"Do you need any help?" Since getting married, Felix Shaw entered the kitchen for the first time; previously, it was always the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law who busied themselves there, while he, as the only man in the house, always waited on the sofa for meals to be served.
"No need." Mia Foster had already washed the rice, added water, and turned on the power.
There were plenty of ingredients in the fridge; she chose tomatoes and some vegetables and started picking them at the sink.
"Felix Shaw, this time only." With these simple words, Felix Shaw understood Mia Foster’s meaning; he did not speak but stood at the sink and started picking the greens too, his thin lips curling into a smile softening the contours of his handsome face.
It was his first time doing this work and Felix Shaw ended up throwing away almost half of a celery stalk. Mia Foster glanced at it indifferently but didn’t say anything.
An hour later, the dinner table was set with four dishes: celery with cashews, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried beef, and a bowl of bamboo shoot soup.
"Go call Auntie for dinner." After setting up the tableware, Mia Foster instructed indifferently. Hearing the title "Auntie," Felix frowned slightly, seemingly displeased, but didn’t say anything; he merely responded "Okay" and went to call his mother to the dining room for dinner.
At the dinner table, Melody Zachary kept praising her daughter-in-law for being virtuous, beautiful, capable at work, and good at cooking. Mia Foster just faintly curled the corners of her lips, not responding, while Felix seemed to be in a good mood, eating enthusiastically. Soon, one bowl of rice was empty, and he pushed his empty bowl in front of Mia Foster, "Help me get some more."
Looking at the empty bowl pushed in front of her, Mia Foster did not take it. Looking at the two, Melody disapprovingly said, "Felix, come on, let Mom get it for you. Mia has also been tired all day."
Seeing Melody reaching out, Mia Foster then took the bowl, "You eat; I’ll get it."
With that, she took the bowl and headed to the kitchen.
"This child, always so fond of bossing people around. You should go yourself next time." Seeing Mia entering the kitchen, Melody muttered quietly, "Mom, if you eat more, you’ll recover faster from your illness."
Felix Shaw placed some stir-fried beef into his mother’s bowl, to which Melody responded unhappily, "What illness does Mom have? If you had brought Mia back earlier, Mom would have been better long ago."
"Mom, it’s all my fault, please eat more." Felix Shaw served more dishes to his mother, as Mia Foster had already returned with the rice and placed the bowl on the table. She remained silent and resumed eating slowly with her utensils.
The three people, with four dishes, aside from Mia Foster, the mother and son ate quite a bit. When they put down their utensils, Melody pushed her daughter-in-law back to the living room, "Go rest, Mom will wash the dishes."
Melody’s demeanor was starkly different from before the meal when she was sickly lying on the sofa. After dinner, her joy was evident in her words, as if there was something delightful in the house, her expressions beaming continuously.
Mia Foster didn’t intend to show off her virtue; with a faint curl of her lips, once Melody headed into the kitchen, she stood up, took her bag from the coat rack, and walked towards the entrance, "I should go back."
She had just put on one high heel when her waist was suddenly gripped tightly, Felix Shaw hugged her from behind.
Without their skin touching intimately, perhaps worried that Mia Foster would dislike it, Felix Shaw bowed his body, resting only his chin on Mia Foster’s shoulder.
He whispered softly, "Please stay, Mom has been sick for several days, just to cheer her up."
With a gentle sigh, Mia Foster did not turn back, "Felix Shaw, we are in the process of getting a divorce."
"Just one night, please, I’ll sleep on the sofa."