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Home / Emotional Realism Short Story / Called Me Greedy, Now They Beg / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Called Me Greedy, Now They Beg: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

12 Chapters

Chapter 1

As soon as Carmen Webber finished speaking, she won over many of the people present. "Now that's a decent young lady," someone remarked. "You can tell right away she has a kind heart."Another chimed in, "Exactly. These days, plenty of people expect something in return for doing a favor. If she's willing to help us out, that's one less thing to worry about.""From now on, we'll leave our packages with you. We'll have peace of mind."The pavilion where the residents gathered to sit and chat was packed. There were retirees, stay-at-home moms waiting to pick up their kids from school, and neighbors who had just returned from the grocery store.A few compliments were all it took for everyone present to side with Carmen. The first person to agree was Mrs. Thompson from the fourth floor. She was getting older, and climbing stairs had become difficult for her. For the past seven years, I'd carried every package she received upstairs for her—no matter how big or small. That included

Chapter 2

Over seven years, I'd lost count of how many times I was woken up by knocking in the middle of the night, all because someone needed to pick up a package. I'd long since lost track of how many times I'd been asked to watch my neighbors' crying kids. I'd also stopped counting how many times I'd paid people back out of my own pocket after grocery deliveries spoiled or small packages went missing. I didn't have a regular job because I'd already achieved financial independence. I'd started my own business right after graduating from university, and it had earned me a stable, substantial income ever since. These days, I only had to work from home occasionally.Friends would sometimes tell me I didn't have to go so far for other people, but I'd just smile and shake my head. I figured neighbors ought to look out for one another. Since we lived in the same building, helping each other just seemed like the natural thing to do. I'd always considered it a simple act of kindness, but I

Chapter 3

That afternoon, a delivery driver pulled up in front of my apartment building on his usual route. Just as he started unloading the packages, I stepped forward and stopped him. "Sir, please don't leave everyone's packages with me anymore. "Ms. Webber, the woman who just moved into the first-floor apartment next door, has offered to handle all deliveries. Everyone has agreed to it, so you can just drop them off with her."The delivery driver froze, looking confused. "Why the sudden change? Leaving them here has always been very convenient for me.""People have different preferences. Since Ms. Webber is willing to take it on, please just go along with the new arrangement."I didn't explain further. I simply gave a brief answer and closed the door. More delivery drivers came one after another, and I gave them all the same answer. After a few visits, the drivers understood the situation and began leaving all the packages outside Carmen's door instead. I stepped out onto the bal

Chapter 4

The neighbors around Carmen and Mrs. Parker quickly joined in. "Exactly! Everyone trusts you, so do the job properly. You should learn a thing or two from Hilary!"Another commented, "Actions speak louder than words. Pay attention next time. We can't have this happen again.""Since you took over the job, do it right. Don't let us down."Carmen stood there, humiliated and seething with resentment. Yet, she didn't dare argue anymore.She'd thought it would be an easy way to win people over. However, by the very next day, she'd already taken a loss and was getting lectured by everyone.However, there was no backing out now. Carmen had no choice but to grit her teeth and go along with it.What she never expected was that this was only the beginning of her troubles. …Soon, the evening crowd came flooding in to get their packages.Every day, hundreds of packages piled up outside Carmen's apartment. Boxes of every size were tossed together into one heap with no sorting.Residents

Chapter 5

Knock after knock landed on the door, fast and urgent.I was sitting on the couch in my living room as I sorted through some work files. At the sound, my hands went still, and I slowly looked up. Then, I set the files aside, got to my feet, and opened the door. More than a dozen people were crowded outside, including almost every neighbor who always came to me for help. Carmen stood at the front. The arrogant, disdainful look she had once worn was gone, replaced by unmistakable exhaustion and embarrassment. When I opened the door, she forced herself to step forward and spoke first. "Hilary, we're not here to cause any trouble. We just want to talk."I calmly looked at everyone before me. Mrs. Thompson from the fourth floor stood with her arms crossed, looking visibly uncomfortable.Beside her, Douglas scratched his head. His lips parted more than once, but he couldn't seem to form a complete sentence.Several mothers who regularly left their children with me were there as wel

Chapter 6

My neighbors stared at me as they took turns pleading with me. In their eyes, since I'd helped everyone for free for seven years, it was only natural that I keep doing it.It didn't matter that they'd insulted me before. As far as they were concerned, all they had to do was ask, and I should forget everything and go back to helping them.Seeing that things were going her way, Carmen jumped in. "Hilary, I know I said some nasty things and deliberately went after you. I was wrong. I'm sorry."Everyone needs you. Just come back and help us. If you're willing to take over, I'll clean all this up right now, and I won't get involved again."I looked at the crowd in front of me and smiled. "When I stepped away, I made myself perfectly clear. From that point on, I was done accepting packages, watching people's children, or getting involved in any of it. So, why are you all here now?" I countered. Just like that, the noisy hallway fell silent. None of them could believe I had rejected

Chapter 7

I replied evenly, "Whether I'm busy or not is none of your business. I have my own work and my own plans. Right now, I just want to focus on living my life. I'm under no obligation to keep paying the price for your laziness and selfishness. "The parcel pickup point is only a ten-minute walk from here. If someone has trouble getting around, they can take their time, and anyone with a busy work schedule can plan ahead."I continued, "You've always had options. There's no reason to expect someone to keep sacrificing their own time just to make your lives easier.""Ten minutes is too far. At my age, I can't walk that far anymore," someone in the crowd muttered. Another said, "It used to be so convenient. We could just go downstairs and pick up our packages. Now, she's making us go ourselves. That's so inconsiderate."The complaints started all over again. None of them seemed willing to reflect on themselves. In their eyes, I was simply being heartless. The way they saw it, other p

Chapter 8

When the residents realized I wasn't going to budge, their faces fell. Some of them hung their heads in defeat and turned to leave. However, a few refused to give up. They lingered where they stood as they kept trying to wear me down. They wouldn't stop saying nice things, hoping that I'd change my mind. "Hilary, please… Just help us one more time. One last time, okay?" one of them pleaded. "Honestly, we're not used to this. We waste so much time looking for our packages every day."Yet, my face gave nothing away. If I gave in once, there would only be countless more demands afterward. I'd learned that lesson over seven long years. After a long standoff and after they realized I wasn't going to give in, the crowd outside finally began to disperse. Carmen was the last to leave. She glared at me, her eyes brimming with resentment. She had believed that rallying everyone to pressure me would force me to compromise. Instead, she got nowhere, and this meant she'd still have t

Chapter 9

Even when Carmen worked from dawn until noon, it was nearly impossible to sort every package properly. Residents were forced to dig through the piles themselves whenever they came to pick up their packages. Sometimes, they'd spend 15 minutes searching and still couldn't find their packages. Frustration continued to build, and missing packages became more and more common. What had begun with inexpensive items gradually escalated to expensive clothing, household goods, and even important contract documents.Every time something went missing, the owner immediately went to Carmen, demanding an explanation. At first, she tried to defend herself. She insisted that she was only doing it as a favor and wasn't responsible for covering the losses. However, the residents weren't having any of it. They kept comparing her to me. They talked about how I used to handle things and called her irresponsible. "When Hilary handled the packages, things hardly ever went missing. If something did

Chapter 10

Both Carmen and the kid's mother insisted they were right. Before long, the entire apartment complex had heard about the argument. On top of that, hauling large deliveries upstairs quickly became a sore spot for everyone. Mrs. Thompson had trouble getting around and had ordered bulk groceries online—bags of flour, everyday pantry goods, and several cases of bottled water.After the delivery was left downstairs, the boxes piled up in the hallway, making it nearly impossible to get through. Swallowing her pride, Mrs. Thompson went to ask Carmen for help. Carmen took one look at the massive load and turned her down without a second thought. "It's too heavy. I can't carry it. You'll have to figure something else out."Angry and anxious, Mrs. Thompson had no choice but to move everything herself, one small load at a time. It took her most of the day just to drag everything to the stairwell.She was older and out of shape, so the exhausting work left her completely out of breath.

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