My best friend started a group chat to sell fruits. Feeling sorry for her as a single mom, I often bought from her and even proactively introduced her to new customers. One day, a new intern ordered ten pounds of oranges and directly transferred $19.90 in the group chat. I was stunned and messaged her privately: "The oranges are $29 a box, you're $10 short." The intern sent back a confused emoji. And then she sent me screenshots of her previous purchases. "Sis, I've always bought them for $19.90, how could it be $29?" I was completely dumbfounded. 1 When I saw that message, I was just about to pay Linda. If it were before, I would have questioned the intern's character before suspecting Linda of lying to me. But now, the intern not only sent chat logs but also attached payment records from the past few months. My brain exploded. My first reaction was that it was fake, but then I realized the intern had no reason to lie to me. Looking at the enthusiastic Linda in front of me, she suddenly felt like a stranger. Regardless of who was lying, I was going to get to the bottom of this today. I'm a straightforward person; it saves time and solves problems fastest. So I immediately asked: "How much were these oranges again?" Linda's smile froze for a second, then she chided playfully: "Same old price, of course. With our relationship, are you afraid I'll rip you off?" Her vague answer made a lump form in my throat, annoying me to no end. Especially seeing that box of ambiguous oranges on the ground, my anger surged. "How much are these oranges, $19.90 or $29?" My voice wasn't quiet, and people at the stall looked over. Someone immediately chimed in: "Did the boss raise prices?" "It was $19.90 for ten pounds yesterday, how is it $29 today?" "That's changing too fast." Saying that, they turned to leave. Linda rushed to explain. "Don't listen to her nonsense, no price hike, still $19.90 for ten pounds." She didn't forget to glare at me while saying it. Now I understood everything. I kicked the oranges far away. "They're all the same oranges, why are mine $10 more expensive? Are the ones you sell me gold-plated?" I thought Linda would explain properly, but her face changed faster than flipping a book. Her mouth drooped, and tears flowed. "Zoe, how did I offend you for you to treat me like this?" "I know I'm not as rich as you. You're a white-collar worker in a big company, and I'm just a poor stall owner. But I have a conscience too. You helped me, I know, so every fruit I give you is hand-picked. Since I started selling fruits, your family has never lacked any. If you don't want to pay, just say so. We've been friends for so many years, I won't say anything, but you can't insult me like this!" As soon as she finished, her daughter Wendy rushed out. Wendy stood in front of me timidly: "Auntie, please pay my mom for the fruit." In an instant, my head throbbed. Passersby were pointing at me. Clearly, I wasn't the one lying, but I wished the ground would swallow me up. Intense shame made me want to retreat, but the next second, Wendy grabbed my thigh. "Auntie, you make so much money every day, why do you want to cheat us out of a few dozen dollars for fruit?" "My mom works really hard to save money for my school, please pay us back." Hearing this, I gasped in shock. Aside from the chill in my heart, I felt fear. They say children don't lie, but no one said children can lie without blinking an eye! Seeing the passersby ready to rush up and serve justice, I swallowed hard and said: "They're the same oranges. Your mom sells them to others for $19.90 for ten pounds, why is it $29 for ten pounds for me?" Before I could finish, Wendy burst into tears. "Every time my mom gives you oranges, she also gives a lot of other fruits. All those added up are way more than $29. Every time, mom says not to let you know, saying family can take a loss." This was too damaging. Plus, coming from a child's mouth, I instantly became the root of all evil. Passersby who didn't know the truth thought I was a villain taking advantage and not paying. "Looks decent, didn't expect her to be so despicable!" "Exactly, it's not easy for a widow and orphan running a fruit stall, and she cheats them out of their hard-earned money!" Hearing this made my liver hurt from anger. I just wanted justice and clarity, how did the dirty water end up on me? And that Linda, I spent a lot on her usually. My husband's company holiday benefits were all bought from her, and my gifts for holidays were pre-ordered from her. And the result? I'm just a damn doormat. Thinking of being treated like a fool because of my kindness, I wanted to slap myself. I'm kind, but I'm not a pushover! 2 "We've been neighbors for so many years, don't you all know what kind of person I am?" There wasn't much turnover in the community. Some people had lived here from being toddlers to getting married, so many knew each other. Hearing this, Linda's face changed. She stepped forward to say something, but I beat her to it. I deliberately pointed at the clothes on Wendy and said: "You remember I bought these clothes for you, right?" I was sure she wouldn't dare lie because the shop owner who sold the clothes was in the crowd. Linda gritted her teeth, "So what if you bought them? Do you want to mooch my fruit for free just for some cheap clothes worth a few dozen bucks?" Now the shop owner wasn't having it. She grabbed Wendy's collar and said: "A few dozen bucks wouldn't even cover the cost of my clothes!" "The workmanship and texture of these clothes start at a small thousand ($1000+), okay?" At this moment, I was extremely grateful that my daughter insisted on buying this outfit that day. Back then, Wendy looked at it eagerly too, saying things like "it gets dirty too easily, I don't like it." Poor kids mature early. At the same age, my daughter clamored to be a princess. And Wendy, like the old me, could only say she didn't like it contrary to her heart. My heart ached instantly. So I gritted my teeth and bought two sets, as healing for my past self. I thought since they were practically family, I shouldn't favor one over the other too much. Afterward, to prevent Linda from overthinking, I deliberately said they were cheap street stall goods. I didn't expect this to become the key to overturning the case today. I mocked: "I even bought clothes worth a thousand bucks, would I care about your ten or eight bucks!" In the end, of course, I won completely, and naturally, completely tore my face with Linda. She glared at me fiercely: "I didn't expect you to be so petty and calculative!" I laughed out of anger: "Not wanting to be taken advantage of by you is being petty?" "Then isn't your arbitrary pricing malicious fraud?" "You!" Linda trembled with anger, gnashing her teeth when she spoke, "Zoe, let's wait and see!" "Hmph." I sneered, "Who's waiting and seeing with you? Spit out all the money you cheated from me, or I'll call the police for fraud!" Of course, she didn't give it to me in the end. Mainly because I was in a hurry to pick up my daughter from tutoring class and didn't have time to tangle with her. 3 When my husband came home at night, I immediately told him and our daughter that I wanted to cut ties with Linda. Originally, I thought adults' matters shouldn't affect children, but Wendy's lying really shocked me. If my daughter got corrupted too, it would be a huge loss. After coaxing my daughter to sleep, I hugged my husband and cried about the injustice today. "I am angry, but I am more hurt." "I treated Linda with all my heart, how did I get this ending?" "I don't lack that money, but I just can't get over it." My husband held me in his arms and coaxed softly: "I know, I know." "You just feel that your sincerity was betrayed and want justice for yourself. But what if you get justice? You exposed her true colors today, she will definitely earn less in the future. If you ask for the money back, what if she takes revenge on you?" "She dares!" I said angrily. "Why wouldn't she dare?" My husband continued: "As the old saying goes, cutting off someone's wealth is like killing their parents. Plus, the economy is bad now. What if she gets desperate and takes revenge on you or our daughter?" "No way, right?" Even though I said that, I started to have cold feet. But thinking of my sincerity feeding the dogs, I felt I couldn't let it go. "Don't be angry. Isn't there a saying? The happy ones yield. Our family is so happy, why bother with someone over a few dozen bucks? Besides, spending a few hundred bucks to see someone's true colors is better than paying a higher price later, right?" I understood the logic, but my heart just couldn't let it go. Plus, after such a scene, living in the same community... Looking down and seeing each other every day, it was so awkward. Seeing I was still unhappy, my husband patted my back and said: "Don't be angry, I'll tell you some good news." "What good news?" "I got promoted, logistics director, salary doubled. We can move to a big house then, and you won't have to face these annoying things." This was truly the best news I heard. I hugged my husband and kissed him twice, "Hubby, I love you so much." Another sleepless night passed. 4 I thought life would calm down from there, but unexpectedly, a few days later, Linda came knocking on my door. Through the peephole, I didn't even want to open the door. I just pretended no one was home, but who knew my phone would ring the next second. The piercing sound made it awkward both inside and outside the door. Linda shouted loudly, "Zoe, I know you're home. Wendy and I came specifically to apologize to you. I also brought you newly arrived fruits. From now on, your family won't have to pay for fruits, and I'll deliver them to your door personally." Her words were really ugly. Was I after these ten pounds of oranges? I thought I would never open the door even if it killed me, but the neighbors couldn't stand Linda's noise anymore. Helplessly, I could only open the door. "Zoe, you finally opened the door. These are newly arrived oranges, try them quickly." Her act of being a good sister made me sick. But you don't hit a smiling person. Plus, remembering my husband's principle of the happy one yielding yesterday, I directly took twenty bucks from the shoe cabinet and threw it at her. "I went to the Chinese medicine doctor yesterday, and he said eating too much fruit makes the heart cold and body chill. I dare not eat your fruit anymore." I was direct. If she had any shame, she should have scrammed immediately. Who knew she seemed not to understand human language and put on an act of doing it for my own good again. "That's just nonsense. Eating more fruit is good for your body, don't listen to that." Too lazy to listen to her nonsense, I responded perfunctorily and pushed her out. As a result, Linda not only didn't leave but started asking if I was still angry about yesterday. I didn't want to lie, but I didn't want to talk to her even more, so I tried to close the door. Who knew she started to be relentless, saying: "Our anger is our business, why don't you let others buy my fruit?" I completely lost patience, hands on hips, questioning: "Make yourself clear, who stopped others from buying fruit from you?" Linda rolled her eyes at me, "You, of course!" She said with certainty: "Before, when people asked you about fruit in Moments and groups, you replied immediately. These past few days, not only did you not reply in time, but you even ruined my big company orders." When Linda first started selling fruit, business was bleak. To help her get business, I pulled people everywhere to create groups, posting ads in the group every day, reserving orders. I even discussed with my husband to change his company's fruit benefits purchase to Linda. For this, he quarreled with me countless times, but my attitude remained unchanged, just one sentence: I'm helping her. But how did she treat me? Selling to others for $19.90, selling to me for $29. I accepted how you treated me today, my bad luck for being deserving, but what right do you have to treat everyone like this? What do you take everyone's kindness for! Seeing she didn't speak, I grabbed her collar directly and roared: "Speak! Tell everyone what you take everyone's kindness for!" Linda had long been annoyed by my questioning. Plus, I listed her crimes one by one, she was too lazy to even pretend. She pushed me aside directly: "Are you done yet? Did I beg you to help me? Or did I beg you to buy my fruit? Business isn't business if it's not black-hearted. So what if I charged you ten bucks more? Isn't it because you have too much money and have to show off? If you didn't take it out, would I know you have money, would I ask you for more?" "Zoe, let me tell you, don't always act like you help me without asking for return. If you really didn't ask for return, you would have just given me money directly. Why detour every day to buy my fruit, telling everyone you meet that I'm a single mom and it's not easy. I think you are basically using this to show off your kindness!" Saying that, she pointed at the people in the building and cursed: "And you guys, bought twenty bucks worth of stuff and expect me to be grateful? Ptui!" "You actually think of us like this in your heart?" Even though I had predicted the ending, I was still shaking with anger. "I helped you sincerely, and you think of me like this!" Linda sneered twice, "Sincerity?" "How much is sincerity worth? I also sold you fruit sincerely, why didn't you buy every day? Why didn't you give money and effort like for your own family? Why didn't you give me your house and car to live and drive?" "Sincerity, I think you sincerely came to find a sense of existence on me!" "I cooperated with you for so long, not to mention asking you for a few bucks, even if I asked for your life, what could you say? What dare you say!" Saying that, she gestured to pinch me, but I slapped her. "I have really tolerated you for a long time!" With this slap, I used all my strength. All sisterly affection was completely severed at this moment. Linda lay on the ground staring at me fiercely. "Don't look at me with those eyes. I'm not your mom, I have no reason to tolerate you unconditionally." "To people like you, friends and relatives are just objects to suck blood from!" "I really don't understand, how can you trample on other people's sincerity with peace of mind?" "Are you naturally gifted or acquired maladjustment? In my opinion, you deserve to be betrayed by everyone!" "Friends for once, I wish you failure in everything and early ascension to bliss (death)!" "By the way, remember to return the money to me before ascending. And I know what you want to say, say I'm petty and calculating, right?" I looked at her coldly, "To you, I am like this! Even a dog knows to wag its tail at me when fed. You're good, you directly switched to biting." Finally, witnessed by everyone, Linda transferred the extra three hundred dollars she took from me back. I also requested it be marked as orange refund, lest she play me again. After doing everything, I happily took the money to treat my husband and daughter to a big meal. Money wasn't much, but our anger was vented. Only I didn't expect this completely enraged Linda. She dared not do anything to me, but my daughter suffered.
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