At the Feast, All Awaited Me; I Trashed the Food

On Thanksgiving, my brother's girlfriend came to the house for the first time.

My mother had the groceries bought before I was even awake, then told me to cook.

Millie, honey, you're the head chef at a five-star hotel. Today the kitchen's all yours!

I cooked in a kitchen well past a hundred degrees while the whole family sat in the living room under the air conditioning, eating watermelon.

When I finally had a full spread ready, I called out toward the living room, "Mom, food's done, come in and carry it out!"

I called three times before my mother lost her patience.

"Can't you see I'm sitting here talking with your brother's girlfriend? Just bring the dishes to the table, everyone's been starving for ages!"

The wet towel around my neck had long since gone warm, and fat beads of sweat ran down my cheeks to my throat.

I stared at the spread on the island for a moment, then scooped myself a bowl of rice.

Once I'd eaten my fill, I dumped everything that was left into the trash.

...

I threw all the grease-caked pots and pans into the sink in one go.

Washed my hands, wiped my face, and felt a rush of pure satisfaction.

I pushed open the kitchen door, and the cool air came at me in waves, like every pore in my body had burst open.

God, that felt good.

Seeing me come out, my mother looked up. "The food's all done, right? Bring it out already, your brother's girlfriend's been hungry forever!"

I didn't answer. I walked straight back to my room.

My brother's girlfriend, Zelda Simmons, changed color slightly. "Auntie, your daughter isn't upset, is she? She didn't look too good just now."

My mother quickly grabbed her hand to smooth it over. "Oh please, of course not. She knew you were coming, she took the day off just to make you something nice!"

"Millie's cooking, there's nothing to say about it. And taking a day off, that's over a thousand in wages, just gone."

I heard my mother's voice clearly from my room. So she did know my day's pay was over a thousand.

Three days earlier she'd told me to take today off, because my brother's girlfriend was coming over.

I'd suggested she bring everyone to eat at my hotel instead. I get an employee discount, it would save a lot of money.

My mother refused. "Whoever heard of taking someone to a hotel the first time they visit? Haven't you heard a home-cooked spread is the highest way to honor a guest?"

I'd tried to talk her out of it. "Eating out at a hotel is totally normal now. Nice atmosphere, good impression, what's wrong with that?"

She flat-out refused and told me to take the day off and cook at home.

Thanksgiving is already a busy time at the hotel. I had to beg until my throat was raw before the manager finally agreed.

I had our purchasing manager bring me back a case of seafood, and chicken, duck, fish, and meat on top of that.

From early morning I was in the kitchen washing and chopping, and the whole time, my mother never once asked if I needed help.

After Zelda arrived, she didn't set foot in the kitchen at all.

One minute she'd send me to pour a glass of water, the next to cut up some fruit.

My father was curled up on the couch on his phone, my brother was eagerly rubbing Zelda's shoulders and legs, and my mother kept holding Zelda's hand, fussing over her comfort.

Only I was in the kitchen drenched in sweat, grinding away like a workhorse.

It was so hot I cracked the kitchen door open. A little cool air came in, and it made a huge difference.

But the next second my mother came storming over. "What are you opening the door for? All the heat from the kitchen is coming into the living room!"

Bang, she slammed the door shut again, and I stood there at the stove for a moment.

The food was all done. All I'd asked was for them to come carry it out, and even that was too much.

"Millie! What are you doing? What are you doing holed up in your room?" My mother's voice pulled me back.

"I'm taking a shower. I reek of sweat," I answered.

"Honestly, you always drop the ball at the worst time!" my mother muttered. "Hurry it up!"

As I showered, I pictured the look on my mother's face when she found the whole spread in the trash.

But even after I'd washed up, changed my clothes, and come out, the whole family was still sitting on the couch.

"You're done! Go bring the food out!" My mother shot me a glance.

Then she turned to Zelda with a smile. "Millie's a chef at the Regent House Hotel. Everything I had her make today is a signature dish from her restaurant. Zelda, honey, you have to eat plenty!"

"Thank you, Auntie, you're so good to me!" Zelda clung to my mother's arm like the two of them were the real mother and daughter.

"What are you standing there for? Go bring the food!" Seeing me freeze, my mother pursed her lips.

"Seriously, I'm starving. Why are you so slow today? Couldn't you have brought the food out before going to shower?" My brother joined in complaining.

I stayed where I was, and glanced toward the kitchen. "I forgot to buy drinks. I'll go get some."

I grabbed my bag and headed quickly for the door.

"Hold on!" my father called after me.

My stomach dropped. Had they figured it out?

"Grab me a pack of smokes, the good brand! I'm in a good mood today, splurge a little!" My dad shot me a look.

I nodded. "Got it."

"And remember, low-sugar juice, all natural. Your brother's girl is watching her weight lately!" The door slammed behind me, shutting out every last voice.

It was still blazing hot outside, but I felt calm all over.

There was an iced-latte place downstairs, and I walked in.

The blast of cold air cleared my head even more.

One cold sip of iced fruit tea and I felt alive again.

I wondered what their faces would look like when they found the kitchen empty.

My mom posted in the family group chat: "Mildred, what drinks did you go buy, and you're still not back?"

"Hurry up already, are we supposed to eat or not! It's already noon!" My brother chimed in right after.

"Bring me a whole carton while you're at it, save yourself another trip." My dad sent a voice message, taking his sweet time.

Normally he bought his own, and he'd never spring for the good brand.

I couldn't hold back a laugh.

Rested up, I drove back to my own place.

Two years ago I'd bought myself a condo, not big, but decorated warm and cozy, and I loved it.

It was like only inside my own place did I ever feel at home.

Another half hour passed, and my mom called.

I hesitated a moment, then picked up.

"Mildred! Are you out of your mind? The food! I'm asking you where the food is!" My mom's shriek nearly blew out my eardrum.

I checked the time. It had been over an hour since I left, and only now had they noticed the food was gone.

"I figured none of you were hungry, so I ate, and dumped what was left." I said it lightly.

My mom lost it. "Mildred! Our whole family waited all this time, and you say we weren't hungry? Did you do this on purpose?"

"She knew Zelda was coming over to eat today, she damn well did it on purpose!" My brother's voice came through the phone.

"Great, so no good smokes for me today." My dad muttered.

"Does your sister not want me here? Maybe I should just go." I heard Zelda's pitiful little voice.

"Zelda, you can't leave! Mildred's just like that, she's got a screwed-up temper, she's a total nutcase!" My brother swore up a storm, like he wanted to tear me limb from limb.

When I was drenched in sweat in that hundred-degree kitchen, not one of them asked if I was tired.

The second they couldn't eat, every one of them came out swinging, righteous as could be.

"Mom, I worked all morning in that kitchen, and I couldn't even get you to carry out a plate."

"So I had no choice but to eat by myself."

"You've got some nerve! Mildred, how did I ever give birth to a piece of garbage like you? What are we supposed to do now? Where are we going to pull a whole spread of food from!" My mom demanded over the phone.

"That's your problem, not mine. Either way, I'm full!" I didn't want to listen to her rant, so I hung up.

My mom wouldn't give up, calling me over and over, and I didn't pick up a single one.

Half an hour later, my manager called.

"Mildred, didn't you say you took the day off to cook at home? How come your mom and your brother showed up here to eat at the hotel?"

"What!" I shot upright off the couch.

"They ordered a whole table of seafood, king crab, lobster, premium abalone, and they grabbed a bottle of the most expensive wine we've got!" There was a bit of gossip in my manager's tone.

"Mildred, I never would've guessed, your family's really loaded! Oh, right, what did you actually take the day off to do? We were slammed here!"

Before I could even explain, my mom tagged me in the group chat: "Today I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't forget!"

She dropped a photo into the group chat: a whole table of seafood, plus that bottle of wine the restaurant sold for nine grand.

"All of this goes on your tab! Consider it your compensation to us!"

I looked at the photo in the group and couldn't help thinking my mother had truly lost her mind.

With the service charge, a meal like that wouldn't come to less than a hundred thousand.

"Mom, do you even know how much that table of food costs?" I couldn't hold it in, so I asked.

"Of course I know! It's your future sister-in-law's first visit. You expect me to skimp on the spread?"

"If you hadn't dumped the food, we wouldn't have had to come all the way to a five-star hotel."

"Today's meal goes straight on your tab, and I'll have them dock it from your wages! See if you ever dare to walk out on us again!"

My mother said it with total conviction, her voice full of the smug certainty that she had me right where she wanted me.

I called the manager at once. "Faith Gray, once the party's over, don't let them leave until they've paid. I'm not covering that bill!"

"What? Your parents are planning to charge it to you? That's going to be a lot of money!" Faith was stunned.

I gave her the short version of how it had all started, and she couldn't help getting worried.

"They're not going to skip out on the bill, are they? Dine and dash?"

"No. They've got over a million set aside to buy my brother a house. They can cover a hundred-thousand tab." I put her mind at ease.

"And one more thing. Process my transfer right now. The new place in Harbor City, I'll take it!"

Faith had come to me two weeks ago. The new Harbor City branch was starting its soft opening next week.

They wanted me there as head chef, a thirty percent raise, but it was too far from home, so I'd kept turning it down.

After the scene they'd pulled today, I suddenly had all the resolve I needed to get far away for good.

"Got it. I understand exactly what you mean!" Faith caught on in an instant.

My parents and my brother kept dropping photos into the group chat.

"Look at this king crab leg, thicker than my finger. One bite of that meat and it's just heaven!" my brother marveled, cracking crab meat out for Zelda as he went.

My mother kept piling food onto Zelda's plate too. "Here, Zelda, eat up. We put you through so much today. When Mildred comes home tonight, watch me beat her senseless!"

My father had his wine poured too. "Nine grand for a bottle, huh? Today I'm going to savor this properly!"

"Mildred, I'm giving you one chance right now. Come settle the bill yourself, then give your sister-in-law a proper apology, and we'll call the whole thing done!" My mother tagged me again.

I let out a scoff. Even now, she still expected me to go apologize.

"You get over here fast. I'm calling your sister-in-law's parents to come too! Before those two get married, we have to lay down the rules for you!"

Her words dragged me back into thought. My brother was the one getting married, and they were laying down rules for me?

"When you get here, your attitude better be sincere. In front of both families, you'll give a proper promise that from now on you'll respect your sister-in-law!"

My mother rattled on to herself. I didn't answer a single word.

She went ahead exactly as she pleased and called Zelda's parents over to the hotel.

Faith told me my father felt he hadn't drunk his fill with the in-laws, so he'd ordered another bottle.

Another nine grand. They really did have money to burn.

A few rounds of wine in, and probably because I still hadn't shown up, my mother finally hit her limit.

"Mildred! Where the hell did you die off to? If you don't get here now, I'll file a complaint against you!"

A laugh slipped out of me. Complain about me?

Even if I did work at the hotel, I'd taken the day off. On what grounds could she possibly file a complaint?

Faith kept relaying what was happening in the private dining room.

"Your dad's had too much to drink, your mom looks pleased with herself, and your brother and his girlfriend are having the time of their lives."

I snorted. They wouldn't be smiling once the check came.

"Millie, your mom actually went to the front desk to file a complaint against you. When they asked her the reason, she said it was because you never came to apologize."

"The girl at the desk was completely lost. She told your mom a day off isn't a complaint matter, that family business isn't something they handle. Your mom's face went black! Ha!" Faith was laughing so hard she could barely get it out.

"Mildred! I'm saying this one last time. Get to the hotel right now!"

"You will apologize today! You have no idea how hurt Zelda is. If you ruin your brother's marriage, your dad and I will not let this go!"

"Are you even there? Dead or something? Answer me!" My mother's tone was getting more impatient by the second.

I left the group chat, and blocked every one of them on my way out.

The world went quiet all at once. I stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the people strolling below after dinner.

In groups, in families, all of them together. The picture I'd wanted for as long as I could remember.

I'd known from the start that my parents played favorites.

My brother's grades were bad, not good enough for a decent high school, so my mother paid and pulled strings to get him in. He barely scraped into some no-name community college in the end.

When it was my turn, I'd actually gotten into a four-star high school.

My mother went behind my back and enrolled me in a culinary trade school instead.

She didn't understand any of it. All she knew was that going to that school came with a thousand-dollar reward.

I cried and asked her why. She put the money into my brother's account and told me, "What does a girl need all that schooling for? You're just going to get married off anyway!"

"The program I signed you up for lets you learn to cook. Your future in-laws will thank us for being so farsighted!"

I made something of myself on my own. From a lowly kitchen helper, I clawed my way up to today, head chef at a five-star restaurant.

Because I grew up unloved, I always wanted to prove I was the one my parents should have cared about most.

Once I started earning, I began buying them things. Clothes for my mother, gold jewelry.

Cigarettes and liquor for my father, a car too, though the car ended up in my brother's hands the very next month.

No one ever praised me. They said all of it was simply what I owed them.

"We raised you all these years. Now it's your turn to pay us back." That was my mother's favorite line.

My phone rang. My mother's call.

"Mildred, why is the front desk saying the bill can't be signed today? What trick are you pulling now?" She was shrieking down the line.

"No trick. I just don't work there anymore." I gave a cold laugh.

That sixteen-thousand-dollar tab? Whoever wants to pay it can pay it.