When I suddenly remembered the way the little girl next to me offered her seat to my mother when I took her to see the doctor at the hospital last year, my heart softened.

This time, I had not asked Larry to give up his seat, so surely I could give up my seat, right?

When I thought that, I took off my headphones and waved to the woman. "Miss, come here. Sit over here."

She waved her hands repeatedly in refusal, but I pulled her down to sit on my seat.

“Sit down. I'm tired from sitting too long anyway. You rest. I'll tell you when I get tired.”

The woman looked at me, then the tears she'd been holding on for so long finally fell. She wiped her egg-covered hands on her clothes, then took my hands.

“Young lady, I don't have any money. I know I can't repay this kindness with money, but rest assured—when we get off the train and I see my husband, he'll thank you properly.”

I smiled politely in response and turned around to the space between the train cars.

Part of the reason was that I feared she would feel uneasy sitting while I stood there. The other was that I refused to see Daisy's deadpan expression any longer.

Since I was the one who gave up the seat, I thought, even though Daisy was a bit of a jerk, this time, nothing could possibly go wrong.

But just two stops later, another loud commotion erupted in the train car again.

Before I could figure out what was happening, Larry found me at the connecting passageway, grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to the seats.

“Alice, since this is your seat, you decide. Tell me, should Daisy have it, or that disgusting old woman?”

I glanced at Daisy. She was clutching her stomach and wailing in her seat. "Larry, it's hurt ... it hurts so bad.”

Without waiting for my answer, Larry stepped forward and started shoving the woman sitting in my seat.

"What are you still doing here? Get up! Can't you see my friend is in pain? She needs to lie down! Get out! Get out now!"

The woman rubbed her knees and glanced in my direction.

When he saw this, Larry pushed her even harder.

‘What are you looking at? That’s my girlfriend! I have the final say in her affairs! Get up! I'm warning you, I'm losing my patience. Don’t force me to fight you!"

After dating Larry for eight long years, he had never been so considerate toward me.

When I thought about how he had killed me and my unborn child for Daisy in my previous life, I shoved him away from the woman.

“Who told you that you are in charge of my affairs? This is my seat. I decide who sits here. Today, this seat belongs to this lady! No one is taking it from her!"

Larry stared at me in utter shock.

"Alice, are you crazy?  She's just some stranger we met on the train. Are you really fighting me over a seat for a stranger?”

"Let me set you straight, Larry. I’m not fighting you for your seat. This seat was mine to begin with."

A mocking smile touched Larry's lips.

"Alice, what’s the point of playing word games now? Didn’t you see Daisy has a stomachache? All she wants is to lie down."

"If she wants to lie down, she should buy a sleeper ticket. This is a hard seat—you can’t lie down here."

"Not this again? Can you stop acting so angry whenever Daisy gets involved? I’ve told you countless times, we’re just friends. Can you please stop being so petty?”

People really do laugh when they are speechless.

“Larry, are you out of your mind? You guys snatched my seat first, okay? I was only defending my rights, so why is it suddenly my fault?”

"Larry, it hurts so much, I can’t take it anymore, Larry …."

Daisy's tearful moans instantly sent Larry into a frenzy and he did not care to argue with me anymore.

He shoved me aside with brute force, grabbed the woman by the collar and flung her out .…

Since he used a considerable amount of strength this time, when my back slammed into the armrest of the opposite seat, a sharp, piercing pain shot through my spine.

As for the woman, after being thrown by Larry, she crumpled to the floor and her loose pants slid down to her knees.

Instantly, I saw the scar on her leg, running from her knee all the way down to her Achilles tendon.

The woman's face went pale. She curled up on the floor, clutching her calf. Beads of sweat the size of beans rained to the floor.

It was a stark contrast to Daisy, who had been moaning for a long time, but still had a rosy complexion.

I knew this woman was in excruciating pain, so I forced myself to stand.

I pointed at the wound on her leg, looked at Larry and said in an increasingly urgent tone, "Larry, do you have any conscience? Look at this woman's leg. She really had surgery. Do you think it's okay to treat her this way?"

"Get out of my seat! Or I'll call the train attendant!"

I rubbed my lower back, which was aching from the collision and waved at Larry.

"Get up quickly! Go to the customer service and call a doctor to check this woman."

Recalling Larry's resentment toward me in my previous life because of Daisy, I added, “And while you're at it, help Daisy find another seat.”

But before I could finish, Larry sprang up from his seat, yanked my clothes, snatched my phone and stomped it on the floor, then slapped me.

"Alice, if I don't teach you a lesson, you'll never know your place! Daisy doesn't need another seat—she's staying right here!”

‘As for that idiot—whether she lives or dies is none of my business!’

The woman took a long moment to sit up straight on the floor. She then looked at him and spoke slowly, "Young man, we’re almost at the stop. Give me back my seat. My husband promised to pick me up today. He has a temper. If he sees me being treated unfairly, he’ll lash out at you.”

Larry stared at the woman sprawled on the floor and burst out laughing. His laughter grew even louder and more unrestrained.

“Old hag! You think I, Larry Jones, was raised to be a scary cat? How exactly will your husband take it out on me? Snap my fingers? Break my legs? I'm so scared!”

“Make sure your husband doesn't hold back. Let him vent whatever anger he has. I'm genuinely curious to see just how fierce a rural woman's husband's temper can be!”

“Young man, he...”

Before the woman could finish, Larry stepped forward and stomped on her injured leg.

A piercing scream erupted as the wound burst open and blood spilled onto the floor.

Gripping her jaw, Larry slapped her hard.

"Stop talking about him all the time! After all, what can he do to me? I just messed with his wife, I want to see what he'll do to me later."

With a sharp, piercing screech of brakes, the train pulled into the station.

Through the glass window, I saw the underworld leader standing outside the station, craning his head. He was surrounded by a group of burly men. ...