Annie’s words were sharp and venomous, cutting through the air with a harsh sting.
Felicity and her mother were honest, simple folks. Hearing such cruel remarks left them shaken. Annie had a decent reputation in town, partly because she associated with a few thugs. Her words carried weight, and everyone knew what kind of trouble she could cause if she set her sights on Felicity.
Felicity’s mother felt a chill in her heart as she glanced at her daughter. She couldn’t help but pity Felicity, who had endured so much.
The plump woman saw the hesitation in their eyes and pressed her advantage.
“I’ll make this very clear,” she declared, her voice brimming with menace. “You owe me this money, and one way or another, you’re going to pay. I can let other things slide, but not this. If you don’t pay up, I’ll take this shop as collateral!”
She glanced at the store, her gaze calculating. “This place must be worth ten to twenty thousand dollars, right? Sell the shop, sell your house, even sell your daughter for all I care-just get me my money.”
Her words were a final blow, delivered with ruthless precision.
Annie chimed in, her voice dripping with malice. “Let me make it clear: if you don’t hand over the money, I’ll have Mr. Kane come here every day to cause trouble. Better yet, I’ll have him drag this ugly freak off to sell her.”
Felicity’s mother clutched her daughter’s hand tightly, her face burning with anger. She glared at the two women and snapped, “This is robbery! Leo, are you just going to stand there while your wife and daughter bully us, a widow and her child?”
Uncle Leo, who had been silent in the corner, looked up at her briefly. Before he could speak, the plump woman shot him a disdainful glare, and he promptly dropped his head. “This is a matter between you women. It has nothing to do with me,” he muttered.
That was Leo-utterly spineless and without a shred of authority in his own home.
“Clara, Annie, this isn’t right,” Felicity’s mother pleaded, her voice trembling. “We really don’t have the money. Our farmland was taken away, and this shop is all we have left to survive. Felicity doesn’t have the skills or opportunities you do-she can’t just go out and find a job. We’re barely scraping by as it is. Do you have to take even this from us?”
Her tearful tone was heart-wrenching, but the plump woman remained unmoved. She gave an exaggerated sigh and sneered, “So, what you’re saying is, I shouldn’t try to collect the debt you owe me? This is money your family owes mine. I’m just here to take back what’s rightfully ours-is that wrong?”
She cast a disdainful look at Felicity and added, “And your daughter, with that hideous face-what’s the point of keeping her here? Customers lose their appetite just looking at her. You call this making a living? She’d be better off begging. At least begging is still a way to survive.”
Annie smirked and chimed in, “Exactly! Who could eat with a face like that around? I’d lose my appetite too!”
Their cruel words-“ugly freak” this and “hideous” that-left Felicity crushed. She lowered her head, tears streaming silently down her face. Already burdened with self-doubt, their insults struck a deep, painful chord.
“Enough of this!” the plump woman barked. “Mona, I’m done wasting time. Hand over the money now. My daughter has a bus to catch, and I won’t let your nonsense delay her.”
Felicity’s mother opened her mouth to respond, but Annie cut her off.
“Ugly freak, what are you crying for? Do you think you’re not ugly? Or are you upset because I pointed it out?” Annie spat, her expression twisted with disgust as she watched Felicity’s tears fall. Her words were drenched in scorn.
Felicity sobbed softly, frozen in place. She didn’t know how to respond-she had spent her entire life enduring humiliation like this.
“Still crying, huh? Quit it! Seeing you cry irritates me. If you don’t stop, I’ll hit you-do you hear me?” Annie raised her hand threateningly, poised to strike.
Felicity lifted her head slightly, swallowing her sobs. She steadied herself, her voice trembling but resolute as she said, “Aunt Clara, Annie, I know I’m ugly. But does being ugly mean I don’t deserve to live? Who decided that ugly people have no right to exist? I know why you’re here. You saw that my mother and I were starting to get by, and you couldn’t stand it. You came here just to make trouble for us. I know you won’t be happy until we’re dead. Isn’t that right?”
“Felicity!” her mother exclaimed, grabbing her arm in alarm.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Felicity reassured her gently. She turned back to Clara and Annie, her voice trembling but firm. “We’re family. Why can’t you just let us live? Do you really want to keep stepping on us forever?”
For the first time, Felicity found the courage to speak her mind.
Annie sneered, looking her up and down with mockery. “Well, well! Look at you, Felicity. You’ve grown a spine, haven’t you? A few days in the city, and now you think you’re somebody. What’s this? Are you saying we don’t have the right to stomp on you anymore?”
She stood up abruptly, her fury palpable as she pointed at Felicity. “I’ll show you! Not only will I stomp on you today, but I’ll also beat you up. Believe me, you ugly freak-I’ll teach you a lesson!”
Before Annie could strike, a cold voice rang out: “Enough!”
Everyone turned in shock. Kayden, who had been sitting quietly on the side, finally put down his chopsticks and walked over to Felicity.
All eyes were on him as he placed a steady hand on Felicity’s shoulder. Felicity quickly wiped her tears, not wanting him to see her like this.
Her mother blinked in surprise, clearly unaware that Kayden was there.
The plump woman squinted at him, her tone dripping with disdain. “And who are you supposed to be? Are you here to stand up for them? Look at you-skinny as a twig. Do yourself a favor and back off. My daughter knows Mr. Kane.”
Kayden’s expression didn’t change. Calmly, he pressed down on Felicity’s shoulder, then glanced at the two women. His voice was light but cutting.
“I’m Felicity’s friend,” he said. “Just now, while I was eating, I happened to see your faces-and honestly, I lost my appetite.”
The plump woman and Annie exchanged glances, their eyes narrowing. “What do you mean by that?” the woman demanded.
“It’s simple,” Kayden replied evenly. “You’re too ugly. You ruined my appetite. In fact, I’ve never seen anything as grotesque as you two. If it weren’t for the fact that you have arms, legs, and facial features, I wouldn’t even think you were human.”