Dangerous Games

PAINTS CHIPPING OFF THE WALLS

Samuel walked into the house, immediately hit by a plethora of aromas. It had been barely three hours since he left Kali to go to the office. He didn't know how long she spent at the mansion, but she must have kept busy in the kitchen after her return. He left his coat on the armchair, along with his keys and satchel, before following the scent of spices to the dining room.

One glance told him all he needed to know. She didn't cook. She had ordered a variety of foods, comfort and otherwise. Two pizza boxes were sitting in front of her with paper boxes filled with stir-fried noodles and some with rice. She had chicken legs, a large box of fries, and a bottle of champagne that she had already opened and was halfway through. He wasn't sure how her digestive system was meant to process everything on the table. With how she watched him, he knew she intended to finish everything.

"You order all this for yourself."

"Are you judging?"

"Never." He looked down at the table, his eyes feasting on the dishes she had spread out. "Can I get in on this?"

"Help yourself."

He pulled out a chair

"What's wrong with you?"

"Why should anything be wrong?"

"You are a stress eater. You know I know this. Come on. Just tell me what happened?"

"It's nothing."

"Is it really nothing, or you don't feel like telling me."

"Both," She muttered, lowering her lashes and stabbing the noodles with her chopsticks. "But the latter is more likely."

Samuel sighed. "What did my mother do?"

"Scolded me for redesigning the apartment. The car, the party. Basically, she didn't like me using her money."

"You knew she'd be upset."

"And I still don't care. I wouldn't care if she paced herself raw with worry. It wouldn't matter to me. Today, she went over the line when she decided to involve my family, my parents, and my mother. She decided to..."

"What did she say?"

"She implied..." Kali snickered, shaking her head in admonishment. "No, not implied. She insisted that my mother was the reason I grew up to be materialistic. She accused my mother of raising me to seduce and attract men that could provide a good life for me because my mother was a woman who had regrets about marrying a mere factory worker."

Samuel couldn't hide the horror that cloaked his face. Kali had only ever spoken about her parents with reverence, love and devotion. He could only imagine how it made her feel to have his mother, of all people, attack their character in her presence. Not only was he horrified by what she had to sit through but also at his mother's insinuations. He knew she would push back against Kali spending the family money how she pleased, but he was surprised she would take such a hateful route.

"I am so sorry."

"She insulted them through me, saying that my character reflects their upbringing."

"You know that's what she wanted, right? She wanted to offend you. Insulting you doesn't phase you when it's coming from her."

"So, she chose to insult people she's never met. People who can't even defend themselves. My parents.'

"You made a deal with her to save your sister from living on the street and struggling to pay off the debt together. It's easy to see how much your family means to you. She took the route that gave her the result she wanted."