"Alex, I knew a long time ago you're not cut out for studying. If you really wanted to learn, you could learn in any environment. It's fine. When you're an adult, Mom will ask relatives to find you a good match. Your priority right now is taking care of your little brother."
Under those conditions, I still managed to get into a four-year university, working part-time to put myself through.
I never expected that because of them, I'd end up back in this dump working as a server again.
My stomach churned, but I kept my face blank. "Thank you, Aunt Patricia."
With a criminal record, finding work was hard. Rent cost money. I had to take every chance to save up and get out of this place.
The next day, the owner looked me over like I was dirt.
"If we weren't short-handed, I wouldn't hire someone with no experience. Two hundred a day. You stay until cleanup's done. Take it or leave it."
They called it serving, but really I did everything.
Taking orders, running food, helping in the kitchen, scrubbing toilets—by closing I hadn't even had a sip of water.
There was no room for me at home. Every night I lay on the narrow couch, muscles aching so bad I couldn't sleep.