Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 9

Chapter 1

"Ms. Lawson, come out here!"The door slammed open, followed by a booming male voice that startled me out of a pile of account books. I frowned and set down my pen.This was the office of the "Sunset Joy" community kitchen I ran. Aside from delivery people, hardly anyone came here—and they certainly wouldn't come bursting in like this.Outside, Warren Hewitt from the neighborhood association looked flustered as he tried to stop a spirited old man in his 60s."Mr. Fletcher, please, let's talk calmly. Don't do this. Ms. Lawson is a good person—"The man called Mr. Fletcher shoved Mr. Hewitt aside and thrust a phone in front of my face."A good person? Mr. Hewitt, don't let her fool you. See for yourself!"On the phone screen, a short video was playing. The footage was shaky and shot at the kitchen's serving window. On the tray was a plate piled with braised pork ribs, collard greens, mashed potatoes, a bowl of bean soup, and some grains.A young lady with heavy filters and care

Chapter 2

I almost laughed at the absurdity of these people.Sunset Joy was something I had set up with my own money after my retirement.This old neighborhood had many empty-nesters. Their children were busy, and a lot of the elderly struggled to get a decent meal.I paid to rent this space and hired a cook and staff because I wanted them to have hot, decent meals. After considering the elderly residents' financial situation, I priced the meals at a dollar each.The dollar didn't even cover the utilities, let alone the cost of ingredients and labor. For every meal, I had personally subsidized at least 20 dollars out of my own pocket.Over the past year, while running this kitchen, I had already put in nearly 400 thousand dollars of my own money.They didn't know any of this. All they knew was that the one-dollar meals no longer suited their tastes.I turned off the video and looked at Mr. Fletcher."So, what exactly do you want?" I asked."Our demands are very simple!" Mr. Fletcher cle

Chapter 3

I went back to my office and closed the door.Outside the window, the sunset was a brilliant red, matching the name of the community kitchen—Sunset Joy.When I first chose that name, it was in hopes that the elderly could have a little more joy in their sunset years.Now, looking back, it felt like bitter irony.I took out my phone and dialed a number."Hello, is this James Knight? It's Wendy Lawson. Do you still have the proposal for the project you mentioned last time—the one converting the neighborhood's retail space into a card room?"Yes, send it to me. I need it right away."…The next day at noon, the community kitchen's dining hall was packed. Nearly a hundred elderly people filled the small space to the brim.Every face was filled with expectation and excitement.Mr. Fletcher stood at the center, surrounded by a crowd, and was talking loudly. "Everyone, relax! Once my granddaughter posted that video, she got scared! We're definitely getting answers today! If she does

Chapter 4

I paused, slowly sweeping my gaze across every expectant face, then said, "From today onward, the Sunset Joy Community Kitchen is officially closed.""What?""C-Closed?""Did I hear that right?"The entire hall erupted as if a bomb had gone off, and the crowd was in an uproar instantly.Everyone was stunned. The smiles on their faces froze, replaced by bewilderment and disbelief."Ms. Lawson! What do you mean by that?" Mr. Fletcher was the first to react.His face turned beet-red as he pointed at me and roared, "What gives you the right to close the kitchen? We haven't agreed to this!"This is revenge! You must be feeling guilty!"Maisy also panicked and shouted into her phone, "Guys! She's closing down and running away! We exposed this greedy owner, and now she's trying to escape!"I observed them coldly, as if I were watching a ridiculous farce."Mr. Fletcher, I paid for everything for this kitchen myself—from the lease and renovations to the supplies, payroll, and utiliti

Chapter 5

One of the men in uniform, whose nametag read "Justin Pollard", ignored Mr. Fletcher and walked straight up to me. He nodded at me, his expression serious. "Hello, Ms. Lawson. We're from the Bureau of Social Services. We received a public complaint and have come to conduct a routine inspection of the operations and finances of the Sunset Joy Community Kitchen."The Bureau of Social Services? Mr. Fletcher and Maisy exchanged glances, and the smugness on their faces grew even more obvious.They thought they had caught me red-handed and wanted to see just how I'd try to talk my way out of this one.The surrounding crowd stopped their murmuring and watched tensely, waiting to see me get what I deserved.I looked at the officers calmly and said, "You're welcome to verify things. What documents do you need me to provide?"Justin opened his folder and took out a document. "Based on our records, Sunset Joy has never applied for, nor received, any form of public subsidy or government fun

Chapter 6

I turned to look at the staff from the Bureau of Social Services and spoke in an emotionless voice."Is the verification complete?""It is, Ms. Lawson." Justin closed his folder and looked at me with deep respect. "We deeply admire your good deeds and sincerely apologize for the trouble our oversight has caused you."He then turned to the group of shell-shocked elderly people, his tone turning stern as he said, "As for those who maliciously spread rumors and slandered Ms. Lawson and Sunset Joy, our department has archived all evidence."We fully support Ms. Lawson in taking legal action to hold all responsible parties accountable!"The meeting is adjourned."I didn't give anyone another glance. I simply turned and walked away from the place that had left me feeling absolutely exhausted.Behind me, there was dead silence.…The day after the kitchen closed, my world turned quiet and peaceful.However, the neighborhood was in an absolute uproar.The scathing words from the Soc

Chapter 7

The complaints, accusations, and impatience from their own children hurt them more than any insults from strangers ever could.They finally remembered how good they had it at "Sunset Joy".They recalled the hot, flavorful, tender braised ribs they could get for just a dollar.They found themselves thinking of the spotless tables and chairs, and the ever-friendly Chef Lewis.They remembered me, who always had a smile on my face and never failed to ask, "Is everything to your liking today?"But it was gone. Everything was gone.The kitchen entrance was firmly locked with a heavy padlock, and on the door hung a brand-new rendering of the sign—"The Joyful Card Room".Below it, in smaller text, it read, "Hourly rate 10 dollars/hour. 20% discount with membership card. Tea and snacks are charged separately."The warmth of goodwill had been replaced by cold, merciless business rules.Regret began to take root in the minds of the elderly folks.Finally, some of them decided to take ma

Chapter 8

When they were up there on their moral high horses, accusing me and slandering me as they wanted, did they ever imagine a day like this?"This is your family matter. It has nothing to do with me," I said.I stepped back and prepared to close the door. "The kitchen will not reopen. Please go back."Just as I was about to shut the door, a young man suddenly pushed forward and held it open with his hand.It was Ms. Brown's son, whom I had met a few times. He looked angry and agitated, but not at me. It was directed at his mother."Mom! What's the use of crying here?" he snapped.He pulled Ms. Brown behind him, then put on an almost pleading expression as he looked at me."Ms. Wendy! Ms. Lawson, I'm begging you! Have some pity on us kids! My mom has high blood pressure, and my dad has heart disease. Neither of them can cook. Before, with the kitchen, it saved us so much trouble and worry."But now, I come home from work dead exhausted every day, and I still have to cook for them. W

Chapter 9

Sometime later, Maisy reached out to me through intermediaries, hoping to apologize in person and ask for a settlement.Rumor had it she was drowning in compensation claims from brands and was on the verge of bankruptcy. If she couldn't get a letter of forgiveness from me, she could actually face a lawsuit.I had my lawyer reply, "See you in court."For someone who would stoop so low and sow chaos just for clicks, any show of mercy was an insult to the very idea of kindness.After closing the kitchen, my life returned to a state of true peace and comfort.The card room's income was enough to cover costs, and there was even some profit left over.I no longer had to live in constant anxiety or work hard in a thankless job.I began spending more time on myself, choosing to travel, work out, read, and garden.Sometimes, I still did charitable work, but I no longer placed myself in the line of fire or did unappreciated labor.I would anonymously donate to orphanages in rural areas

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