The situation cleared, a man scolded me publicly, but privately, my pride warred with suspicion. He mentioned a child’s minor injury, yet his tone betrayed envy. I confronted him, he dismissed it as petty, demanding proof of my worth. We agreed to proceed despite his threats.

The situation cleared, a man scolded me publicly, but privately, my pride warred with suspicion. He mentioned a child’s minor injury, yet his tone betrayed envy. I confronted him, he dismissed it as petty, demanding proof of my worth. We agreed to proceed despite his threats.