They Fired the Pregnant Chef, Then Chaos Hit the Hotel Chapter 05

They Fired the Pregnant Chef, Then Chaos Hit the Hotel Chapter 05

The kitchen manager’s voice jumped an octave.

“What do you mean, why? Olivia, when I tell you to answer, you answer.”

“If banquet service is delayed, are you prepared to take responsibility?”

I kept my voice even.

“Manager, you’re mistaken. I work in Procurement now.”

“What does banquet service have to do with me?”

I hung up and turned on Do Not Disturb.

After I got home, I took my time eating the pregnancy-friendly dinner my husband, Ryan, had made for me.

I even took a shower before picking up my phone again.

The messages had already hit 99+.

There were countless missed calls.

I opened each chat one by one. As expected, they were all from my former colleagues.

“Olivia, a guest in Banquet Hall Two has a nut allergy. Can we change the sauce on this dish?”

“Olivia, how should I write this line on the head-table plating card for tomorrow’s wedding reception? The kitchen manager wants it right now.”

“Olivia, if filet mignon stays in the warmer for more than fifteen minutes and the outside gets dry, how did you used to save it?”

“Olivia, the guest just requested a gluten-free dessert. Pastry won’t take it. What should we do?”

Every message was a problem they expected me to solve.

Those were their emergencies.

But I was done caring.

I did not answer a single one.

Ryan brought over a cup of warm milk, worry written all over his face.

“Lily, did something happen at the hotel?”

My expression finally softened. I gave a small laugh.

“Of course not.”

“I’m not the one suffering anymore.”

The next day, I went to work at my usual unhurried pace.

I sat down at my desk in Procurement.

I had barely sat down before the office door flew open.

The kitchen manager stormed in, furious. She rapped her knuckles against my desk.

“Olivia, why didn’t you answer your phone? Why didn’t you reply to your colleagues?”

“These are all matters of guest safety. If you don’t even care about guest safety, what right do you have to call yourself a chef?”

I swallowed the last bite of bread and wiped my mouth.

“Manager, don’t put that on me. I’m not taking the blame for this.”

“I’m a Procurement employee now. My coworkers all work in Procurement. My job is to purchase and distribute hotel supplies.”

“If your kitchen needs paper, pens, gloves, or dish soap, submit a request through the proper process.”

“Besides, the people who ignored guest safety weren’t me. They were the leaders who transferred me here.”

Those four sentences shut the kitchen manager down. For a long moment, she could not speak.

She glared at me, then left.

The door slammed hard enough to shake.

Mia clicked her tongue behind me.

“Olivia, that woman is terrifying.”

I smiled and handed her a piece of bread.

“She was only the first messenger. Someone higher up will come next.”

Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, Martin Walker appeared at the door.

He wore the standard management smile, all concern and no warmth.

He placed a bag of expensive organic apples on my desk.

“Olivia, your kitchen manager has no sense at all. Who yells at a pregnant woman like that? I apologize on her behalf.”

I said nothing. I only looked at him quietly.

Martin Walker did not mind the silence. He glanced around the bare Procurement office.

“Olivia, this place is a little rough. You must have suffered these past few days.”

I looked up.

“Mr. Walker, I actually think it’s a good place to be pregnant.”

Martin Walker rubbed his hands together. Finally, he revealed his real purpose.

“Olivia, I know you’re a good employee. I know you wouldn’t ignore the guests.”

“After you left, those girls have caused me nothing but trouble.”

“I was thinking. Could you come back and train them?”

“Once they’re as steady as you, I can stop worrying.”

I smiled.

“Mr. Walker, you think too highly of me.”

“I’m only in charge of Procurement now. How could I train the banquet kitchen staff?”

“Besides, these are basic kitchen skills. The hotel holds standard training every year. You know that.”

After I rejected him outright, Martin Walker’s expression tightened. Impatience began to show.

“Olivia, do you really have to be like this?”

“What good does it do you to make everyone lose face?”

I handed the ugly bag of apples back to Martin Walker.

“Mr. Walker, you are wrong.”

“I was never on your stage to begin with, Mr. Walker, so I don’t care who loses face.”

“If there’s nothing else, please don’t interrupt my work.”

“Fine, Olivia. You have nerve.”

Martin Walker threw the apples hard into the trash can.

“Don’t think the banquet kitchen can’t run without you. Who do you think you are?”

I watched Martin Walker leave. My expression stayed steady.

I knew he would come again.

Because without me, the banquet kitchen really could not run.