Glad To Be Of Service

Genre: Supernatural
Language: English
No. of Chapters: 13 Chapters
Platform: Wattpad
Link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/300356858-glad-to-be-of-service-%E2%9C%94
Status: Completed
Trigger Warnings (if there are): None

In a small city, catering services are not the best business to opt for - too late for Lucas Schneider to realize that. With a catering company on the verge of bankruptcy, he is at his wits end. He has no choice but to give up on his dream job not until a certain Mr. Pheles decides to hire him.

The event? A midnight celebration at their mansion. The payment? A hundred thousand dollars for the whole night.

The menu? It's better if you don't know.

Story Description

Story Summary

The story starts with Lucas Schneider, whose catering business is on the verge of bankruptcy. Suddenly, they receive a request along with a huge payment and a strange list of requested menu items. After the persuasion and somewhat logical reasoning from one of his staff, Lucas gave in and accepted the request.

Lucas then witnessed bizarre things as he went through the request, from which he learned that the client was connected to his father, whom he hates.

However, they have taken a liking to Lucas’ cooking, and that’s when stranger things start happening to him, revealing contracts and the truth about what his parents did.

Characters

There are a lot of characters mentioned in the story, and I am not able to list them all, but here are a few!

Lucas Schneider — The business owner and chef
Mephisto Pheles — The so-called client
Jacob, Nesa, Carla — Lucas’ staff
Jinn — Mr. Pheles’ steward
Mrs. Gothel — Mr. Pheles’ Housekeeper
Richard Muller — Lucas’ Father
Austin Hudson — a human rising chef hired by Mr. Pheles
Selene — Lucas’ Mother
Lilith and Frankenstein
Bigfoot and Queen of Hearts
Dracula
Baba Yaga

And many more!

The writer noted at the beginning that this story is a retelling, so it includes many characters from fairytales, folklore, myths, and urban legends. I am only able to recognize a few, but not knowing most of the characters doesn’t impact the beauty of reading this story because the writer was able to introduce and deliver these creatures effectively and vividly.

The story introduced characters with different personalities. They have their motives and goals; some are explicitly given, while others are written between the lines. The characters are consistent from beginning to end, and how they make decisions aligns with their personalities and beliefs.

Most Favorite Character

With this number of characters, I have chosen two as my favorites.

First, Lucas Schneider. Lucas’ need for money is relatable, and his determination to keep his business afloat is admirable. He isn’t your typical main character who befriends the strange creatures they encounter. He expressed what the logical reaction should be to bizarre things happening in your life. He may have come to terms with it, but he still acknowledges that it is weird and feels like the situation is hellish. How he gets confused by some words that Mr. Pheles uses is adorable (at least for me). His decisions were reasonable and logical, and I love what he did at the story’s end.

Second is Bigfoot. I just like the timidity and the fact that he is in love. I liked how he exerted effort to prepare some dinner for the Queen of Hearts and how he knew what she didn’t like. Get a man like Bigfoot. He is also a good customer who did not make it hard for Lucas when he availed of the human’s services.

Least Favorite Character

I do not have a least favorite character. The writer was able to describe them all properly and used these creatures from different tales and folklore in a fantastic manner without causing confusion to the reader. So, there are no least favorites for now because I love all the characters!

Highlights (Scenes I liked the most)

One that I will never forget is when Lucas snapped and punched Mr. Pheles after he figured out that the misfortunes and cancellations of contracts were his doing. I felt some kind of satisfaction when he did so. I was already suspicious of it when he was told that some of their deals would be halted, and then bam! He punched Mr. Pheles. Oh, how happy I was.

Another one is when Lucas thought Lilith was as flat as a flatbread. I just found it funny. It is also notable how that simple comment led to something before the story ended.

Lastly, the ending of the story. It was satisfying. I felt relieved after reading how it concluded. The writer provided the needed closure and an end to everything. There were no questions left, and what Lucas agreed to with Mr. Pheles was a good decision.

Observation (As a writer)

What I like the most about this writer is that they are able to describe what is happening, who is arriving, and a lot of things in a detailed manner, making it easy for the reader to visualize everything in their head. Despite the numerous characters, it wasn’t confusing, and you can easily remember who’s who and their contribution to how the story progressed. As someone not frequently exposed to the terms in hospitality management or the food industry, the writer creatively provided an overview of what specific role someone does in the kitchen without giving a direct definition: a good example of show, don’t tell.

Emotional Impact (What I felt reading it)

The first few chapters were long but will have you seated as the events unfold. I like how Lucas reacted to everything. It was refreshing and kind of fun how the main character stood at a realistic point, especially in the first chapter when he initially received the request and even thought of the offer as a scam and eventually gave in after his staff convinced him that they needed the money.

The selfless kind of love shown in the story almost left me crying. A mother’s love for her husband and child always makes me emotional. How mothers always sacrifice for the people they love will always be a noble act for me.

As I have mentioned above, the ending was satisfying. I was able to breathe when I found out that Lucas would forget everything, and his display of resilience and belief in himself that he would be able to make it through his hard work made my heart swell.

Overall, the story provided both laughter and warmth.