Chapter 176 Eating the Breakfast She Made
Early morning, Matilda started preparing breakfast.
Wentworth's appetite had improved dramatically. He'd graduated from liquids to actual food—meat, bread, substantial meals. The problem was, Matilda wasn't great at making those things.
Back at the border station, it had been manageable. Zoey had bought her a collection of kitchen gadgets that made even a cooking novice look competent. But here, those tools were nowhere to be found, and online shopping wasn't an option.
She settled on simmering a pot of chicken broth and picking up some pastries from the rehabilitation center's cafeteria.
She was heading back with a bag of bread and croissants when she spotted Amelia and Juliana approaching. Juliana carried an insulated container and a package wrapped in baker's paper.
Matilda's stomach sank. "Why is Juliana still here? Didn't her parents come to take her home?"
She didn't want either of them around, but Amelia was technically her mother-in-law. Matilda forced a smile. "Mom, Juliana. Good morning."
Amelia looked down her nose at Matilda. "Juliana made breakfast for Wentworth."
"Oh, I already made something. There's chicken broth on the stove," Matilda said quickly.
Amelia's gaze fixed on the pastries in Matilda's hands, her disapproval plain. "You're feeding my son sugar-loaded junk every day. How is that supposed to help his recovery?"
"Wentworth seems to enjoy it though." Matilda's smile felt strained.
Amelia ignored her completely, that imperious tone returning. "Let Wentworth eat what Juliana made. She's an excellent cook. She grew up abroad, but she can prepare all kinds of dishes—nutritious and delicious."
Juliana projected an air of easygoing generosity. She smiled at Matilda. "Matty, please don't misunderstand. I just had some free time and wanted to make Wentworth breakfast. I took care of him for so long—I have feelings for him. Like a doctor worrying about her patient, or a sister concerned about her brother."
Matilda thought, "Yeah, right."
Amelia pressed on. "Juliana is like my daughter now, which makes her Wentworth's sister. A sister making her brother breakfast isn't unreasonable, is it?"
Juliana had just set the food on the living room coffee table when Wentworth's voice cut through the tension.
"If you've brought breakfast, leave it there."
Wentworth emerged from the bedroom. He'd heard every word of the women's exchange. His gaze swept coolly over the coffee table before landing on Matilda. He didn't care about the food—only about how Matilda was handling this.
Seeing him, Amelia pounced immediately. "Wentworth, Juliana took care of you for nearly two months. She's worried about your health, so she made you breakfast. Don't be ungrateful."
"I'm not hungry right now. I'll eat later." Wentworth barely glanced at Juliana as he crossed to Matilda, tugging gently at her hand.
Seeing how much he cared about her feelings melted away Matilda's hurt. She quickly extracted her hand—any more intimacy would just give Amelia more ammunition.
Amelia's voice turned icy. "Eat it while it's hot. It won't taste good cold."
"I said I'm not hungry. I'll eat when I am." Wentworth didn't want to fight with his mother, but he had no intention of eating Juliana's food.
Juliana, who'd been projecting gracious composure, suddenly looked devastated. She stared at Wentworth. "You said you'd repay my kindness."
Wentworth went quiet, his eyes still on Matilda.
Not wanting to put him in an impossible position, Matilda smiled. "Wentworth, just eat it. Food is food."
At that moment, Zoey stumbled out of her room, hair mussed, still in her pajamas. When she spotted the spread on the coffee table, her eyes lit up. "Mom, Juliana, you're so sweet! Bringing breakfast—can I have some?"
Without waiting for permission, she dug in.
"That's for Wentworth!" Amelia snapped.
Zoey was getting on her last nerve, constantly taking Matilda's side.
"Oh!" Zoey's hand flew to her mouth. "For Wentworth? I thought I was the only one who hadn't eaten yet. Oops, I already took a bite. I've been feeling like I might be coming down with something. What if I gave Wentworth my germs?"
Juliana looked at Zoey with barely concealed disgust, but kept her smile in place. "This is a huge portion. How could you possibly think it was all for you? Since you've already started, go ahead and finish it. I'll make more tomorrow."
She'd see just how much Zoey could eat.
Zoey shot Matilda a meaningful look. I can help you today, but not tomorrow.
Not wanting to make things harder for anyone, Matilda spoke up. "If Juliana wants to handle Wentworth's breakfasts, I won't make them anymore. It'll save me time, and Wentworth will eat better."
---
After that day, Juliana really did show up every morning with breakfast.
And Zoey couldn't keep helping. She'd forced herself to eat some that first day and thrown it all up later.
Every time Juliana delivered breakfast, Wentworth would look to Matilda. Only if she said it was okay would he eat.
Juliana and Amelia would linger afterward, watching Wentworth finish eating and observing his recovery treatments—the rehabilitation center's equipment combined with Matilda's personal care and acupuncture.
Amelia had initially opposed the acupuncture, but watching Wentworth improve day by day, she'd stopped interfering.
Wentworth started going for morning runs. He could do pull-ups on the bars. Push-ups. His strength was flooding back.
Two weeks later, when the center's specialists evaluated Wentworth's condition, even his primary physician was shocked. His recovery was remarkably fast. That kind of progress required advanced medical care, comprehensive support, and an incredibly strong constitution to begin with.
Matilda felt genuine joy surge through her. Wentworth was finally healed!
She was about to ask when they could go home when Amelia cut in, as if Matilda were too stupid to understand. "The comprehensive support came from Juliana and me. We laid the foundation for his recovery. That's why the later stages went so well."
Matilda just smiled, not bothering to argue.
Wentworth didn't say anything either. He turned to the doctor. "When can I leave the rehabilitation center and return to work?"
The doctor didn't know exactly what Wentworth did for a living, but whatever it was, it required being in top physical condition.
"You can be discharged and go home anytime. But if you're talking about returning to work, I'd recommend waiting another two weeks."