I stepped in and said sharply, “What are you doing? Why are you eating like that? Are you eating something you’re not supposed to?”
She jumped, the spoon slipping from her hand and clattering to the floor. When she saw me, her face went pale.
“J-Jake… why are you home so early?” she stammered. “I… I was just having lunch…”
I didn’t respond. I walked over and took the bowl from her hands.
And the moment I looked inside…
My heart nearly stopped.
There was no real food in it.
Just dry, yellowed rice mixed with fish scraps—bones and heads. Something you wouldn’t even serve to a stray animal.
My entire body went cold.
Why… was my wife eating this?
The silence in the kitchen felt suffocating.
“What is this?” I asked quietly.
Emily didn’t answer. Her hands trembled on the table, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.
“Emily,” I said again, more firmly. “Why are you eating this?”
She lowered her head. “It’s nothing… I was just a little hungry.”
“Don’t lie to me!”
My voice came out louder than I meant. From the other room, the baby stirred, then went quiet again.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.