Chapter 110
While I was cooking, Jason leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching me with gentle eyes.
It gave me the illusion that living like this together might actually be pretty nice.
After dinner, Jason and I went downstairs together and drove our separate cars to work.
While working at my desk, I received a message from Jason.
Jason: [Sue, I have something to do at noon today, so I can't have lunch with you. Make sure you eat well at lunch.]
Followed by a crying emoji.
I replied with a happy emoji.
When lunchtime came, I just ate a bowl of my favorite ramen downstairs.
After eating, there was still a short break time.
I slowly walked back toward the office.
There were several missed calls from Luke on my phone.
Actually, I'd seen him calling while I was eating, but I'd put my phone on silent and left it aside.
While checking my phone, Luke called again.
I answered casually and asked, "What is it?"
"Mom's tests are done. The doctor scheduled surgery for Wednesday morning. Take the day off and come over." Luke's tone was matter-of-fact.
I frowned. "I'm not going. Mom won't be happy to see me anyway."
"Are you really going to be this heartless? No matter what, Mom is an elder. If she says a few words to you, that's normal. Can't you just listen?" Luke was particularly dissatisfied with this.
I refused directly. "I'm not going. I have to work. Isn't it enough that you're at the hospital?"
"Sue! Why are you still so cold and selfish? Mom is sick and having surgery at the hospital, and you won't come take care of her? Making me take care of her alone—you're shirking your responsibility!"
Luke kept complaining. "Do you even know how tiring it is to take care of a patient? We came to find you, hoping you could help, but you don't care about anything!"
Hearing him say this, I suddenly understood.
No wonder he kept calling me over and over—he was too tired from taking care of Cora at the hospital and wanted me to take over!
I held my phone and laughed coldly. "I already hired a caregiver and split the medical expenses with you. What more do you want?"
"She's your mom, too! Of course, you should come take care of her!" Luke said through gritted teeth. "You think hiring a caregiver is enough? These caregivers nowadays are all half-hearted when taking care of patients. Can you really stand to let Mom be treated like that?"
The way he put it, people who didn't know better would probably think I'd done nothing and pushed all the responsibility and problems onto him.
"Luke, can you not be so unreasonable?" I took a deep breath but still couldn't hold back.
"What did you say?!"
"Cora said it herself—the only person she can rely on in the future is you, her son. She gave you all her money and love before. Now it's time for you to repay her. What right do you have to make demands of me?"
I said sarcastically, "Since you think I'm unreliable, then stop calling me over and over. So what if I'm cold? Isn't that what you deserve?"
"But Mom gave birth to you, so you have a responsibility to take care of her." Luke still insisted on this.
It seemed he was really tired from taking care of her at the hospital, otherwise he wouldn't be so persistent.
But what did that have to do with me?
I answered calmly, "I've already done my part. You can handle the rest yourselves."
As soon as I finished speaking, Luke angrily hung up.
Listening to the busy tone on the phone, I felt exceptionally pleased.
It was time to get out of work.
I tidied up my desk and went downstairs with some nervousness.
To my surprise, Jason didn't come find me after work today.
While I felt relieved, a small sense of loss stirred in my heart.
Maybe he'd gone home before me—after all, Jason had done that before.
But even after I got home, I didn't see Jason anywhere.
After realizing what I was thinking about, I shook my head hard.
It was actually good that he wasn't here—I could enjoy some personal time.
Lying on the couch, eating fruit I'd bought from the supermarket, watching the TV series I'd been following.
Meanwhile, at the Old Cooper Mansion.
Jason wore an apron, listening with a serious expression as Chef Linda taught him how to cut vegetables.
In the living room, Jessica, Grandma Cooper, and Thomas were dumbfounded.
Jessica looked toward the kitchen, then at Grandpa and Grandma Cooper, asking tentatively, "Will we actually get to eat dinner today?"
Jason had come home very early today.
As soon as he got home, he said he wanted to learn cooking from Chef Linda, then went into the kitchen. It had now been three hours...
Thomas couldn't bear to let Jessica go hungry. He glanced at the kitchen from afar and shook his head. "How about we go out to eat?"
Grandma Cooper nodded repeatedly in agreement. "I think that works. The way Jason is now, forget tonight—we probably won't get to eat until tomorrow."
"Alright, I'll go tell him." Thomas stood up, took Jessica's hand, and walked to the kitchen doorway. "Jason, your mom and I are taking Jessica out to eat. You keep working hard at home. Jessica is hungry."
"No! You can't leave!" Jason came out of the kitchen holding a kitchen knife, his expression serious. "You all need to help me taste my cooking in a bit to see how it is. I'm going to make this for Sue in the future!"
His gaze swept over everyone inch by inch.
Thomas helplessly sat back down on the couch with Jessica.
"Jessica, have some crackers first."
"Thank you, Grandpa. You all have some too."
After the three of them had eaten an entire package of crackers and quite a few small bread rolls, Jason finally came out carrying plates.
"Sorry for the wait. Come eat." Jason said with a smile.
The three immediately walked to the dining table. When they saw the obviously blackened food on the plates, the forks in their hands froze.
"Eat up. Didn't you say you were hungry?"
Jason personally put a piece of ribs on Jessica's plate, looking at her with eager eyes. "Jessica, try my cooking."
Jessica looked at the piece of ribs in her bowl that looked no different from charcoal, and finally mustered up the courage to take a bite.
The next instant, Jessica's entire little face went pale!
A mouthful of bitter ribs was in her mouth, but she couldn't swallow them.
"How is it? Is it good?" Jason still looked at her expectantly.
Thomas handed Jessica a napkin and said, "Jessica, if you can't eat it, just spit it out."
Jessica quickly spat it out and looked at Jason apologetically. "I'm sorry, Dad. I tried my best."
He turned to look at Grandma Cooper and Thomas. "Why don't you try the other dishes?"
Thomas's reaction was even stronger than Jessica's—he spat it out as soon as he ate it.
As for Grandma Cooper, looking at the obviously inedible things on the table, after a moment of silence, she said to Chef Linda, "Go make some other dishes."