Lila

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"If your cat ever harmed my daughter, I'd drown your cat," said Martha jokingly.

*Context: Martha's 2-year-old daughter had been pulling Dana's cat's hair and trying to ride her like a horse until the cat hissed in frustration.*

Dana leaned back in her chair. She put her left hand under her right armpit. After some time, she replied with no venom:

"When I was little, my family had a big cat named Lila. She was a good cat. And she was blessed with long white hair. I had a habit of pulling on this hair with all my might when I was little, and usually, my dad was there to tell me to stop when Lila hissed at me. But one day, he wasn't. And I ignored Lila's hisses until she bit my hand. I screamed in agony, and my dad ran over from the backyard. As he bandaged my hand, he said, 'Well, that's what happens when we pull a cat's hair like that.'"

"Well, I was just joking," said Martha. 

"Very nice," said Dana.

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