Chapter 25: Gathering the courage to walk in
Clara’s welcoming smile faltered the moment she got a proper look at the young woman standing before her.
She looked exhausted.
Her clothes were wrinkled and dusty, her hair was unkempt, and the dark circles beneath her eyes suggested she hadn’t slept properly for days.
More than anything... she looked like someone who had nowhere to go.
Silvia frowned the instant she saw the girl.
"Hmph. Since when do beggars come for job interviews?" she muttered disdainfully.
Even Lily, who had been optimistic moments ago, couldn’t hide her surprise.
The young woman looked at Clara hesitantly.
"Are... are you still hiring?"
Clara blinked before quickly composing herself.
"Yes." She offered a gentle smile. "Please, come in."
The girl hesitated for a moment before walking over.
"Have a seat."
As the young woman sat down, Clara couldn’t help but stare at her.
For a fleeting second... she saw her former self.
The same helpless expression. The same exhaustion. The same look of someone who had nowhere left to turn.
It reminded Clara of the days after her mother had fallen ill.
Back then, she had desperately searched for money to pay for the surgery.
She had knocked on countless doors.
Begged countless people.
Yet in the end...
She still couldn’t save the only family she had left.
A shadow crossed Clara’s eyes before she pushed those painful memories aside.
This wasn’t the time to dwell on the past.
She picked up a pen.
"Your name?"
Before the girl could answer, Silvia interrupted.
"Madam."
Clara looked up.
"Are you seriously considering hiring someone like her?"
Silvia’s voice was filled with undisguised disgust.
"We don’t even know who she is. What if she’s a thief? These people often pretend to be pitiful just to gain sympathy before running away with other people’s belongings."
The girl’s fingers tightened around the edge of her chair.
She lowered her head.
"I... I think I should leave."
She stood up.
"Sit down."
Clara’s calm but firm voice stopped her.
"I’m not done with the interview."
The girl slowly looked back at her.
Clara then turned toward Silvia and Lily.
"I need to speak with her alone."
Her tone left no room for argument.
"You two, please give us some privacy."
Lily nodded immediately.
"Yes, Madam."
She gently tugged on Silvia’s sleeve.
"Come on."
Silvia looked unwilling.
She had never expected Clara to dismiss her so directly.
After glaring at the girl one last time, she reluctantly followed Lily outside.
The bakery soon became quiet.
Clara looked back at the young woman.
"Would you like something to eat?"
The question caught her completely off guard.
She instinctively shook her head.
"I’m fi—"
"Wait here."
Before the girl could finish, Clara opened her handbag and took out the sandwich she had packed for herself that morning.
She placed it on the table along with a bottle of water.
"Here."
"Eat first."
"We can continue the interview afterward."
The girl stared silently at the food.
Her lips trembled ever so slightly.
She hadn’t eaten since yesterday.
After spending the entire night beside her mother’s grave, she had wandered the streets with nowhere to go.
She wasn’t pretending to be homeless.
She truly was.
"Don’t hesitate," Clara said gently.
"It’s only a sandwich."
Almost as if acting on instinct, the girl reached for it.
The moment she took the first bite, she realized just how hungry she was.
Within minutes, the sandwich was gone.
Clara quietly watched her the entire time.
"Would you like anything else?"
The girl quickly shook her head.
"No... Thank you."
A faint smile appeared on Clara’s face.
Once the girl had calmed down, Clara picked up her notebook again.
"Let’s start over."
"Your name?"
The girl wiped the corners of her mouth.
"My name is Gen."
Clara wrote it down.
"And why do you want to work here?"
Gen remained silent for several seconds before answering honestly.
"...Because I want a fresh start."
Clara nodded thoughtfully.
"Alright."
"You can start work tomorrow."
Gen blinked in disbelief.
"...What?"
"There’s a small room upstairs. You can stay there if you don’t have anywhere else to go. I’ll stock the refrigerator before I leave today. Feel free to cook whatever you need. You’ll mainly help manage the bakery whenever I’m not here. And before closing each evening, just make sure you lock—"
"Wait."
Gen suddenly stood up. Her voice was filled with confusion.
"Why are you hiring me so easily? You didn’t ask for my résumé. You didn’t ask about my experience. You don’t even know who I am."
She looked down at herself.
"I look like a homeless person. Even your employee called me a beggar. So why are you trusting me?"
Clara looked at her quietly.
"Because I already know you don’t have a résumé."
Gen’s eyes widened.
"I also know you spent nearly twenty minutes standing outside before gathering the courage to walk in."
She smiled gently.
"You weren’t deciding whether to apply."
"You were deciding whether I’d even let you through the door."
Gen took an unconscious step backward.
"H-How do you know that?"
"I’ve seen you before." Clara folded her hands on the table.
"Yesterday, after closing the bakery, I saw you wandering outside several food stalls. You were wearing the same clothes and looked just as exhausted as you do now. I guessed you hadn’t eaten."
Gen froze. She hadn’t noticed Clara watching her that day.
Clara continued calmly, "So tell me honestly... are you willing to work hard?"
Tears slowly gathered in Gen’s eyes.
"...Yes. I am."
Clara smiled.
"Then that’s all I need to know."
She believed every business had to start somewhere.
She also believed that every person deserved a second chance.
Though Dominic had offered to arrange everything for her if she wanted. Finding experienced staff would’ve taken him only a single phone call. But Clara refused.
Although she had married the richest man in the country, she wanted to build this bakery through her own effort.
It wasn’t just a business. It was the dream her mother had left behind.
She wanted to honor that dream honestly, without relying on shortcuts.
While Clara waited for Gen to gather herself, Silvia stood just outside the bakery, secretly peeking through the glass window.
Her face twisted with disbelief.
"She’s actually hiring that girl."
Silvia folded her arms. "Is Madam opening a bakery..."
"...or a charity?"
While Silvia and Lily judge Clara’s life choices. Another person appeared to have witnessed the seventh wonder of life.