I'm just about to move toward the crowd when Mina firmly grabs my arm and forces me to turn toward her.
— Esther… where do you think you're going? she whispers, her gaze serious.
I glance toward the crowd.
Then back at her.
She immediately understands what I want to do and gently shakes her head, half worried, half exasperated.
— Why do you want to get involved in this? Stop… come on, let's go home.
— Mina, I…
I don't even have time to finish my sentence when a voice rings out—louder, harsher, more violent:
— DID YOU SEE WHAT YOU DID?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THIS DRESS COSTS?!
My heart tightens.
I gently—but firmly—pull away from Mina.
— …I have to go, I say, my voice trembling but steady.
Mina sighs, resigned, and lets me pass.
I move forward, my steps quick and determined.
I weave through the crowd, pushing past bodies.
And then…
What I see takes my breath away.
It's the elegant woman we noticed outside.
The same one who, just minutes earlier, had given money to a homeless child with such kindness.
Standing in front of her is an employee, visibly shaken.
Tea has been spilled on the client's dress.
— Ma'am, I'm so sorry… it was an accident… the employee says in a trembling voice.
The woman explodes:
— DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS DRESS COSTS?!
— IT COULD BUY YOU AND YOUR MISERABLE FAMILY!
My blood runs cold.
Around me, whispers begin.
— People like that don't know how to stay in their place, a woman near me says with contempt.
— That's true, another adds.
They think they're entitled to everything. They forget their role is to serve us.
She lets out a bitter laugh.
Others laugh with her.
The employee has tears in her eyes.
— I'm truly sorry, ma'am, she says in a broken voice.
But I won't allow you to insult my family.
The client looks at her with disgust.
— Your family?
She laughs coldly.
— I don't care in the slightest about your family. You're not even on the same level as mine.
She scans her from head to toe.
— Even my maids are richer than you.
You and your family are just—
— Ma'am, you may speak to me however you want, the employee interrupts bravely,
but don't involve my family.
You're heartless.
— How dare you?! the woman screams, raising her hand to strike her.
That's it.
The last straw.
I step forward quickly, grab her wrist before it can touch the employee, and place myself between them.
She looks at me, surprised.
Then her expression hardens, tinged with contempt.
— Ma'am…, I say calmly,
you have no right to do this.
She violently pulls her hand away.
— Who do you think you are to touch me?! Who are you to interfere in what doesn't concern you?! she spits, shaking with rage.
I stand tall, my gaze fixed on her.
— Who I am doesn't matter.
But what you just said was unjust and cruel.
You may express your dissatisfaction, but insulting someone never makes you right.
She frowns, offended.
— Who do you think you are? Didn't your mother teach you not to meddle in things that aren't your business?
This time, it's too much.
She dares bring my mother into this.
I keep my composure.
— My mother taught me many things, I say firmly.
And what I'm doing right now… is exactly what she taught me.
I continue, without raising my voice:
— I believe in respect and dignity.
This employee spilled tea by accident.
She apologized.
That's no reason to shout at her, humiliate her… or hurt her.
The crowd starts whispering again.
Some laugh nervously.
I go on, my words clear and sincere:
— I understand that you're angry about your dress.
It's valuable. What happened is unfortunate.
But violence and insults won't fix anything.
They only humiliate someone who's simply trying to do her job.
— You dare speak to me like that?! I'm the customer here! You're just a child, a spoiled little princess who—
— I'm speaking to you with respect, I interrupt.
But respect goes both ways.
She is human. Just like you.
She deserves to be treated with dignity.
I pause.
— If you want to resolve this problem, a solution exists.
But violence is never one of them.
Her face turns red.
With anger.
With embarrassment.
I conclude calmly:
— Ma'am, you are my elder.
I have no desire to humiliate you.
But what you did was unworthy of a respectable person.
She says nothing.
She grabs her bag and throws me one last look—
a look heavy with promise, resentment, almost a threat—
then storms out of the room.
The crowd slowly disperses.
I turn to the employee.
— Are you going to be okay now?
She nods timidly, a small trembling smile on her lips.
— Thank you…
Very few people would have done what you did for me.
I smile softly and place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
— No one deserves to be humiliated like that.
I step back so she can return to her work.
Mina, who followed me, looks at me with admiration.
— You really have a gift for putting people in their place… without shouting.
I shrug, a little embarrassed.
— It's just the bare minimum.
I'll never stay passive in the face of injustice.
I take a deep breath.
Then we go to the counter, pay for our purchases, collect our things…
and head home.
It's time for me to face a new chapter.
My future in-laws.