Seeing the stains spreading across the floor, guilt washed over me, yet I still hoped Sarah would defend me somehow.
But she avoided my eyes and moved to stand beside her husband, gently saying, “Mom, don’t be upset. Life in the city is very convenient. We can get anything we need just downstairs. Really, you don’t need to trouble yourself bringing things from the countryside anymore. It’s tiring for you, and honestly, no one at home really eats them, so they just end up being thrown away.”
Seeing Sarah’s expression, a sharp sadness rose in my chest, but I still explained, “I didn’t kill the goose beforehand in case it wasn’t fresh enough. I planned to slaughter it right here so you could taste the freshest flavor.”
“And these vegetables aren’t dirty at all; they’re all homegrown and perfectly fresh.”
Halfway through my words, I noticed the feathers scattered on the floor and went to the kitchen to find a rag to clean them up.
“Mrs. Adams, which rag is for the floor? I’ll wipe this up.”
I smiled and asked Mrs. Adams and David twice, yet they ignored me completely. David stared out the window, and Mrs. Adams kept eating sunflower seeds.