivered solid performance.
He did all of this to provide for himself and his only daughter, who was just four months old. Yes, Jake was a single father to Elsa after his girlfriend—Jodie Burns—left him and their baby for a typical reason: money.
Two weeks ago, Jodie left Elsa at a daycare and texted Jake, telling him she was going to marry a wealthy older man out of town. Since she and Jake were never officially married, her greed easily won over any maternal instinct.
As a result, Jake had no choice but to raise his baby girl alone. But the kind-hearted man didn't see Elsa as a burden. In fact, he loved his beautiful daughter deeply.
"Hey, Super Dad. This is the last order. You can go home after delivering it. Take care, bro!" said Stu, a coworker at the chicken shop, as he walked past Jake.
"Yeah, you too. Make sure you lock up properly, or some street kid will steal your frozen chicken, haha!" Jake joked, picking up the order from the table.
"Aster Motel? Why would someone there order fried chicken? Don't they serve that already?" he muttered.
"Ah well. My job is to deliver this, then go pick up my sweet Elsa," he added, brushing off the oddity of the motel guest ordering food they likely already had.
The traffic was heavy and slow. While waiting at a red light, Jake glanced at the time on his phone. Instead of focusing on the clock, his eyes were drawn to the adorable face of his baby girl, who was set as his wallpaper. That brought back memories of his conversation with Jodie.
Being abandoned by the mother of his child, especially when the baby still needed so much care, hurt him deeply. But knowing how impatient and irresponsible Jodie had been, Jake—once a street thug—accepted the situation.
The sound of a car horn snapped him out of his thoughts, and he moved his motorbike forward. By 8 PM, and less than thirty minutes later, Jake arrived at Aster Motel. The security guard let him in, and he headed straight to room 314.
He knocked on the door.
"Excuse me… I'm here to deliver an order from CK Shop."
After a few knocks and two calls, a bald man with a large belly appeared, wearing only a hotel kimono. He didn't look happy to see Jake.
"You're so slow! I'm going to file a complaint against your shop!" the man snapped.
Jake slightly bowed and apologized,
"I'm sorry I was a bit late. There was road construction and traffic was heavy. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again, sir."
The man grunted, clearly annoyed. Then he looked more closely at Jake and his anger deepened.
"You're Jake, right? That laborer Nancy's always praising?"
Jake instantly realized who the man was—his boss's superior, the project manager.
"Y-yes, I'm Jake Porter, part of Madam—"
"H-help..." a faint voice cried out from inside the room.
"Please… someone help me..."
Jake looked at the manager, whose face had suddenly turned nervous and awkward.
"It's nothing. Leave," the man said, trying to close the door. But Jake stopped it just before it shut.
"Wait, sir. Someone's asking for help in there. You heard it too, didn't you?" Jake asked suspiciously.
"I said get out. It's none of your business, you bastard!" the manager shouted, shoving Jake. But because of their size difference, the door instead swung further open.
"Help me..."
The voice came again, and this time Jake saw a woman, her clothes disheveled, staggering while clutching her head.
Without hesitating, Jake pushed the door open and stepped inside to catch the woman before she collapsed.
"Miss, are you alright?"
She looked up, pale and sweating, and begged,
"Take me to a hospital. He's a bad man. Please..."
"Don't listen to her. Leave her here. She's my wife and this is a private matter. You'll regret interfering," the manager warned.
"But she needs medical attention, sir. She's not well. We have to take her to a hospital!" Jake insisted.
"Leave now or you're fired, you bastard!" the bald man yelled, furious.
Jake hesitated. He wanted to help, but he also didn't want to lose his job. Just then, he felt the woman grip his shirt.
"Don't believe him. Please… take me to the hospital. I'm not his wife. He tricked me. I don't even know how I got here..." she cried in pain.
"Lies! Get out or you're fired!" the man yelled again. But this time Jake had made up his mind.
He stood and carried the weak woman in his arms.
"Fire me if you want. I won't stay quiet knowing what kind of monster my boss really is. And just so you know, this is the third time I've had to help your 'wife.' Next time, I'll be asking about my boss's multiple marriages."
With a calm tone, Jake walked past the man, who was too stunned to stop him, silenced by Jake's burning stare.
"Y-you?! How dare you! You're fired, you bastard! Useless! You'll end up on the streets again!"
"Yeah, yeah… whatever you say, you perverted bald creep," Jake muttered as he left the motel, carrying the woman, leaving behind a man who had just become his former boss.