Then my older nephew, who had had conflicts with me before, added with mockery, [Honestly, Danies is too kind. He should’ve hired a real chef instead of asking his dad. Look how that turned out. It’s easier to invite an expert than to send a useless person away.]
[Sure, twenty cents isn’t much, but it shows his character. Today it’s twenty cents, tomorrow who knows how much? Maybe the rumor about him pocketing grocery money is true.]
[That’s right,] that distant cousin added again. [Look how fast he’s trying to leave. Maybe his kids are right. If he has nothing to hide, why is he running away?]
Finally, Daniel sent another message.
[Dad, see? Everyone agrees. Stop being so stubborn, okay? Just come back to work tomorrow. I’ll talk to Wanda and give you a 30-dollar raise.]
I stared at the screen for a while, then opened the group settings and quietly left the chat.
At last, the world felt quiet again.
But an hour later, someone knocked on my door.
I sat still, not moving an inch. Then I heard Daniel’s voice outside the door. “Dad, please open the door. Let’s talk.”
I didn’t answer.