I felt blessed to be born into the family that I was during moments like this. I had stayed up late into the early hours of the morning remaking the cake for the Cooper wedding. When she had heard this, Mum had pulled up to the front of my house shortly after 8am. Like she always did, she signalled her arrival with a couple of short honks. Last night, Esther had said she would go on the drive with me to Sirromet Winery in Mount Cotton, one of Brisbane's southern suburbs. Although since we had both gotten to bed after 3am, she had called in the cavalry to take us on the 240km round trip.

Just before I had headed to bed last night, I'd snapped a few photos of the two cakes side by side using my softbox lights. It was something I always did. I liked how it was for posterity, although I also put the photos into my folder of cake designs for future clients. 

Before my shift finished yesterday, I had paid for the cake the bride didn't take. Otherwise, I knew the bakery would throw it out. I'd rather spend some of my money to prevent it from joining the rest of the rubbish without anyone tasting it. Even with my staff discount, it was not cheap; that was one of Courtenay's rules—no free food for the staff even if they were seconds or made with errors. At least I knew that my family would enjoy it. Sure, I could have made them another one but I bought it out of principle. I'd put so much love, time and effort into the cake that it would be like a kick in the guts to throw it out.

"Don't you have a shift today?" I asked my mother, Maree Bennett, as she pulled out of my driveway in her new Kia Stinger. Like always, Mum looked beautiful. She was stylishly dressed for the cold weather, with her light auburn hair done in a chic bun with her fringe straightened with a slight inward curl. She liked to take care of how she looked—not for other people's benefit but for her own personal pride. She often got asked if she was the older sister to my twin and me since we both took after her in appearance.

"I was rostered to be on, but one of the other dispatchers swapped with me. I'm working her shift tomorrow instead." Mum worked as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher at Queensland Ambulance Service. She used to be a nurse in the emergency department. That all changed 15 years ago when she had a medical episode that rendered her permanently in a wheelchair. Ever since, she's been able to use her medical knowledge in a different yet rewarding way.

I listened to Esther and Mum make small talk as I began dozing. The feeling of the car slowing and coming to a stop woke me though. I was confused that we had arrived already since it felt like I had just closed my eyes.

"Nana Betty!"

I realised where we were when the sound of my sister's voice woke me completely. I watched as she bounded out of the car towards our grandmother, who was sitting out the front of her aged care home. It had taken our family a while to find the right home for Nana, and we were happy that we managed to get her into a nice place in Eumundi. It was a handy location since my parents lived in the same little town. Not only was the aged care home close to the rest of the family, but it specialised in end-of-life care.

"My three favourite girls!" Nana Betty beamed as she slowly got into the car, assisted by Esther. I would have helped too, but I was nursing the cake on my lap and I didn't want it to move in the box. "Thank you for busting me out of here for the day. I couldn't take another day of listening to Myrtle gossiping about when people were going to croak."

"What's she got you at now, Mama?" Mum asked as she pulled away from the house. It always touched my heart at the relationship between my mother and Nana Betty. They were so close that it was like they were biologically related instead of being in-laws.

"Bloody old coot thinks I'll cark it in less than four months. Can you believe the gall on her?" Ever since she'd moved into the aged care home, Myrtle Hawthorne, one of the residents, had claimed she could predict when the other residents would die. Out of the many predictions Nana had told us about, Myrtle was only right a handful of times.

"You shoot fish in a barrel with a gun and you're bound to hit one at some point," I said with a sarcastic chuckle. "Don't listen to her, Nana... Aiden told us he overheard her saying that she only wanted you dead so she could get your room. She's just jealous."

"Hope her ears turn into arseholes and shit all over her shoulders." It always cracked me up to hear Nana Betty swear. The three of us were in stitches listening to her curse out the other lady. "Enough about this talk, it's too depressing. Am I not the only one running away today, Nell?" I didn't miss the pointed tone of my grandmother's voice. Like Esther, Nana Betty thought I was a pushover for people and she often pointed it out. She did, however, use less tact than my sister did.

I told the two older women in the front of the car all about what had happened yesterday in the bakery. I could see Mum's scowl through the rear-vision mirror and Nana Betty's disapproval was also evident in her breathy growl.

"Does that manager of yours have beer-flavoured nipples or something?" she asked, cackling heartily as she was chastised by a sharp 'Nana!' from Esther and me. "I could have said way worse and knowing my eldest granddaughter, I bet she said what I wanted to." Esther proudly told our mum and grandmother that she did.

꧁♥💜♥꧂

"Oh, Nell," the bride, Shelly, beamed as I unveiled the cake in front of her. We had made the trip down in good time and the cake was in perfect condition. "It's even more beautiful than I expected. I am so sorry for all the trouble you went through. I tried to tell your manager that we were happy with the other cake. But she refused to let me take it since it wasn't what was ordered. You have to let me pay you for this one, please," she said, grabbing hold of my hand.

This was news to me. I wasn't there when Shelly first arrived at the bakery and was presented with the first cake. Courtenay had sent for me after the bride had left. In her office, I was told that the bride was hysterical and inconsolable because I had ruined her wedding cake. It now seems Courtenay was gaslighting me about what had happened.

Inside, I was seething at Courtenay. But being the professional woman I am, I smiled brightly and assured Shelly that it wasn't that hard to remake the cake. "The only payment I need is that you have a wonderful wedding and an even better marriage."

Shelly promised through tears that she could do that for me. "Next time I need a cake made, can I come directly to you? I'd rather not have to deal with Courtenay again."

I nodded, writing down my phone number on the cake box. To be honest, I had been thinking about going out on my own for a while now. This shit with Courtenay was starting to get on my nerves and I hated going into work most days because of her. With one last hug, I congratulated the bride and made my way back to the car. Hopping in, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I think I'm going to do it," I said to the other three women in my family, huffing a laugh at their confused faces. "Shelly—she's the bride. Well, she just told me her side of what happened yesterday. And let's just say it does not fit with what I was told by my 'demon spawn mole of a boss' as Esther so eloquently put it."

As we headed home, I filled the other three in on the conversation I'd just had with the bride-to-be. After a few grumbles and complaints about my manager, I was met with support for my idea to go out on my own.

"You know what this calls for?" Nana Betty proclaimed excitedly, "Jiminie's angelic voice!"

Since Esther and I were die-hard ARMY and we listened to the band's music constantly, it didn't take long for Mum and our grandmother to join the fandom. While my mother loved Seokjin's handsome looks, Nana Betty had a soft spot for Jimin and his entrancing dance moves.

As we listened to the music, we talked about the latest BTS news that had been released a couple of days ago. The guys were doing a world tour where they would all perform some of their new solo songs. I was bummed when I heard that they were not coming to Australia. But at this point, BTS hadn't been to Oceania in years so I shouldn't have been surprised.

"I wish they were coming here," I mused, loud enough for the others to hear me. "I'd love to see Hobi smile in person at least once before I die. That man's smile could illuminate the dark side of the moon effortlessly."

"I've told your father that if Jin ever did the flying kiss my way, I'm leaving him for that tall drink of a man in a heartbeat," my mother teased. Knowing Dad, he would have laughed heartily and then moved on not worried at all. My father, Darryl Bennett, was super supportive of his family. Where some men would have left their marriages when their wives became disabled and needed extra care, Dad had not. His relationship with my mother had become stronger after she got sick. He kind of did too much of a good job showing me what a man should do in a relationship since no man I met had ever measured up to him.

Like always, I got hyped up whenever Ugh, one of my favourite songs, came on. I've always loved the song because of the message it conveys about the root of people's anger and how what people say behind their keyboards can affect someone's life. But today, the song feels like it has been sent by destiny. Maybe it was sent by Hobi himself. It was telling me to stand up and that this was the time for me to fight instead of letting others walk over me.

୧‿︵‿๑︵‿୨💜୧‿︵‿୨💜୧‿︵๑‿︵‿୨

I arrived back at the bakery about midday for the rest of my shift. I was greeted with odd looks from the employees at the front counter and I wasn't sure what to make of them. Wandering into the back, I placed my bag into the locker assigned to me, grabbing out my apron and a hair tie. I deftly tied the apron behind my back and pulled my long hair up into a bun. Finally, I headed into the kitchen, where I proceeded to wash my hands.

I grabbed the book I wrote all my orders in and double-checked them against the shop's order book and calendar. I noted down any changes that might have occurred. Wedding season in the hinterland was drawing to a close as the weather cooled off. Thankfully, because of this, I didn't have to make any wedding cakes until early September. The upcoming ones were all either birthday or other celebration ones.

"Nice of you to grace us with your presence," I heard the nasal voice that only belonged to one woman.

"Courtenay," I said with a frustrated sigh. "You knew I was coming in late today since I had to drop the Cooper wedding cake off at Sirromet Winery. Yesterday, after our conversation you told me to come in after I'd delivered it. I delivered it and now I'm here, like you said."

She huffed, flicking her bleached blonde hair over her shoulder. "I never said anything of the sort. You're the only cake decorator on shift for the day. Why would I tell you to come in after you had delivered a cake that you'd stuffed up. And I must point out the reason it was not the correct order was actually your fault in the first place."

In my head, I was calling her all the names Esther had used yesterday. With each one, I felt my anger brew internally, yet the calmer I became externally.

"...are you even listening to me? Gees, first you gallivant off to whoop-whoop, then you're away with the fairies. I was saying that I had no other option than to call in Bernard."

Usually, I would have been silently trembling in my steel-capped boots if Courtenay told me she had called in Bernard Cummings. But today, my body wasn't reacting like it usually did knowing the owner of the bakery was coming in.

"Elenora, Courtenay has filled me in on your complete fumble with the Cooper wedding. Not only did you make the wrong cake, but then you don't show up to work the next day?"

I gritted my teeth as Bernard butchered my name like usual. It's not like it is a hard name that I like to be called. Yet, not once in the five years that I had worked for the man, he had never gotten it correct. I normally let it go, but not today.

"It's Elenor, and I go by Nell." I retorted politely but with a shortness in my tone. "As for the Cooper wedding cake, I have all the documentation right here that shows all my notes and drawings based on the initial design."

I flipped through the book that I was holding, going back a little way to find the details about the cake I had made. I keep very detailed notes and I always add in any modifications that might come in. I then grabbed the book that all the staff used for messages and orders. I found the order for the Cooper wedding cake and showed him that nothing had been put in about the change in design. Finally, I pulled up the calendar that showed the order under 'Cooper'. On the order form, it listed the cake I had originally made.

"Bernard, there is no mention of any changes in any of our systems—which you put in place, I might add. How the hell was I meant to know that the cake had been modified?" Courtenay, like the manipulative little minion she was, jumped in and stated that she had told me in person about the change. When I asked when she did this, she said a date and I burst into laughter. "I wasn't even here that day. You wanna know how I know that? Because that was the day my Nana Betty was receiving her first chemo treatment and all of my family was there to support her."

I looked between my two bosses standing before me. I used to look up to Bernard; he was a great boss when I had started here, but over the past two years he had changed. Ever since he hired Courtenay. My boss was looking livid. I didn't know whether his anger was directed at me for my unprofessionalism and snippy behaviour, or whether it was the manager that had fuelled his rage.

'Either way, I don't care anymore.'

"Bernard, I've loved working here. But I'm not willing to work in an environment where your staff manipulate and gaslight each other. I quit."

"You have to give two weeks' notice," I heard Courtenay's irritating voice call out. It was followed by the deep voice of the owner telling her to 'be quiet.'

Grabbing my knife roll, as well as the cookbooks I had brought in from home, I returned to the duo. "I'm well aware of that, Courtenay," I replied cordially. I wouldn't stoop to her level. "That's why I am using up my holiday leave. I have three weeks accrued, which should leave you enough time to find my replacement. I wish you luck in the future, Bernard. Thank you for everything you've done for me over the years."

With that, I grabbed my bag and walked out.