Revenge is best served cold

Chapter 23 Tattletale

Eric shrugged indifferently. “Oh, I'll just avoid telling the truth, then.”

Jack was practically fuming. Since he couldn't win the argument against Eric, he turned and shot me a glare.

“Jane, you're not divorced yet! I'm going to tell Mom and Dad about this. No matter how much they dote on you, they're not going to stand b

With

that, he stormed off, leaving me and Eric standing in awkwardness. He had completely ruined the good mood I had earlier.

I sighed and broke the silence, saying, "Jack's just crazy. Don't pay him any mind. Let's eat."

Jack used to dote on me a lot. He was a great brother who would prioritize me over everything. But that changed after Elsa came of age.

Forget it. There was no point in dwelling on the past.

Eric and I brought the dishes to the table. The meal started in silence with none of us speaking.

He suddenly placed some food on my plate and broke

the silence. "Your cooking's excellent. Could you teach me when you have time?"

I was momentarily stunned, and memories came flooding like a tidal wave.

I had only ever cooked for Jeremiah, but he had never once complimented me. Instead, he'd constantly criticize and nitpick, let alone reque After we got married, his overt machismo got worse. He believed the kitchen was meant for me while he should shine in the business world. A hand waved in front of my face, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Eric stared at me briefly and said, “Forget it if you aren't willing to teach. I won't force you.”

I smiled again, and my tone lightened. “When did I ever say that? Come to me whenever you want to learn. I'll teach you everything I know, Seeing me smile, Eric's lip curved slightly. He raised a hand and tapped my forehead lightly." Don't push your luck!"

I covered my forehead and leaned back slightly. "Who's pushing their luck? Since I'm not charging you for tuition fees, I'd say I'm being nice My matter-of-

fact tone left Eric speechless, and he couldn't help but laugh out of exasperation. The atmosphere warmed up once more, and we ended the After dinner, Eric offered to wash the dishes, and I didn't stop him.

Eric had threatened to call Mom and Dad. I thought he had just said so at the top of his head, but I soon received a call from Dad. "Come home now. Your mother and I need to talk to you." Dad adopted a stern tone, and I knew Jack had tattled.

Just as I reluctantly agreed with a frown on my face, Eric emerged from the kitchen.

He glanced at me and sat across from me. Then, he calmly rolled down his sleeves and offered, “I can go with you."

I blinked, looking visibly confused. “Why would you want to come with me?”

He patiently explained, “You can't explain much if you're on your own. I can clarify everything to your parents if I'm around.”

With that, he got up and picked up his jacket. "Let's go."

I quickly waved him off. “No need. It's no big deal, and I can explain it myself. My parents are different from Jack. They'll trust me.”

Eric looked at me silently for seconds. "Are you sure?"

"Don't worry. It'll be fine." I declined Eric's offer and drove home.

When I stepped in, I saw Mom and Dad sitting in the living room with grim expressions. Jack sat

beside them, and the tension in the air was palpable.