The Rat in the Sushi Shop

This time, the dusty grey rat on the conveyor belt once again invaded my vision.

It was scampering excitedly along the rotating sushi track.

I didnt scream on the spot like in my previous life, nor did I whip out my phone to take photos, or immediately dial the food safety complaint hotline.

I simply calmly averted my gaze, reaching out to tuck my daughter Stephanies jacket more snugly around her.

I asked her softly, Stephanie, the pizza place next door has your favorite durian pizza. Should we go get some?

After all, in my previous life, seeing this rat was precisely why I complained on the spot, drawing in reporters and blowing the incident out of proportion. In the end, the owner of that restaurantwho was also my husband Kimis first love, Olivia Hayesended up with her shop shut down and her reputation ruined. She accrued millions in debt and attempted suicide multiple times.

Kimi hated me for it. He believed I had destroyed Olivias life. He quietly bought a dozen large accidental death insurance policies for me, then, on a rainy night, engineered a brake failure accident.

So, in this new life, it was just a rat. How could it be more important than my daughters life and mine?

Hearing me mention pizza, Stephanies eyes lit up. She immediately nodded, saying yes. I took her hand and stood up. Just then, I met Kimis furrowed brow.

Why on earth would you want pizza when were here? He put down his chopsticks, his voice tinged with impatience. Olivia made these hand-rolls herself. The ingredients are all fresh. So many people would queue for these, and you just dont appreciate it?

Liv. He used the affectionate nickname. As if Olivia was his wife. And I was just an inconvenient outsider. In my previous life, hearing those words would have made me explode on the spot. But now, I simply pulled at the corner of my mouth, offering a faint smile. My stomach suddenly feels a bit off; I cant eat anything cold or raw. Ill take Stephanie next door for something warm. You take your time.

I didnt look at his face, which had instantly darkened. I took Stephanies hand and turned to leave. As I turned, I caught a glimpse of the rat from the corner of my eye. It had already climbed onto a plate of black truffle caviar hand-rolls. Its pointy snout gnawed at the caviar on the sushi, leaving a small, dark brown pellet of rat droppings, the size of a grain of rice. And that plate of sushi, along with the conveyor belt, slowly rotated right in front of Kimi.

I watched Kimi reach out, take that plate of hand-rolls, and pop them into his mouth, one after another. He even smiled at Olivia, who was walking over, praising her. Still, your flavor is spot on, Liv. Even more authentic than what I had in Japan. Olivia, wearing a fitted dress, swayed her hips gracefully, reaching out to refill Kimis barley tea. Her fingertips brushed against his hand, intentionally or not, the unspoken intimacy almost overflowing from her eyes.

In my previous life, my mind was solely focused on saving that rat, on reporting this unsanitary restaurant. I hadnt even noticed their blatant, heedless gestures. Thinking back now, how ridiculous I must have seemed then. The life or death of a rat, the hygiene of a restauranthow could those compare to the nauseating actions of this man and woman before me?

Stephanie, clutching her newly bought durian pizza, took a big bite. She mumbled, Mommy, isnt Daddy eating with us? I stroked her head. Daddy has his favorite food. Well just enjoy ours.

By the time we got home, it was already dark. Kimi came in clutching his stomach, his face as white as paper. The moment he kicked off his shoes, he bolted into the bathroom. A violent retching followed. I leaned against the doorframe, listening to the commotion from the bathroom. My heart held not a single ripple of emotion.

In my previous life, I would have frantically searched for medicine, poured him water, and tearfully asked if he had eaten something bad. But now, I simply turned and went back to the room. After finishing Stephanies bedtime story, I slowly, casually asked him, Do you need to go to the hospital?

He stumbled out of the bathroom, leaning against the wall, his forehead covered in cold sweat. Hearing my question, his face instantly darkened. Go to the hospital for what? I just caught a chill tonight, my stomachs a bit off. Dont make such a big deal out of it. I raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. But he seemed to be poked on a raw nerve, his voice growing more agitated. I know what youre thinking. You just cant stand me praising Liv, can you? Her restaurant is spotless, the ingredients are all freshly sourced that day. How could I possibly get food poisoning? Dont put your jealousy on full display; its not a good look.

The exact same words as in my previous life. Back then, because of his words, I argued with him all night. In the end, he slammed the door and left, going to Olivias restaurant to be with her. I tugged at the corner of my mouth. Fine, if you say its clean, its clean. If youre really in too much pain, remember to call 911. Stephanie and I are going to bed. I turned and went back to the room, locking the door. Behind me, I heard his frustrated curses. But I didnt even bat an eyelid.

I took out my phone and sent a message to the divorce lawyer I had consulted before: Hello, Id like to inquire how to maximize my share of marital assets and child custody when theres no clear evidence of the other partys fault.

The next morning, I was woken by screams from the living room. Kimi was writhing on the sofa, clutching his stomach, his face ghostly pale. My mother-in-law was patting his back, pacing anxiously. Seeing me come out, she immediately shrieked, Where have you been? Cant you see Kimi is suffering like this? Hurry up and take him to the hospital!

I glanced at the clock on the wall, unhurriedly changing my shoes. Stephanie has a parent-teacher conference today; I cant miss it. Mom, if youre in a hurry, call 911 first.

When cant a parent-teacher conference be held? Is Kimis life more important, or a parent-teacher conference? My mother-in-law stomped her foot, cursing at me. I ignored her, bent down to stroke Stephanies head, and took her out the door.

The parent-teacher conference actually ended in an hour. But I didnt go home. Nor did I go to the hospital. I took Stephanie to the mall, bought her new dresses and new toys. I also picked out two outfits I liked for myself. We found a dessert shop and enjoyed a beautiful little cake with Stephanie.

On my phone, my mother-in-laws calls came in one after another. I silenced them all. It wasnt until evening that I feigned panic and answered her call. She chewed me out, then told me to hurry to the hospital. Unflustered, I took Stephanie for a little more shopping, bought her another new dress, and seeing that it was getting dark, hailed a taxi to the hospital.

When we arrived at the hospital, Kimi had just finished having his stomach pumped. He lay in the hospital bed, his face ashen. The doctor said it was severe food poisoning. Any later, and he would have suffered a perforated stomach. My mother-in-law rushed at me the moment I entered, ready to make a scene. I listened, offering no rebuttal, until the night nurse told us to be quiet, and she finally subsided.

The doctor said it was food poisoning. Mom, werent you asking yesterday what he had eaten out? I sat in a chair by the hospital bed, slowly peeling an apple, my voice calm. Yesterday, we only went to Olivias sushi restaurant. Besides that, he didnt eat anything else.

My mother-in-law exploded instantly, turning to go find Olivia and settle the score. But Kimi, lying in the hospital bed, suddenly spoke, his voice weak but firm. Dont you dare! It has nothing to do with Liv! I just kicked off my blankets and caught a chill last night. It has nothing to do with her restaurant!

My hand, peeling the apple, paused. I couldnt help but smile. It had come to this, and he was still defending his first love. How could I have been so blind in my previous life? This mans heart had never truly been with me or this family. I placed the peeled apple on the bedside table and stood up. If you say it has nothing to do with her, then it has nothing to do with her. Stephanie and I are going home now. You get well.

As I walked out of the hospital room, I heard my mother-in-law inside, calling Kimi foolish. But Kimi was still defending Olivia. I shook my head, finding it utterly laughable.

Kimi was discharged from the hospital after three days. Right after his discharge, he had to attend the companys ten-year anniversary department dinner. In the department chat group, the manager had just asked where they should go for dinner. Kimi immediately sent a message, recommending Olivias sushi restaurant. He even vouched for it, proudly declaring it was owned by his childhood friend, that the hygiene was absolutely guaranteed, the ingredients fresh, and the taste first-class. All the negative reviews online were just malicious smears from competitors.

The colleagues in the group quickly agreed, saying they had heard about the place and would love to try it. Only one colleague quietly mentioned that someone had previously had issues after eating there, suggesting it wasn't very clean. Kimi immediately replied, snapping back at them, saying they were believing rumors, and if they didnt know, they shouldnt spread misinformation. The group instantly fell silent.

I looked at my phone screen, unable to stop a wry smile. In my previous life, it was because I reported that restaurant that Kimi lost face at the company and grew to hate me even more. This time, I wanted to see what kind of outcome he would face, bringing the entire department there himself.

On the day of the dinner, I specifically wore comfortable flats and brought a bottle of warm water for myself. I dropped Stephanie off at my best friends place first. When I arrived at the sushi restaurant, most of my colleagues were already there. Kimi stood at the entrance, chatting animatedly with Olivia. Olivia was giggling, her hand occasionally resting on Kimis arm.

Seeing me enter, Kimis face stiffened for a moment, then quickly returned to normal. It was as if the food poisoning incident had never happened. I ignored them, finding a corner seat furthest from the conveyor belt. I didnt touch anything in the restaurant, drinking only the water Id brought. A colleague next to me asked curiously, Why arent you eating? Kimi said the hand-rolls here are especially delicious. I smiled. Im allergic to raw fish; I cant eat it. You all go ahead. The colleague said Oh and didnt ask further, turning to grab sushi from the conveyor belt.

I sat in the corner, watching the lively scene unfold. I suddenly remembered my previous life. After I reported the restaurant, Olivia went completely bankrupt. Kimi wanted to drain our life savings to cover her debts. I fiercely refused. The news spread through the company. These colleagues secretly gossiped about me, calling me cold-hearted and ruthless, saying I had ruined a young womans life over a trivial matter. Back then, I had secretly grieved over those words for a long time.

But now, I watched as the rat, fatter and larger than last time, scurried through the gaps in the conveyor belt, occasionally crawling out to nibble at the sushi on the plates, leaving behind a few droppings. I watched them eagerly grab the sushi that the rat had defiled, stuffing it into their mouths bite by bite. My heart felt not a single ripple of emotion.

Kimi kept recommending dishes to everyone, especially the black truffle caviar hand-rolls. He insisted it was the restaurants signature dish and a must-try. Just then, the department manager walked in. Kimi immediately went to greet him enthusiastically, leading the manager to the main seat directly facing the conveyor belt. He then turned and presented the manager with the black truffle caviar hand-roll that had just rotated in front of him.

Manager Thomas, please try this. Its our signature dish, personally made by Liv.

The manager smiled and nodded, picking one up and popping it into his mouth. Just as he was about to praise it, his eyes suddenly fixed on the conveyor belt. He paused, rubbed his eyes, thinking he had misseen. Kimis continuous praises still echoed in his ears, about how fresh the hand-rolls were, how authentic the taste. But the manager watched, wide-eyed, as that dusty gray rat crawled out from the gap in the conveyor belt, climbed onto an identical plate of black truffle caviar hand-rolls, took two bites of the caviar, then, with a flick of its rear, left behind a small, dark brown pellet of rat droppings. And that plate of sushi, along with the conveyor belt, slowly rotated right in front of him.

The manager looked down at the half-eaten hand-roll in his hand, then at the rat and its droppings on the conveyor belt. His face instantly flushed crimson. He abruptly stood up from his seat, his voice trembling. R-rat! Theres a rat here!

The entire private room fell silent instantly. Everyone followed his pointing finger. Just in time to see that plump rat, stuck in the gap of the conveyor belt, baring its teeth and nibbling at the sushi, oblivious to its surroundings. After a few seconds of silence, screams erupted one after another. Some female colleagues, terrified of rats, immediately crouched on the floor, their faces pale. Colleagues who had just eaten sushi rushed to the restroom, covering their mouths and vomiting.

The one I just ate, was it climbed on by a rat too?

Oh my god, thats disgusting! Kimi, didnt you say this place was clean?

This rat is almost as big as a cat! How long has it been living here?

The murmurs, accusations, and screams blended together. The scene instantly spiraled out of control. All the customers in the restaurant gathered around. Some took out their phones to take photos and videos. Some immediately called 911 and the health department. Others directly called reporters.

When Olivia squeezed through the crowd, her face was as white as paper. Looking at the scene before her, her legs buckled, and she almost fainted. Kimi was also stunned. He never expected that the restaurant he had proudly vouched for would erupt in such a huge scandal, right in front of all his department colleagues. He instinctively supported the almost-fainting Olivia, still trying to explain. No, everyone, listen to me, this must be an accident, Livs restaurant has always been very clean

But no one listened to his explanations. The fire department soon arrived. They pried open the entire conveyor belt of the sushi restaurant. That plump rat scurried out, followed by several small rats, causing another round of screams from the crowd. The reporters cameras were zoomed in very close, capturing everything clearly.

That same evening, the incident became a trending topic. I stood outside the crowd, watching the two people in disarray inside, then calmly turned and left. The table I had personally overturned in my previous life. This time, they overturned it themselves. Good.