For 25 years, Doris put all his heart into her family by cooking. But when her meals began to disappear from the refrigerator without leaving a trace, she was bewildered. One evening, she returned earlier and caught the culprit in flagrante delicto, which triggered events that caused her to move away from everything she knew.
You probably don’t expect your husband for 25 years to betray you. Not in the grandiose and dramatic way shown by the films – not secret mistresses or offshore bank accounts – but in the discreet and reckless way that eats up trust like rust on metal. For me, it started with the refrigerator.
A Sad Woman – Source: Midjourney
Cooking has always been my love language. Our children, Ellie and Jonah, grew up with meals prepared at home almost every night. Even when I was working late in the hospital, I found the joy of filling the refrigerator with dishes they worshipped: simmered dishes, pasta, soups, and stews.
“Mom, how do you do it?” Ellie used to ask, perched on the kitchen counter. “You work all these crazy hours and you always cook like this?” “
“Love, my dear,” I said, preparing his favorite beef stew. “It’s a matter of love. ”
A woman cooking in the kitchen – Source: Pexels
When the kids moved, I thought my job in the kitchen would slow down, but it wasn’t. I always cooked with the same enthusiasm, spending hours on meals for my husband Randy and I.
But later, something changed.
Every time I came home, the refrigerator looked like a crime scene. Empty shelves. Dirty containers abandoned at the counter. Meals that should have lasted a week disappeared within a few days.
An almost empty refrigerator – Source: Pexels
“Randy,” I asked one evening, the exhaustion of my voice, “Where are the foods?” “
He shrugged his shoulders without raising his eyes on his phone. “I was really hungry. ”
“Hunger?” I made a gesture towards the sink overflowing with dirty dishes. “Vosed enough to eat a lasagna, two soups and a whole saucepan in one day?” ”
He screamed. “What can I say?” I’m a growing boy. ”
“It’s not funny, Randy,” I insisted, my hands trembling as I was grinding the counter. “Do you have any idea how long it takes to prepare these meals?” ”
“Come on, Doris,” he said, finally looking up with that disdainful smile that I had learned to hate. “You like to cook. It’s YOUR thing. ”
His nonchalance stung me, but I let it pass. I was too tired to talk after a 12-hour shift.
Woes Woes Woes Source: Midjourney
It has become our routine. I was cooking, the food was gone. His apologies – “I skipped lunch,” “I was eating under the effect of stress,” “It’s so good. ”
They were unconvincing, but I did not insist.
“You know,” my colleague Sarah once told me during the lunch break, “It doesn’t look normal, Doris. Did you think about installing a camera? ”
I laughed. “In my own kitchen?” That is ridiculous. ”
“Is that true?” “she asked me. “Because something doesn’t stick. ”
I stalled, ignoring his suspicions. I thought Randy was telling the truth. Until the evening I went home earlier.
A woman driving a car – Source: Unsplash
That evening, a headache and nausea sent me home before the end of my service. I parked the car in our aisle, grateful for peace. But as I entered, my relief was replaced by confusion.
The music sounded in the kitchen, strong enough to shake the windows.
“Randy?” I called, leaving my bag on the couch.
There is no answer.
A woman walking in a room – Source: Pexels
The kitchen lights were lit, throwing long shadows onto the walls. And there, standing, back to me, stood May–Randy’s sister. She was methodically packing one container after another of the refrigerator’s food in a dreadful pink tote.
I froze, looking at her with disbelief. She didn’t notice me until I pulled out my phone and started filming everything.
“Oh, She was upset when the flash turned on, and she turned around so fast that she almost flipped a soup container. “Doris. You’ve come home sooner than expected. ”
My voice was icy. “But what are you doing?” ”
Anxious Woman Pointing To Someone: Midjourney
“Uh…” His face reddened. “I’m just taking a few leftovers. Randy said it was good. I have Tommy at home, and you know how hard it is to cook with a five-year-old …”
“Stop,” I cracked, cutting his apologies like a scalpel. “Setting everything in place. NOW. ”
His smile faded. “Doris, it’s not that bad. I’m family. ”
“Family?” “I shouted.” “The family isn’t stealing. The family doesn’t give you the impression that your efforts don’t mean anything. ”
“I didn’t steal anything at all. “May protested. “Randy gave me a key. He said you were always doing too much anyway. ”
“Too much?” The words felt like acid in my throat as I was fixing the bag loaded with all the food stolen. “So you do that regularly?” Do you come here when I’m at work? ”
A pink food-laden tote – Source: Midjourney
“That’s not it,” she stammered. “Randy said you wouldn’t mind.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but I hadn’t finished. “Do you know how many hours I stand every day?” You know everything I sacrificed to run this house, then go home and find my hard work thrown into your damn tote all? ”
May’s eyes shone with tears, but I didn’t care. She tried to put the containers back in the refrigerator before grabs her bag and run away.
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