The guy on the right was tall and skinny, with a face that looked like he hadn't eaten in days and might die immediately.
Meanwhile, Fiona was dealing with the chubby dude on her left, who had the nerve to touch her thigh.
Even though Fiona's job as a lobby manager required her to wear long sleeves and pants, covering up pretty well, it didn't stop her from feeling creeped out by the harassment.
But she didn't push him away. Instead, she showed him some respect.
Fiona had one hand on the guy's back and the other on his chest. They were super close, and she kept patting his chest like she was trying to calm him down.
It was clear this guy was someone important, someone Fiona couldn't afford to piss off. She had to keep him happy.
Emily noticed me coming in and gave me this desperate look, silently begging for help.
The guy holding her down saw this and immediately slapped her, barking, "Behave yourself!"
Five red marks appeared on Emily's face, and tears started to well up in her eyes.
My heart ached for her.
Even though I wasn't crazy about Emily, she was still someone I'd been with. No way was I gonna let anyone treat her like that.
"Let go of these two women," I said, my voice cold enough to freeze the room.
"What do you think you are? A waiter bossing us around?" a sharp, mocking voice chimed in.
I turned to see a woman sitting next to the chubby guy. Despite her fancy clothes, she couldn't hide her plump figure. Her makeup was so thick, it looked like it would turn the water black if she washed it off.
"Are you fucking deaf? I said let them go!" I repeated, louder and angrier this time.
The commotion drew in other staff, including John, who saw Emily's distress and shouted, "Emily!" He tried to rush over to help.
But the young guy was quick. He grabbed Emily by the neck, his big hand easily wrapping around her throat. He squeezed just enough to make her face go pale and her breathing labored.
"Take one more step, and I'll strangle her!" the young man warned.
John froze, torn between wanting to help and fearing he'd make things worse.
I watched coldly, my eyes scanning the room until they landed on a bottle at the edge of the table.
With a swift kick, the bottle flew through the air, spinning gracefully before smashing into the young man's head.
He crumpled to the ground, blood streaming from his forehead down his face, staining half of it a deep red.
I quickly stepped forward, scooped up Emily, and handed her over to John.
"Take care of her," I said. Just then, a bunch of people rushed in, surrounding me.
I stayed cool, fighting them off in the chaos. It felt like forever, and finally, Matthew showed up with his bodyguards, ending the brawl.
I slumped to the ground, wiping the blood from my mouth.
Suddenly, a pair of shiny black shoes appeared in front of me.
I looked up to see Matthew glaring at me. "You, come to my office."
"Got it." I knew Matthew was pissed, but I wasn't scared. I pushed myself up, feeling the pain from the fight. My steps were wobbly, and I almost stumbled.
I caught myself on the wall and followed Matthew to his office.
He took one look at my bruised and bloody face and body, and for a moment, he couldn't even muster his anger. He slammed a pack of tissues on the table.
"Clean yourself up first, then we'll talk," he said, frowning.
"No need. Just tell me if you're going to fire me or need me to pay for the damages. Either way is fine with me." I glanced at the tissues and then back at Matthew.
"You think I can't fire you? Do you even know who you messed with today?" Matthew shouted.
"I don't know, and I don't care. I'd still fight," I replied calmly.
Matthew laughed angrily. "The well-dressed woman is the mayor's wife, and the woman next to her is the wife of a special forces officer."
"The fat guy is a big shot in real estate, and the skinny guy is a government worker from the neighboring state," he added.
"They came here to discuss business. What's wrong with letting them touch our girls?" he continued.
"Do you realize who you picked a fight with? Those guys are special forces soldiers! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he yelled, his voice shaking with rage.
No wonder the fight was so tough. But honestly, their skills weren't that impressive.
I held my own and even took down a few of them.
"Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you've brought to the bar and our staff by pissing them off?" Matthew shouted, slamming his fist on the table.
The windows shook a bit.
This might scare others, but to me, it was just embarrassing for him.
"So what? Government officials, officers' families, and businessmen come here to discuss business and harass our staff," I said with disdain. "If this news and evidence got out, who do you think would be targeted first by the radicals or their competitors—me or them?"