“Are you seriously expecting me to feed your relatives?” the wife asked, stunned, glancing at the empty shelves of the kitchen cabinet.
“Are you seriously expecting me to feed your relatives?” Emily repeated, staring at her husband in disbelief before turning back to the bare cupboard. “Jason, can’t you see there is NOTHING HERE?”
Jason stood in the kitchen doorway with his arms folded across his chest. Behind him hovered his brother, Brian, and his sister, Megan.
“Emily, don’t make a scene. Go to the store and buy something. We have guests.”
“Guests?” Emily slowly pushed the cabinet door shut. “Your family showed up without a word of warning, you blew your entire paycheck on your games, and now I’m supposed to conjure dinner out of thin air?”
Brian nudged his brother aside and stepped into the kitchen. His round face shone with sweat, even though it was chilly outside.
“Oh, come on, Emily. We’re not strangers, are we? Is it really that hard to cook up something?” he said, dropping onto a small stool that groaned miserably under his weight.
Megan came in after him, sweeping a disdainful look over the modest room.
“Jason told us you were an excellent homemaker,” she remarked, dragging one finger along the counter. “Although, judging by the state of these cabinets…”
“STOP.” Emily lifted her hand. “First, Jason knew perfectly well we had no money. Second, he also knew there wasn’t any food in this apartment. Third, he never told me you were coming.”
“So?” Jason shrugged. “Borrow from the neighbors.”
After three years of marriage, Emily was finally beginning to understand exactly what kind of man she had tied her life to.
“From the neighbors? Jason, do you remember that we still owe the Miller family twenty-two dollars? And another eleven to Linda?”
“You always blow everything out of proportion,” Jason said, waving her off. “Brian, Megan, wait in the living room. I’ll handle this.”
Once his relatives reluctantly left, Jason moved right up to his wife.
“Emily, don’t embarrass me. They came from another city. What are they supposed to think of me?”
“What were you thinking of me when you spent our last money on a new console?” Emily took a step back. “Jason, I have two dollars in my wallet. That’s all we have until your next paycheck.”
“Buy pasta and hot dogs. Figure something out.”
“No.”
Jason blinked as if he hadn’t understood.
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean I am not going to humiliate myself in front of your relatives and pretend everything is fine. If you want them fed, then YOU feed them.”
At that moment, Brian appeared in the kitchen doorway again.
“Bro, we’re hungry. It was a long trip.”
“Brian, just… give me a minute.” Jason nervously ran a hand through his hair.
“Emily won’t cook?” Brian smirked. “Nice wife you picked. My Ashley would never pull something like that.”
“Your Ashley,” Emily said coldly, “gets household money from you. All I get from Jason are promises.”
Brian’s face flushed red, and he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
“Happy now?” Jason hissed. “You made me look like a fool in front of my brother!”
“Me?” Emily gave a short laugh. “Jason, you make yourself look like a fool every single day. Every time you come home with some new useless piece of junk instead of groceries. Every time you promise things and never do them. Every time you lie to me—and to yourself.”
“SHUT UP!” Jason roared, so loudly that his voice carried straight into the living room.