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?”
