chapter 151: insanity's contagious

[Ng Sau's Apartment]

Ah Sing (Hawick Lau) waited patiently outside of Ng Sau's (Albert Lo) apartment door. He couldn't stay with his family because there were no open rooms in the Kams' overcrowded 8A apartment. Nim Chi (Nancy Sit) had offered to share her room with him, but the idea of sharing a room with his mother long-term wasn't something that he wanted. Ah Sing had no other home to return to besides that of Sau's.

Sau opens the door after a few moments. "Ah Sing?"

"Uncle Sau!" he smiles widely. He quickly puts his arms across Sau's shoulders and lets himself into the apartment, closing the door behind them.

"What? What is this?"

He plops himself onto the couch and turns on the television.

"Ah Sing, what are you doing?"

"I live here. What's with the shock?"

Sau raises his eyebrow in suspicion. "Wasn't it you who stormed out of my house and said that I was no good?"

"I apologize for my rash behavior... but to be fair, you did kick me out. How did you expect me to react?"

"There was no need for you to get nasty." Sau folds his arms. "I'm upset now."

"Uncle Sau, don't be so small-minded! We go far back. If things had been good, we might even have become in-laws!"

"What?" Sau yells. "Me being an in-law with that fat woman? Please!"

Ah Sing coughs, "In any case, I'm back."

"What about..."

Ah Sing knew that Sau wanted to ask him about Fiona (Sherming Yiu), so he stops him before he has the chance to. "Don't worry. She won't bother you again. You can have as many ladies over as you want. It's just us two. It's like our own bachelor pad."

"Are you okay?" Sau becomes worried.

"I'm fine! Don't tell me you don't welcome this old friend anymore."

Sau shakes his head slowly. "It's just that... you seemed to have changed so fast. The last time I talked to you, you were so determined to keep Fiona around and help her get better. Now you're here acting so free-"

"Insanity isn't a disease that is transmitted from people to people!" Ah Sing laughs. "You can feel my head. I'm perfectly normal."

"Stop joking."

Ah Sing sighs. He quietly says, "Fiona is getting professional help."

"You put her away?"

He nods his head slowly. "That's what you wanted, isn't it?" He exhales loudly, jumps up, and then makes his way into his bedroom.

Sau follows him. "Ah Sing, you-"

"You don't have to say anything, Uncle Sau. You don't have to worry. I know what I'm doing. Fiona will get better. They can help her. I'm not competent enough to." He forces a tight smile. "In no time, she'll be back and things will be normal and then you'll complain about us being so noisy."

Sau just looks at Ah Sing with a reserved look, but eventually says, "I hope so too."

"Good night."

[Kam Family Apartment]

Ah Yuet (Michael Tse), Ah Lo (Bondy Chiu), Ah Yat (Joyce Chen), Ah Hong (Johnny Tang), Gam (Louis Yuen), and Ying Gei (Yvonne Lam) met up secretly around midnight in the living room. They were still startled over how quickly things had changed in the Kam household. Ah Sing and Rose (Kenix Kwok) had returned home like nothing ever happened.

"This is so strange," Ah Yat asserts.

"Thank you for the news flash," Ah Lo rolls her eyes.

"In other news, Lam Yuk Lo is still as bitchy as ever," Ah Yat smirks.

"Hey, hey! No bickering. You don't want to wake Ma Chi and them," Ah Yuet says.

"I just can't believe what's happening to our family," Ying Gei sighs. "First, Fiona goes crazy. Now it's like everyone has gone nuts with her! Auntie Chi, Ah Sing, and Rose are all acting like everything is still the same."

"Maybe insanity is a contagious disease after all!" Gam laughs.

"Things used to be so simple," Ying Gei continues.

"Yes, as simple as you Einstein." Gam teases.

"Where did things go wrong? Big brother and Rose were going to get married and live happily ever after, having beautiful children. Ah Sing and Fiona were so happy and good together. I don't understand why the heavens had to rip them apart," Ah Yat muses.

"Maybe things were never that perfect from the start," Ah Hong suggests.

"In the past week, our family has been through so much," Ah Yuet agrees.

"TVB could use the events of our lives for their scripts! Heaven knows this is far more interesting," Gam jokes.

"It's like Fiona never existed," Ah Hong says.

"Well, to be honest, she was never that open or close to any of us," Ah Lo says. "I can't say I miss her."

"That's so mean! How can you say that?" Ah Yat asks.

"Oh, don't you play saint with me. You don't even know what her last name is!" Ah Lo retorts.

"Do you?"

"Of course... not. That is why I don't miss her. How can I miss someone who I didn't know well?"

"Honey, stop talking like that," Ah Yuet whispers in her ear.

"What? It's the truth! No one in this family was close to her. She was distant to all of us."

"Fiona's life is really pitiful. She has lost her royalty, her family, and now her mind. I don't know how she will be able to live the rest of her life..." Ah Hong sighs.

"Yes, it is a sad situation," Ah Lo agrees, "but I am not too greatly effected."

"Second brother, I once again suggest you divorce this cold-blooded, heartless wretch," Ah Yat whispers to Ah Yuet.

"Rose's life is sad too," Ying Gei comments. "She just wanted to go try out wedding dresses and ended up being in a hostage situation."

"Sad? Please! She's had nothing to worry about her whole life. She has a silver spoon in her mouth. She gets whatever she wants," Ah Lo argues.

"Maybe everyone is suffering from post-traumatic disorder," Ah Yuet says.

"What's that?" Ying Gei asks.

"It's something that happens after someone experiences a traumatic event such as a natural disaster or accident. In Ah Sing's case, he's suffering from the lost of his wife mentally. Rose is suffering from a hostage situation and experiencing a murder. Ma Chi is suffering from the tragedies our family has had to face recently..."

Everyone gives a sigh after hearing what Ah Yuet had to say.

"Do you guys really believe Rose is innocent?" Ah Lo says abruptly.

"Second sister-in-law, we know you're against Rose, but is it really necessary for you to keep questioning her integrity over and over again?" Ah Yat asks.

"Besides, the law says that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, isn't that right?" Gam states.

"If people didn't question, the truth will never be out. Our justice system seeks the truth, so I'm not doing anything wrong," Ah Lo defends herself.

"But Rose says that that man attempted to rape and kill her... and Michael (Kevin Cheng) also confessed to the murder..." Ah Hong says.

"Ever heard of lying?" Ah Lo asks matter-of-factly.

"But why would you lie about something like that? Why would someone ever admit to murder when they didn't do it?" Ying Gei asks.

"Michael works for Rose. That's enough to question his confession." Ah Lo answers.

"That is true..." Ah Yuet nods his head slowly.

"Second brother! Whose side are you on?" Ah Yat asks.

Ah Lo glares at him. "Of course I am on my wife's side! But most importantly, I'm on the side for justice."

"But you two are saying that Rose is the real murderer..." Ah Hong rubs his chin.

Ying Gei shrieks. "That means we're living with a murderer and Ah Nin is going to marry a murderer! This is really bad."

"Hold up," Ah Yat holds her hand out. "Rose hasn't been convicted yet and there's no evidence to suggest she killed..."

"What the hell did that Rose feed you that makes you defend her so much?" Ah Lo asks. "There wasn't anyone else at the crime scene besides Rose and Michael. There's something fishy between them and the murderer is no other than one of the two... maybe both. Joey was unconscious and that sales girl was captive," she insists.

"We have to look at things from all different angles. Justice won't prevail if everyone is biased one way as opposed to the other."

"If Rose really killed... we can't let her get away with it," Ah Yuet says frankly.

Abruptly, they heard footsteps coming from the inside hallway leading from the bedrooms into the dining and living rooms. It was Rose. She was wiping her eyes and exclaimed, "What's going on here? A family meeting?" She had heard them when they walked out of their bedrooms and she had been listening secretly the whole time.

They are started to see her as they watch her make her way to the couch to join them.

"R-Rose," Ah Yuet greets.

She smiles at them. "What's everyone talking about?"

Ah Lo blurts out, "We're talking about you!"

Everyone stares at her in shock. How could she dare to anger a likely murderer?

Rose gives a surprised look and laughs girlishly. "Oh? What is it about?"

"We're upset that you went wedding dress shopping without us!" Ah Lo laughs sheepishly.

That was not the answer Rose had expected. She looks at everyone quizzically.

"That's right!" Ah Yat chimes in. "We are so upset. Don't you want us to look our best at your wedding?"

"Right, right! We want to have pretty dresses too!" Ying Gei adds.

Rose just giggles at them. "Oh, you guys are so silly."

Ah Yat laughs nervously, "What do you mean future big sister-in-law?"

"I'm having personally-made, absolutely gorgeous dresses made for you three. My company in Shanghai is sending them over and you'll receive them soon," Rose informs.

"Wah! Is that so?" Ying Gei asks.

"Yes. I won't treat my future sisters-in-laws and aunt-in-law poorly."

Ah Lo coughs, "It's late. Let's get to bed."

Everyone begins to huddle up to leave the living room when Rose asks, "You all believe I'm innocent right?"

They're startled by the question but look back and give her nervous smiles as they stuttered, "Y-y-es, o-of c-c-course we do."

The silent and dim light of night illuminates the tears that fall from her eyes. She smiles warmly. "Thank you."

"Good night!" They rush into their rooms to leave Rose sitting on the couch, staring out at the night sky. She wipes her cheeks and smirks, "Stupid Kams."