The next few days blended together in a blur of meetings, deadlines, and sleepless nights. Chen Ke felt the pressure of her job weighing down on her, and each passing hour brought with it a growing sense of frustration. It felt as though she was constantly juggling responsibilities, and with every phone call or email that demanded her attention, she felt her patience wearing thin.
One evening, after yet another long day at work, Chen Ke returned home later than usual. As she walked through the door, she was greeted by the familiar sounds of Danni and Mochi. Danni was in the kitchen, bustling about, and the comforting smell of dinner wafted through the air.
"Hey, Ke Ke! How was your day?" Danni called out cheerfully, a warm smile spreading across her face.
"Busy," Chen Ke replied curtly, feeling the weight of exhaustion in her bones. She dropped her bag by the door and made her way into the kitchen.
"Dinner's almost ready. I thought we could eat together tonight," Danni said, her tone brightening Chen Ke's mood just slightly.
But as Chen Ke glanced around the kitchen, her eyes fell on a pile of dishes stacked in the sink and the countertop cluttered with ingredients Danni hadn't put away. The chaos stirred something within her, and frustration bubbled to the surface.
"Can you not keep the kitchen so messy for once?" Chen Ke snapped, her voice sharper than intended. "I'm tired of coming home to this! I've had a long day, and the last thing I want is to see a mess!"
Danni's expression faltered, surprise and hurt flashing across her face. "I was just trying to make us dinner," she said quietly, her voice tinged with disbelief. "I thought you'd be happy about it."
"Happy? Danni, I can't be happy when I'm drowning in work and coming home to a disaster! Can you please just try to keep things organized? It's not that hard!"
Chen Ke felt the heat of anger coursing through her, but as she spoke, a small voice in her head began to stir—was she overreacting? But it was too late to hold back now. She was already on a roll, her frustrations spilling out like a broken dam.
"You say you want to support me, but how can I focus when I have to worry about this?" Chen Ke continued, her voice rising. "You know how much pressure I'm under right now!"
Danni stood frozen, her eyes wide as she processed the onslaught of Chen Ke's words. The joy that had filled the kitchen moments ago dissipated into a heavy silence.
"I—" Danni started, her voice barely above a whisper, "I'm just trying to help. I didn't mean to upset you."
Chen Ke paused, suddenly aware of the hurt she was causing. The anger that had propelled her words felt suddenly hollow, and her heart sank as she noticed the tears welling up in Danni's eyes.
"Danni, wait," she said, her voice softening as reality crashed in on her. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm just... I'm so stressed out."
But the damage was done. Chen Ke felt a pang of regret wash over her, realizing that in her attempt to vent her frustrations, she had lashed out at the one person who was only trying to help.
Danni turned away, brushing away a tear, and Chen Ke felt the tightening grip of guilt. "I'm sorry," Chen Ke said, her voice trembling as she reached out to touch Danni's arm. "I shouldn't have yelled. I'm just overwhelmed, and I took it out on you. That was unfair."
Danni pulled away, shaking her head as she tried to hold back her emotions. "I get that you're stressed, Ke Ke. But you don't have to take it out on me. I'm here for you, and I want to support you. I just... I can't keep doing this if it means I'm always walking on eggshells around you."
