Ch 11: Punishment for the Madman

The weather was quite pleasant. The sky was covered in clouds, and a light breeze was blowing. Birds were playfully soaring in the sky. Rain was imminent. Whether the sky was pouring rain or wrapped in clouds, Alice found it beautiful. She was used to spending long moments admiring such weather.

At that moment, she was sitting on the rooftop, gently pushing her swing with one foot. In one hand, she held a bag of popcorn, which she was eating with delight. Sometimes she would look up at the sky, and other times she would fix her gaze on the birds circling in the air. Grace stood nearby, facing away, her gaze fixed on something in the distance. Her long, black hair was loose, blowing in the wind like flames of black fire.

"Grace..." Alice called out to her.

"Yes, Miss Alice?" Grace immediately responded.

"What are you looking at?" Alice asked.

"Nothing in particular." Grace came closer and sat down on a nearby chair.

"What should I do about Ethan? He's gone mad in love with me," Alice pondered aloud.

"When someone goes mad, what can be done, Miss Alice?" Grace asked, looking at her.

"Anything can be done. They can be chained, imprisoned, or even shot," Alice replied without hesitation, continuing to eat her popcorn. She kept swinging gently.

"Then why delay?" Grace asked.

"Do you think I should punish him like that?" Alice looked at her.

"When you consider his boldness to be insolence, then he deserves such a punishment. He's madly in love with you, but you are not. And a madman is often put down," Grace said.

"I could have slit his throat right there in the restaurant, but two things stopped me," Alice said calmly.

"What were they?" Grace asked.

The weather was pleasant. The sky was shrouded in clouds, a light breeze was blowing, and birds were playfully flying in the sky. Rain was imminent. Whether the sky was pouring down or wrapped in clouds, Alice found it all beautiful. She was accustomed to spending long moments admiring such weather. At that moment, she was sitting on the rooftop in her swing, gently pushing it with one foot. In one hand, she held a bag of popcorn, which she was eating with delight. Sometimes she would look up at the sky, and other times she would focus her gaze on the birds circling in the air.

Grace stood nearby, facing away, her gaze fixed on something in the distance. Her long, black hair was loose, moving in the wind like black flames.

"Grace..." Alice called out to her.

"Yes, Miss Alice?" Grace immediately responded.

"What are you looking at?" Alice asked.

"Nothing in particular." Grace came closer and sat down on a nearby chair.

"What should I do about Ethan? He's gone mad in love with me," Alice pondered aloud.

"When someone goes mad, what can be done, Miss Alice?" Grace asked, looking at her.

"Anything can be done. They can be chained, imprisoned, or even shot," Alice replied without hesitation, continuing to eat her popcorn. She kept swinging gently.

"Then why delay?" Grace asked.

"Do you think I should punish him like that?" Alice looked at her.

"When you consider his boldness to be insolence, then he deserves such a punishment. He's madly in love with you, but you are not. And a madman is often put down," Grace said.

"I could have slit his throat right there in the restaurant, but two things stopped me," Alice said calmly.

"What were they?" Grace asked.

"First, I didn't want to act in haste. Secondly, as he was talking to me, he leaned forward slightly, and his jacket zipper was open. I noticed the pistol he had strapped inside his jacket against his body," Alice explained.

"Oh..." Grace reacted, surprised.

"I felt that after a yes or no, he might take a step that could be dangerous for me," Alice continued. "If we can treat a madman any way we want, he also has the power to do something to us."

"He's gone that far?" Grace asked thoughtfully, her tone steady.

"He's obsessed," Alice replied.

"Then you shouldn't delay. Crush him before he can cause you any harm," Grace suggested.

"Not yet," Alice said, looking out into the distance.

"Then when? When it's too late?" Grace asked.

"I'll play along with his love game and then finish him off in such a way that no one will know it was me," Alice's face took on a cruel expression, the embers of hatred visible in her eyes.

"The sooner it's done, the sooner you'll be rid of him. If you can't do it, tell me," Grace said passionately.

"What will you do?" Alice asked.

"I'll crush his skull with my bare hands," Grace said, gritting her teeth.

"You?" Alice looked at her.

"Yes, I will," Grace replied, her tone cold and firm.

Alice looked at her and gestured with her finger, as if to say, "You'll do it?" and then started laughing. She was laughing loudly.

Grace stood in front of her, watching. Alice's laughter only made Grace angrier, her breathing becoming heavier.

"What, you think I can't do it?" Grace asked angrily.

"Have you seen your health? You'll take his skull in those delicate hands and crush it? He's not an ant," Alice said mockingly and then laughed again. "He's a man, a strong man."

Grace became furious hearing Alice's words. She looked around and saw a thick steel rod about five feet long nearby. Grace picked up the rod and said to Alice, "Shall I show you my strength?"

Alice immediately stopped laughing and looked at her calmly. "What are you going to do?"

"Right now, in front of you, I'll twist this rod into circles like bangles," Grace said, looking at her as if waiting for permission.

"Can you do that?" Alice looked at her skeptically.

"Yes," Grace replied.

Alice looked at the rod and then at Grace, bursting into laughter again. "Grace, the wrestler, drop that rod. Your wrists are too delicate."

Grace gritted her teeth and gripped the rod with both hands. Before she could bend the rod into a circular shape, it was as if something had stopped her from demonstrating her strength. She looked at the rod and, smiling, said, "You didn't take me seriously, did you?"

Alice started laughing again at her joke and then said, "Leave it. Whatever needs to be done, I'll handle it myself. Come on, let's go downstairs. I'm starting to feel cold."

"You go ahead, I'll be there in a minute," Grace replied.

Alice got up and smiled as she walked downstairs. Grace's anger hadn't cooled; she had merely controlled herself. As soon as Alice went down, Grace's eyes turned red with rage. She gripped the rod in both hands and, with a violent twist, bent the thick rod as if it were a thin wire. The five-foot rod was reduced to just six inches. Grace threw it aside. Just then, Alice came back up. Grace quickly turned to look at her. Alice walked over to the swing and picked up her mobile phone, saying, "I forgot my phone."

Alice turned to go back downstairs. At the stairs, she paused, looked at Grace, and said, "Come on down."

Grace followed her down.

There was still some time left for dinner when Alice's mother came to her room. At that time, Alice was reading a book. Her mother sat down next to her.

"Alice, put the book down. I need to talk to you about something important," her mother said gently.

Alice put the book aside. "What is it, Mom?"

"Think carefully before you answer me. Don't just nod your head right away," her mother said.

"What is it?" Alice asked.

"Your father has a friend, Simon is his name. He has a large wholesale business in the city. They're good, well-off people," her mother began.

"So, what happened to them?" Alice asked.

"Mr. Simon spoke to your father yesterday. He has a son who's a doctor," her mother said.

"I understand what you're getting at," Alice said, picking up the book again.

Her mother took the book from Alice's hand and set it aside. "I said listen to the whole thing."

"Mom..." Alice started to say.

"Quiet... listen to me," her mother gently silenced her. "The boy is a doctor. He's handsome and earns well. The marriage proposal is for you."

"Mom, I need to study," Alice said.

"Alice, you're studying for your own passion and desire. We're not planning to make you a government officer or anything. It's a good match," her mother insisted.

"I don't want to get married right now," Alice said firmly.

"We all like the match," her mother said.

"But I don't want to get married now, Mom."

"Then when? When do you want to get married?"

"When..." Alice hesitated.

"When? What do you mean? Tell me clearly," her mother said, fixing her gaze on Alice's face.

"Give me my book, I need to read," Alice reached for the book.

"Tell me first, 'when' what?"

Alice let out a long sigh and said, "When a really wealthy man with a lot of land and property comes along, then I'll stop studying."

"They're wealthy too. His father has money, and he has a business," her mother said.

"I don't like a man who earns within limits," Alice said.

"Alice, think about it..." her mother began.

"Please, not now, Mom. Find a guy like I described. I can't marry someone who earns just a few thousand dollars a month," Alice said decisively.

Her mother stared at her in disbelief, then said, "Think about it. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Just then, Grace came in to inform them that dinner was ready. Both of them went downstairs. Everyone had gathered at the table.

Zeenat looked at Grace, who stood behind Alice with her hands clasped. She spoke to Grace harshly, "Why are you standing there with your hands folded? Go and bring the water jug."

Grace looked at her silently and went into the kitchen. She brought the jug, placed it on the table, and stood in the same spot again. Zeenat, on her way to the kitchen, said, "You're standing there again? You're not just Alice's maid, you serve this whole house. Come with me."

Grace felt a surge of anger. Everyone was surprised by Zeenat's behavior but remained silent. Alice also watched Zeenat as she sat there.

Grace followed Zeenat. Zeenat picked up a glass and ordered her to take it out, as if she were a slave. Grace took the glass, and as soon as she turned to leave, a fiery look appeared in her eyes. She glanced at the stove, which was off. As soon as she looked, the stove burst into flames. Grace walked out of the kitchen, and just as Zeenat was about to leave, a flame leaped from the stove, touched her shirt, and engulfed it.

Zeenat noticed her shirt on fire and screamed. Everyone rushed to her.

Zeenat tried to tear the shirt off her body, but it wouldn't come off. Everyone tried to remove the shirt from her, but it seemed glued to her body.

Zeenat's screams grew louder..