chapter 163: the morning after

[Kam Family Apartment]

It was the morning after the "big night." Ah Nin (Frankie Lam) was still asleep. For the first time in years, Nim Chi (Nancy Sit) didn't have the spirit in her to go out for her morning exercise. After she returned home last night, the family told her everything. She was busy in the kitchen that morning, cooking all of Ah Nin's favorite breakfast food. She quietly sobbed as she poured the oil into the wok. Her tears hit the hot wok and exploded upon contact, splashing her face. "Ouch!"

She goes over to the sink and washes her face, dabbing it dry with a paper towel. "I can't be like this. I've cried all of last night. I have to be strong... for Ah Nin's sake."

It was around 7:30 AM when everyone was gathered around for breakfast. Ah Nin was still in bed.

"Do you want me to go wake up big brother?" Ah Yuet (Michael Tse) asks.

"No. Let him rest," Nim Chi shakes her head.

"We have work in less than two hours..." Ying Gei (Yvonne Lam) comments.

"Which is why you shouldn't drink during the weekday, isn't that right?" Gam (Louis Yuen) laughs.

Nim Chi gives him a stern look.

Gam coughs, "But of course, there are exceptions, such as finding out your fiancé is a murderer and brainwashed you into loving her."

Ah Yat (Joyce Chen) sighs. "I hope big brother can make it through this."

"He will," Nim Chi says confidently. She looks around and notices Ah Sing (Hawick Lau) is missing from the table. "Ah Sing hasn't come down yet?"

"No and big big brother didn't have dinner with us last night either," Ah Yat answers.

Ying Gei sighs, "The two eldest sons are both suffering from depression."

"They have bad taste in women," Ah Lo (Bondy Chiu) retorts. "One chose a nut and the other chose a psycho."

"Ah Lo!" Nim Chi hisses.

"You're so low-class, second sister-in-law. It's much too soon right now to be making jokes. The situation is still tender," Ah Yat says.

They heard a sound coming from the bedrooms. Ah Nin was awake. He scratches his head as he emerges from his bedroom. "Oh, is everyone up already?" he yawns as he peaks his head into the dining room.

"Ah Nin." Nim Chi smiles. Everyone else also greet him.

"Wow! I'm so popular?"

"Yep. Hurry up and take a shower and come have breakfast. Ma Chi made all of your favorites today," Ah Yat grins.

"All right." Ah Nin walks towards the bathroom and closes the door.

"I can't believe he's going to work today," Ah Lo whispers.

"Why?"

"Well, if I were him, I'd take at least a few days off! I mean, after such an event, you can't help but be mentally unstable and unfit for work!" Ah Lo answers.

"You're so lazy second sister-in-law," Ah Yat shakes her head.

"Ah Nin is hard-working," Gam retorts.

Suddenly, the doorbell rings.

"Oh geez. Who is here now at this hour?" Ah Lo asks.

"Don't tell me we're going to take forever to open the door again," Gam rolls his eyes.

"Yes, this is why you need to open it right now!" Ah Lo urges.

"I opened it last night!" Gam yells.

Nim Chi stands up in disgust. "How many times are we going to have this discussion? There are how many people in this house? Let this old woman open the door then!"

A "DHL" employee waited with a big package on the other side of the door. "I'm looking for Rose Suen Seung Sum," he says.

The apartment grows silent upon the mention of Rose's (Kenix Kwok) name.

"Is she here?"

Nim Chi nervously signs for the package and says "Thanks." She carries the box inside and puts it on the coffee table.

"Ma Chi, why did you sign for it?" Ah Yuet asks.

"I didn't know what to do. Maybe it's something important for Rose."

"You could have sent it back. We have no more relationship with her," Gam insists.

"Let's open it!" Ah Lo suggests.

"It's not ours! We shouldn't touch it," Nim Chi urges.

"She's never stepping foot back into this house again. Who cares?" Ah Lo gets up and starts opening up the box.

"Second sister-in-law, you continue to prove you are so low-class."

"Oh my god! They're dresses!" Ah Lo exclaims when she manages to open the box.

Upon the mention of beautiful dresses, Ying Gei and Ah Yat rush over.

"Ah! I remember." Ah Yat snaps her fingers. "Rose told us she had some couture dresses coming in the mail for us."

"Oh, that's right! They're fabulous!" Ying Gei puts a lavender dress up against her body and twirls around.

"That's mine!" Ah Yat pulls a baby blue dress from Ah Lo's hand. "Rose knows you're not busty enough for this dress. It's embarrassing if you have to stuff your dress just to wear it."

"I didn't like it anyways! It's too 'low-class' for me! It suits you, who have played nobody hookers in past series."

"Even if I was a hooker, I'd earn a lot more money than you. Who wants to sleep with a 'woman' with the body of a 12-year-old boy?" Ah Yat snickers.

"That's enough!" Nim Chi intervenes. "We should return these dresses. It's not right to keep them."

Ying Gei, Ah Lo, and Ah Yat hold on tightly to their dresses. "No way! We deserve some compensation for all of the trouble she has caused our family."

["Ka Yan" Company]

Lily (Rain Lau), Sugar (Yau Ching), and GiGi (Josephine Shum) crowd around Ah Yuet, Ah Lo, Gam, and Ying Gei as they gossiped about Rose.

Lily shudders, "This is why I say that beautiful women can't be trusted!"

"'Yan Soh Soh' was so right when she said the more beautiful the woman, the deadlier she is." Sugar sighs. "Good thing I'm beautiful, but slow!"

GiGi sighs, "I feel so sorry for Chris. I can't believe he came to work today."

"Maybe Joey (Bernice Liu) can be with Chris now!" Sugar says.

"He just had his heart broken! He needs time to heal first," Lily insists.

"But we all know that Joey and Chris loved each other so much. They'll get back together in time," Sugar urges.

GiGi shrugs. "Chris was brainwashed by Rose and he can't remember Joey."

"This is so much like a TVB drama," Ying Gei comments.

"If life was a TVB drama, then things won't be as complicated as they are right now. Fiona would return to normal, Ah Nin would get over Rose like that and be with Joey... life could be resolved and happy again within a few episodes, isn't that right?" Gam asks.

"I'm disappointed we can't go to Shanghai now that the wedding's off..." Lily sighs.

Man Gwai Fei (Stephanie Che) fakes a cough and taps her high-heels on the floor. "What the hell is going on here? Are we paying you people to crowd around and gossip? Look at Ah Sing! Now he's an example of what you should all be doing... working! Now get to work!" she screams. She notices the empty chair in front of her. "Where is Rose?"

Ah Lo replies, "She's not coming back."

"What?!" Gwai Fei shrieks. "I have a million orders to work on!"

"You wish." Gam rolls his eyes.

"What was that? Lily, type Lau Gam here a warning letter!"

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean it."

"Too late! So where the hell is Rose?" Gwai Fei asks again.

Ah Lo shrugs her shoulders. "Running away from the law perhaps? She did murder someone a couple of days ago and she attempted to kill someone else last night."

"Oh my god! Spill the beans!" Gwai Fei pulls up a chair as she walks next to Ah Lo.

Ah Lo told her about Rose's murder of Ah Hoi and how she tried to kill Joey last night. Gwai Fei laughs in satisfaction hearing the juicy gossip. "I knew it! I always hated that wench. She is a real slime. How conniving and evil! Ha, ha, ha!" She claps her hands. "And you people dare to say I'm evil? I am a saint!"

"Yes, of course, Miss Man!" the "Ka Yan" employees say in unison.

"Damn right! Get to work!" Gwai Fei laughs as she makes her way back into her office to munch on a chicken leg.