Chapter 3

I picked up the black plastic bag and strode towards the dining table.

On the table was the Slow-roasted Prime Rib I had been preparing since yesterday, slow-roasted for a full twenty hours.

“Hey, Kate, what are you doing? Dinner hasn’t started yet, why are you putting trash on the table?” Brittany shrieked.

I ignored her, deftly unscrewing the cap of the imported toilet cleaner.

With a flick of my wrist.

“Splash!”

The entire bottle of toilet cleaner poured out.

The blue liquid instantly mixed into the rich brown gravy, bubbling eerily and emitting a nauseating smell.

The room fell into a dead silence.

Ashley’s eyes widened. “Mom! What are you doing? Are you crazy!”

I didn’t stop.

I grabbed the powerful degreaser and aimed the spray nozzle at the beautifully plated Atlantic lobster.

“Hiss—hiss—”

White foam covered the lobster shell.

“Ah! My lobster! Three hundred dollars!” Ashley shrieked, shoving me away.

“Mom! Are you sick?! I paid for all this! Do you know how expensive it is? Can you afford to pay me back?!”

I stumbled back, my waist hitting the corner of the table with a searing pain.

But I laughed out loud.

Then I grabbed the brand-new toilet brush and plunged it into the Slow-roasted Prime Rib, now mixed with toilet cleaner, stirring vigorously.

Gravy splashed.

The liquid splattered onto Ashley’s new designer wool sweater.

“Ah—! That’s disgusting! My clothes! Mom! You did that on purpose!” Ashley jumped back, dodging me.

I held up the dripping toilet brush, pointing at the ruined Christmas dinner. My voice was calm.

“Ashley was right, this cleaning power is truly strong.”

“Don’t you all think I’m dirty? That I reek of cooking oil? That I’m only fit to scrub toilets?”

“Then you all can taste what a toilet brush tastes like.”

“This is your wonderful daughter, your wonderful granddaughter’s thoughtful gesture, specially chosen, worth hundreds of dollars!”

“Eat it!”

“Anyone who doesn’t eat it is disrespecting Ashley and throwing away her heartfelt gift!”

David finally reacted, his face flushed purple with rage. He lunged at me, raising his hand. “Katherine!”

“You’ve gone too far!”

The slap didn’t land.

Because I was still holding the bottle of powerful degreaser, aimed right at his eyes.

David froze, his hand stopping mid-air. “You wouldn’t dare spray me, would you?”

“Katherine, I think you’ve had enough of the good life! What’s wrong with you, going crazy on Christmas? Do you know how much this table of food cost? You couldn’t pay it back even if I sold you!”

I sneered, “How much?”

“Is it worth my ten years of youth? Is it worth my ten years of being a slave? Is it worth all the housekeeper fees and caregiver fees I saved the Johnson family?”

Susan slapped her thigh, wailing, “You were just doing your duty!”

“What wife doesn’t do housework? Are you so special? Ashley buys you a gift and you’re still picky, you ruin everything, you destroy the whole family’s Christmas dinner! You’re a total spendthrift! Such a curse! How did our Johnson family ever marry a jinx like you?!”

Ashley stood by, her eyes red with anger, tears streaming down her face.

She turned and threw herself into David’s arms, crying heartbreakingly: “Dad… I really just wanted to make Mom’s life easier… I don’t know why Mom hates me so much… Did I do something wrong… Dad… I’m so sad…”

Look.

This is the daughter I raised.

She was the one who humiliated me with a pile of cleaning tools, but now she looks like she’s suffered the greatest injustice.