It was soon dinnertime.
Calvin quietly reminded me to only eat the vegetables and avoid everything else.
As I sat at the dining table, I thought the holiday feast actually looked decent. But I noticed a major problem upon closer inspection.
Right in the center of the table sat a massive seafood platter with a whole lobster on display. However, the shell had turned dull and grayish, and the meat looked soft and watery. It was obvious it had gone bad.
Several other dishes looked just as questionable. They seemed to have been reheated so many times that they'd turned into soggy, unrecognizable paste. There was no telling how many days those leftovers had been sitting around.
The holiday ham, usually the centerpiece of a festive dinner, was already carved down to the bone. There was barely any meat left on it. I had no idea why it was even on the table.
Perhaps Mrs. Hearth already realized that I wasn't easy to push around. She spun the lazy Susan and moved all the meat dishes in front of me.
She said, "I've never had the heart to eat this lobster. Since you're here today, you should have it. I'll just eat the leftovers."
"This pot roast is from Christmas, Mom. Why haven't you thrown it out yet? It's probably gone bad. Don't eat it." Calvin tried to take the tray away, but Mrs. Hearth snatched it back.
She retorted, "How could it have gone bad when I kept it in the fridge? If you don't want it, I'll eat it. The two of you can eat the fresh food."
Fresh food? Other than the greens, everything on the table was leftovers.
I rolled my eyes, grabbed Calvin's phone, and ordered a catered holiday feast from one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city.
Then, I stood up, took the tray with the lobster, and dumped it straight into the trash.
"Mrs. Hearth, if you don't like me, just say it to my face. Why serve a lobster that's been dead for over a week? Your son is a successful CEO, and you're serving this to his girlfriend when she comes over for the first time. Aren't you worried about what people will say about him?"
Calvin immediately backed me up. "That's right, Mom. Are you seriously trying to sabotage my relationship? I finally found someone at the age of 30, and you'd rather see me end up alone?"
Mrs. Hearth looked heartbroken. Staring at the lobster in the trash, she reached out as if she wanted to take it back out. "That lobster is expensive! I've kept it carefully frozen all these years. It should still be fine to eat."
If I'd been acting upset earlier, now I was genuinely laughing out of disbelief.
I couldn't believe Mrs. Hearth had actually cooked a lobster that had been frozen for years. It was as if she wanted no one to survive dinner.
I was genuinely furious now. "Oh, wow. You really tried to feed me a lobster that's been sitting around for years? Were you trying to poison me? What exactly are you trying to pull here? I'm really going to break up with you, Calvin!"
Calvin urged, "Mom! Why don't you throw out these leftovers already? Beryl's upset now. How do you think her dad is going to see me after this?"
He grabbed the leftover dishes and started tossing them straight into the trash. I hurried over to help.
I even spat into each plate just to make sure Mrs. Hearth wouldn't try to fish them back out later. That made everything completely unsalvageable.
The luxurious catered holiday feast I ordered arrived not long after.
Mrs. Hearth sighed when she saw the freshly-made spread on the table. "You two go ahead and eat. I'll just have some bread. I'm practically at death's door anyway, I don't need fancy food like this."
I couldn't be bothered to persuade her. I merely replied, "Suit yourself. If we don't finish this food tonight, I'm throwing it all out later anyway."
"What? Food this good and you're going to throw it away?" Mrs. Hearth stared at me, her eyes wide.
"That's how I am at home. I never eat leftovers since it's unhealthy. And if I marry into this family, the house rules are going to change. Everything has to match my standards," I said.
Calvin looked at me affectionately, as if completely smitten. "Okay, I'll do anything you want."
At that, Mrs. Hearth lost interest in her bread. She grabbed her cutlery and started piling food onto her plate. She then stuffed bite after bite into her mouth like she was afraid the trash can would get to it first.
"Have more lobster, Mrs. Hearth. Otherwise I'm tossing it later," I said as I slid the platter toward her. "There's plenty of beef stew here too. Calvin and I definitely can't finish it ourselves."
Mrs. Hearth was used to eating leftovers all the time. Suddenly getting a freshly cooked luxurious meal clearly delighted her. A faint smile even started to creep onto her face.
