Chapter 2

The next morning, while I was in the kitchen reheating some leftovers for myself, Fiona walked in wearing a silk robe.

She opened the fridge, saw the packed Tupperware, and immediately frowned.

"Mom, why did you put leftovers in the fridge again?"

"I’ve told you, eating leftovers is extremely unhealthy. They are crawling with bacteria and carcinogens. It literally causes cancer!"

Without waiting for my reply, she began snatching the containers out of the fridge, ready to throw them into the trash.

"Fiona, stop! Don't do that!"

I rushed over to grab her wrist. "The food is still perfectly fine. I can just reheat it. It's such a waste to throw it out!"

"Waste?" Fiona sneered. "Mom, your mindset is so outdated. What’s more important, our health or a few bucks?"

"If you get sick trying to save some pocket change, the hospital bills will cost ten times more. You are being penny-wise and pound-foolish."

I stood there, speechless.

When I was young, my family was poor. We had to stretch one meal across several days.

We were well-off now, but the frugality engraved in my bones was something I could never wash away.

As Fiona reached for the remaining containers, Claude walked into the kitchen.

"Claude, please talk to Fiona," I pleaded. "The food is still perfectly good. Tell her not to throw it away!"

Claude looked at Fiona, then at me, looking annoyed.

"Mom, Fiona is right. Leftovers aren’t good for you. Just don’t cook so much next time. Only make what you can finish."

He gently but firmly pushed my hands away from Fiona.

In that moment, it felt like a needle had pierced my heart.

I looked at my son. He wore a crisp, tailored shirt. His hair was perfectly styled. On his wrist was a luxury watch Fiona had bought him.

He was no longer the little boy who used to cling to my legs, begging for candy.

My grip loosened. I watched in silence as Fiona dumped all my hard work into the trash can.

But Fiona wasn’t done. She looked around the kitchen and scoffed.

"Mom, we need to renovate this kitchen. It’s so old and greasy."

"We’re planning to hire a designer this weekend. We’ll install a high-end dishwasher, a built-in steam oven, and get a double-door smart fridge."

I was stunned. "But... everything here works perfectly fine."

"Working and being aesthetic are two completely different things," Fiona said, crossing her arms like she owned the place.

"We value our lifestyle. You need to learn to adapt to modern things."

She then grabbed Claude’s arm and led him to the living room to discuss the design details.

Standing alone in my old kitchen, staring at the garbage can full of my food, I suddenly felt like a stranger in my own home.