silent Echoes

"Don't feed them!" the uncle said, exasperated.

"Stop being so fussy," the wife replied.

"You're impossible," the wife said, giving up on tidying up the mess.

"I told you not to do this. But why? You keep feeding them, and look at them now!" he said, pointing his finger straight at his wife.

"Take it away!" he said with anger.

"Why are you doing this?" the wife asked in a somber tone. "You're so annoying!"

The man let out an exasperated sigh. "Just throw everything away!" he yelled, raising his hand to strike her.

"Please help me!!!" the woman cried, running to hide behind Mr. Charles. He was strolling to work that morning, and as he reached the street, he saw two couples fighting. He considered ignoring them and walking past, but the woman ran behind him for help

"That person is insane!" the woman said. "He put drugs in the cat food." Her husband interrupted, and the two of them began arguing again.

"Look, you feed them one more time, and I'll cut their necks and leave them in front of your house!" the uncle yelled, his voice tinged with rage.

"That's a threat and a violation of animal protection laws," Mr. Charles interjected, his voice firm but calm.

"Who are you, the police?" the man demanded, his tone brusque and questioning.

"No," Mr. Charles stated firmly, his hands still raised in a non-threatening gesture.

"It doesn't matter to me whether the cat lives or dies," the man said angrily. "Why do you have to be so nosy? Look at the mess they've made! I can't stand living in this filth."

"The cats wouldn't make such a mess if they were fed properly," Mr. Charles pointed out.

"That's exactly what I've been saying all along," the woman protested, her voice rising in frustration.

"What the hell, if I get sick from this, are you going to take responsibility?" the man fumed. "We need to get rid of every one of those pests!"

Mr. Charles recounted the story of what happened in China when sparrows were wreaking havoc on the crops. The people came together to try and get rid of the sparrows, but they ended up causing even more damage when the locusts took over. In the end, they had to import sparrows to control the problem.

The uncle cut him off, clearly not interested in hearing about China's agricultural history. "What a bunch of nonsense," he snapped.

"In fact, it's mice that are more likely to carry diseases that can affect humans, not cats," Mr. Charles explained. "If you keep cats well fed, they're very clean animals."

The man let out a string of expletives, clearly fed up with the conversation. "I've had enough of this!" he exclaimed, before storming off.

"You must be a cat lover," the woman said, her voice softening and a smile forming on her face.

"Excuse me, but I'm actually not a fan of cats," Mr. Charles clarified, before adding, "And please remember to wash your hands, as stray cats can carry parasites." With that, he turned and left.

--------

I'm rubbing lipstick on my lips, but ugh! I just missed a spot.

There are many people who can make you look pretty, but only you can choose to ride your imperiousness. Do you understand what I mean? That was always Madam Faith's motto - everything had to be perfect.

The shrill sound of the phone ringing yanked me out of my thoughts and back to reality.

"Do you have any plans for today?" he inquired, his voice curious and eager.

"Two cases, back-to-back," I explained over the phone. "Why?"

"It's been a busy few days, so let's relax and have a drink," he suggested with a cheerful voice. "Let's just throw a retirement party, to celebrate all our hard work."

"How did you know today was my last day?" I asked, curious and a bit surprised.

"May 26, the official retirement day," he stated matter-of-factly. "And your final payment has been processed."

"Okay then, I'll let you go," I said, eager to end the call.

----------

I walked down the aisle in my beautiful white dress, and everyone applauded and cheered. As I approached the altar, I embraced Mrs. Presi and whispered in her ear, "Thank you for your kindness all these years."

The people in this town are so nosy, I thought to myself. My occupation as a [insert your occupation here] made me stand out.

Flashback.....

Excuse me....you got married here last weekend too,right?" One of the attendants asked

"No, it wasn't," I replied, feeling a little embarrassed. I tried to hide my face.

"Pardon?" she asked, leaning in to see my face.

"Yes, I remember now," the first woman said. "It was Saturday at noon. We were talking about how you look similar to a movie star," the second woman added.

"I got divorced on Sunday, and today is my remarriage. So please keep this a secret. If I hear anything from either of you, Marco and Laura, I'll sue you both," I said in a threatening tone.

Well, today wasn't the first time. Unbelievable!

Anyways and going to retire today. I smiled as I walked in the ATM machine

(Transfer to account)

Please enter amount

Transfer amount:30,000.00. Mara,born appetit this month,too.

Currently finalizing,so please wait a moment

While the machine was processing,I began to flash back old memories

"Do you have any idea how much money you've cost us by ruining this marriage?" Madam Faith demanded, her voice rising in anger.

"Don't worry about me," I replied, my voice calm but firm. "How much do you make, anyway? If I had married into the Kangji Group like you wanted, would that have secured your future too? Do you really think that's how life works?"

With that, I turned and left, never to see Madam Faith again.

I was brought back to reality by the ATM machine, which dutifully spat out a receipt.

"So you've finally reached the end of your employment contract. What will you do now, Madam Faith?" I said, a sly smile playing across my lips. "You know I'm cutting off your source of income. What a shame!" I added, laughing to myself.

My phone rang, and I picked it up. I saw an incoming call on the screen.

"Why are you calling me?" I asked, curious about the reason for the call.

"Lady Beauty!" Madam Faith exclaimed.

"I don't go by that name anymore. I'm guessing you saw the money I transferred," I said. "Is that why you're calling? To thank me?"

"I'm in California," she said abruptly, before hanging up the phone.

I arrived at the coffee shop, eager to meet Madam Faith for the first time in a long while. As I sat down, I couldn't help but reflect on our last conversation, which had ended rather abruptly with a phone call.

"Actually, I'm not here because you called me," I said, taking a seat across from Madam Faith. "I also have something I need to say.

Madam faith, stood up and went to the cafeteria table to order some drinks without saying a word to me.

"I was deep in my thoughts," I reflected. "For 13 years, I've been paying off the debt of being raised by that awful woman." Lost in my memories, I was interrupted by a strange comment. "Hibiscus, warmed up," she said. "That's what you look like, you know?"

"You still remember my menstrual cycle?" I asked, unable to contain my surprise. The question seemed too intimate, even for our already strained relationship.

"Today is the first day of your cycle, so your cramps must be severe, and you must be very sensitive right now," Madam Faith said, with a tone of smug superiority.

"I've been busy, so I missed out on this season's collection," I said, "but now I get to see it all. Sometimes, money can't buy the right things, right?" I added, giving her a knowing look.

She sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion. "I'd be a corpse without money," she said, her voice filled with despair.

"Stop ..... Stop sending me money now". Madam faith stated

After a few moments of silence, I finally spoke up. "If you don't want me to send you money, is there another way I can compensate you?" I asked, my voice uncertain.

"No, you're not getting it," she said, frustration evident in her voice. "I'm not just saying that I don't need money right now. I'm saying that I don't want your money anymore."

"Money is just a burden," she explained, her eyes flashing with passion. "It's not what I want in life."

"You took every penny from me for 13 years," I said, my voice trembling with anger. "Ever since I was 20 years old, you've been controlling my life. Now, you speak as if you're being so considerate. One would think that you're my savior! Good for me, I'm going to be rich now!"

I stopped to catch my breath, the emotions overwhelming me. I'm leaving.......Just then, I reached out and grabbed the bag and was ready to leave then she held my hand.

"The coffees are still hot," she said, gesturing to the cups on the table. "Let's drink them and leave together. We have nothing to do with each other now. And, to be honest, you don't look too well."

I pulled my hand away from her grasp, my heart pounding in my chest. "Don't act like you know me inside and out," I said, my voice shaking with emotion. "You haven't known me since that day!" With that, I stormed out of the cafe and slammed the door behind me.

"Today's reception with important buyers, right? I asked immediately I picked the call.

"At the convention center," he said before abruptly hanging up.