1 As the head chef, I didn’t think it was a big deal to skip chopping vegetables for one day. The general manager, however, saw it differently. He flew into a rage and threatened to fire me on the spot. I told him he’d need the owner’s approval for that. He just sneered. “I’m the general manager. What’s the big deal about firing a slacker head chef? When I say you’re out, you’re out!” I took off my chef’s hat and dialed my wife’s number. “I’m about to be fired. Did you know?” … “I know,” she said, her voice strained. “But I told them it was a… a staffing adjustment. They must have misunderstood.” I hung up. It was clear. This arrogant manager was acting on her orders. He watched me end the call, a smug, triumphant look on his face. “What’s the matter? The owner not on your side this time? If I were you, I’d just crawl out of here with my tail between my legs.” “How dare you speak to him like that?” Before I could say a word, one of my apprentices stepped forward, and the others quickly followed. “Our master is the head chef! His job is to oversee the kitchen, not do prep work! What do you know about it? Who do you think you are, talking to him like that?” “Yeah! What the hell do you know? Can you even cook?” The manager’s face darkened as he looked at the young, defiant chefs. “Shut up! Who gave you permission to speak? Bunch of troublemakers, forming your little gang. You’re lucky I’m not firing all of you! You think you can stand up to me?” “You—!” My youngest apprentice started to surge forward again. I grabbed his arm, shaking my head at his wounded expression. “It’s fine,” I told all of them. “It’s not a big deal. Don’t do anything rash.” The front-of-house manager, a smarmy yes-man who always had a smile on his face, stepped up. He wasn’t as harsh as the GM, but he loved to kick a man when he was down. “Come on, Leo,” he said soothingly. “There are other fish in the sea. Besides, we all got here because of the owner, right? When you’ve fallen out of favor, you just have to accept it.” “Is that so?” I shot back. “How did you get here?” He had always been beneath me, and now he was reveling in my downfall. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he snapped, his friendly mask dropping. I stood tall, meeting everyone’s gaze, and took a long look around the kitchen where I had worked for five years. “Let’s be clear,” I said, my voice ringing with authority. “The Phoenix Court is what it is today because of me. And I’m telling you all right now, when I walk out that door, this restaurant is finished.” My apprentices murmured their agreement behind me. The GM and the front-of-house manager just laughed, a long, derisive sound. “Leo, you’ve got a big ego,” the GM sneered. “Let me tell you something. The Phoenix Court won’t miss you one bit. The owner made this decision, and I’m sure she has her reasons.” “Does she?” I muttered. If my wife, anette, truly had her own reasons, she wouldn't have made me head chef in the first place. The restaurant’s success was built entirely on my reputation. But now, it was clear she was just a shortsighted businesswoman with no real vision. Even if she was my wife. As the tension in the kitchen reached a breaking point, a man walked in, a wide smile on his face, completely unfazed by the hostile atmosphere. “Sorry I’m late,” he said. “I’m Victor, the new head chef replacing Leo. I’m sure you all know who I am.” I had to laugh. Of course, I knew him. An old acquaintance. Victor had been a guest chef at The Phoenix Court a few times for special banquets, mostly handling Western dishes. We had collaborated, briefly. Everyone present knew him, but no one expected him to be my replacement. I looked him up and down. “Well, well, Chef Victor. A French-trained chef taking over the hottest Chinese restaurant on the block. Aren’t you brave?” My apprentices snickered behind me. “What’s a Western chef doing here? Does he even know how to use a cleaver?” “Exactly. He probably can’t even do a decorative cut, and he’s the head chef.” Victor’s face hardened. “Leo, it doesn’t matter if you like it or not. This is the owner’s decision. She wants to move away from traditional Chinese cuisine and create a global, fusion menu.” He paused, lifting his chin at me. “Your style is old news. And when she tells you to get lost, you get lost.” “Is that right?” I scoffed. “Are you so eager to say all that because it’s what the owner really wants, or is it because of your old flame? You know the truth.” My smile vanished, and the air in the room grew heavy. Victor’s face paled. He was Annette’s first love. Five years ago, The Phoenix Court was failing. Annette’s grandfather, a proud old man, had called on an old army buddy for a favor—my grandfather, the heir to a line of imperial chefs. My grandfather was too old to help, so he sent me instead. To seal the deal, Annette’s grandfather had even arranged for us to be married. Annette and Victor were forced to break up. I heard she’d fought it for a while, but when I asked her if she wanted to back out, she didn’t seem to have any regrets. In fact, she seemed willing. I thought she had moved on, so I agreed to try and build a life with her. But looking at them now, it was obvious. Their flame had never died. And I was utterly disappointed in Annette. Five years in the same bed… even without love, there should have been some affection. But she had cast me aside without a second thought. I looked at Victor. “Are you sure you want this job?” Before he could answer, Annette herself swept into the kitchen, dressed in a designer trench coat and high heels. She went straight to Victor and took his arm, a faint smile on her red lips. “I’m sure,” she said. Before I could speak, she continued, her voice defiant. “I heard what you said from the hallway, Leo. Since you know, there’s no point in hiding it. I’m still in love with Victor. I was never in love with you.” I saw the managers’ faces light up with schadenfreude. “Marrying you was just a way to save the restaurant,” Annette went on. “As the eldest daughter of the family, my duty is done. Now I have the right to pursue my own happiness.” I was so stunned by her brazenness that I started to laugh, a harsh, angry sound. My fists were clenched so tight my knuckles cracked. “Fine,” I said. “Does your grandfather know about you pursuing your happiness?” Annette flinched, but her bravado returned. “My grandfather is old. He doesn’t involve himself in the business anymore. Don’t you dare use him to threaten me, Leo. I can make my own decisions now.” “Alright, didn’t you hear the owner?” the GM chimed in. “She said get lost!” “Just go, Leo,” the other manager added with a sneer. “Why keep fighting for something that was never yours? Don’t be pathetic.” Just as I was about to lose my temper, Victor spoke, his voice dripping with triumph. “Leo, you were nothing but a dog to the family. Now that you’re no longer useful, of course they’re going to kick you out.” “What did you say?” I lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar. Before anyone could react, my fist connected with his jaw. Victor cried out in pain. Annette screamed, grabbing my wrist. “Leo! What are you doing? Are you insane? This is not your place to cause trouble!” I turned to look at the woman I had spent five years of my life with. My heart felt like it was being torn apart. She had stood by and said nothing while everyone else insulted me, but the moment Victor took one punch, she was full of concern. “Let him go! What is wrong with you? Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?” she shrieked. I suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. I released my grip on Victor, my voice hoarse. “Annette, I’m asking you one last time. In all these five years, did you ever have any feelings for me at all?” She rushed to Victor’s side, fussing over him. He wiped a trickle of blood from his nose and started toward me. “Who the hell do you think you are? Just a used-up mutt getting arrogant!” “Victor, stop!” Annette knew my temper. She knew if he came at me again, I wouldn’t hold back. She pulled him back, then looked at me, her face set. “That’s right, Leo. I never loved you.” And just like that, the fire inside me died out. I was completely and utterly done. “Fine.” I ripped the chef’s emblem off my uniform and threw it in the trash. “I’ll see you at the courthouse tomorrow. You two can have each other.” A wave of triumph washed over their faces. They looked like they were on top of the world. I was filled with a cold rage. My apprentices were furious. “Why, Master? Why should you be the one to leave when they’re the ones sneaking around?” “Master, if you go, I’m going with you!” Annette’s face soured as she watched them. “What is this, a rebellion? Don’t you forget who signs your paychecks!” Her threat did nothing. If anything, it made them angrier. I just laughed at her inability to command their respect. “It’s alright, everyone,” I said to my apprentices. “Don’t be rash. You have families to support. Thank you for everything. I hope we’ll have a chance to work together again someday. The world is a small place.” A few of them, the ones I was closest to, had tears in their eyes. I had trained them all myself over the past five years. “Are you done with the goodbyes?” the GM barked. “Get out! Before I throw you out myself!” My apprentices looked furious, but they were powerless. They could only watch as I walked out, the sound of Annette’s and her cronies’ laughter following me. I gathered my things and walked out the main entrance. I looked back at the sign one last time. I knew I was done with The Phoenix Court forever. We rose together, and we would fall together. I’d like to see how long Annette could keep the place running without me. The next day, Annette and Victor met me at the courthouse to finalize the divorce. She was dressed to the nines, her face perfectly made up. I was much calmer than I had been the day before. The process was quick and smooth. We walked out of the building without a word and went our separate ways. That same day, Annette held a grand welcoming ceremony for Victor. “A warm welcome to the new head chef of The Phoenix Court! We promise better dishes and more impeccable service in the future. We invite all our valued customers, new and old, to hold us to it!” I saw the video, saw her gushing over Victor and making her empty promises. I just smirked and turned it off. That night, Victor sent me a picture of a hotel room key card, along with a taunting voice message. “Admit it, Leo. You lost.” I didn’t reply. I took a screenshot, then blocked both of them. What Annette didn’t know was that while she was celebrating, my phone had been ringing off the hook. Calls from every major Chinese restaurant in the country, all offering me the position of head chef. I turned them all down. I had my own plans, and they were already in motion. Two weeks later, Annette and Victor stormed into my new establishment, their faces contorted with rage. “Leo! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
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