Chapter 14 - A Gift from the Universe

There are few things in life as beautiful as watching karma work in real time.

Pierre stepping into the bodega? Expected.

Some random woman pointing at him and saying, "Oh my god. You're the guy from the revolving door!"

A gift from the universe.

The moment the words left her mouth, I froze mid-sip.

Luis? Pen dropped. Mouth open. Already vibrating with laughter.

And Pierre? Oh. Poor, poor Pierre.

I watched his entire soul leave his body. He didn't turn around at first—he already knew.

But when he did? Oh, it was better than I ever could've imagined.

The woman was grinning, fully invested in his downfall. "You were yelling for help for, like, five whole minutes!"

Luis made a noise I have never heard before in my life.

Pierre looked like he was actively contemplating the afterlife.

And then the woman delivered the final blow. "And the worst part? You weren't even stuck! You just kept pushing the wrong way!"

I lost it.

I had to grip the counter to keep from collapsing. Luis? Absolutely gone.

Pierre, in the middle of his most embarrassing public moment, took a slow sip of his iced coffee, staring into the distance like a man who had seen too much.

I wiped my eyes, finally catching my breath, and turned to him. "So… how long were you in there?"

Pierre didn't respond. He just took another sip.

Luis clapped him on the shoulder. "Rough night, man."

Pierre exhaled. "Every night is a rough night."

I smiled. "Good."