Chapter 7

The herb-roasted sea bass was buried under cilantro.

Whole sprigs, chopped leaves, and even cilantro sauce covered the dish until Mercy could barely see the fish beneath it.

Mercy hated cilantro.

She always had.

She couldn't tolerate even the faintest taste of it.

Joshua knew that.

A cold smile touched Mercy's lips.

So, this was Evelyn's little revenge.

Mercy carried the sea bass to the table. One glance at the rest of the meal nearly made her wonder whether she'd walked into some bizarre cilantro-themed feast.

There were five dishes on the table, and every single one contained cilantro.

She also noticed that Evelyn prepared peaches for dessert, something Mercy was allergic to.

"Mercy, come sit down," Evelyn called with a smile that hid nothing but malice.

Yet there wasn't a single empty seat at the table.

Wendy sat on one side of Joshua, and Yuna sat on the other.

"I'm not hungry. You all go ahead."

Mercy turned to leave, but Wendy stopped her.

"How could you not be hungry after working all day? Don't tell me you think Mom’s cooking isn't good enough for you."

The atmosphere in the dining room shifted instantly.

Mercy smiled.

"That's quite an accusation. I don't dislike Mom's cooking. I've simply hated cilantro since I was a child, and I'm allergic to peaches.

“Ask your brother if you don't believe me. He knows perfectly well. Even if I sat down, there wouldn't be a single thing here I could eat, so why take up space?"

Mercy's calm response silenced Wendy and left Joshua feeling guilty.

He knew his mother was still furious about the twenty million dollars Mercy took from their private fund.

Twenty million dollars was no small amount.

But Joshua was the one at fault, and even he hadn't expected his mother to go this far and prepare nothing Mercy could eat.

Now that Mercy pointed it out so openly, it looked exactly like what it was: a mother-in-law deliberately mistreating her daughter-in-law.

Caught between them, Joshua found himself in an impossible position.

"Mercy, Mom didn't do it on purpose. She doesn't know your preferences, and I never told her... She already made the food. Just eat a little."

Joshua neatly shifted all responsibility away from himself, and Evelyn immediately chimed in.

"Exactly, Mercy. Cilantro is good for you. You're far too picky. That's probably why you've been married to Joshua for four years and still haven't given me a grandchild. I've waited so long for a grandchild that my hair is turning gray."

"Aunt Mercy is still picky even though she's all grown up!" Yuna declared in her childish voice. "I'm only four, and even I eat everything."

Wendy gently stroked Yuna's head, putting on a tender smile.

"That's because Yuna is a good girl. Don't learn from Aunt Mercy, all right?"

Evelyn had clearly been the one at fault, yet somehow, they twisted everything into Mercy's fault.

Mercy folded her arms and let out an incredulous laugh.

How had she never noticed just how ugly her in-laws could be?

She must have been completely blind.

Still, Mercy forced down her anger.

This wasn't the time to confront them openly.

She had to endure it.

She had to wait until she finished building the perfect stage for Joshua's downfall.

Her nails dug painfully into her palms, but a wounded, bitter smile appeared on her face.

"Mom, you've misunderstood me. My inability to get pregnant has nothing to do with avoiding cilantro. I'm perfectly healthy."

"Then what's the reason?"

Evelyn's false smile vanished, and her expression turned hostile.

Mercy and Joshua were married for four years without any sign of a pregnancy, and Evelyn grew increasingly anxious.

She repeatedly urged Joshua to take Mercy for a medical examination, but he always dodged the subject with vague excuses.

Mercy's gaze settled on Joshua.

He never slept with her throughout their four-year marriage.

Of course she couldn't have gotten pregnant.

"Honey, why don't you explain?"

Joshua saw the hurt and confusion in Mercy's eyes and instinctively glanced at Wendy.

Guilt was written all over his face.

"Explain what? There's nothing to explain. Mercy and I have been trying for a baby. Whether it happens isn't entirely up to us. Some things are simply meant to be. Mom, stop worrying so much."

Evelyn only grew more anxious, and soon mother and son were arguing endlessly about children.

Mercy had no interest in listening.

She took out her phone to play a game, but before she could launch it, a message appeared.

It was from Caleb.

“What are you doing?”

The casual question made it sound as though they were already friends.

In reality, they only met that afternoon.

Mercy didn't give it much thought and answered honestly.

“I'm having dinner, but there's nothing here I can eat.”

Caleb replied almost immediately.

“What would you like to eat?”

Mercy couldn't help smiling.

He made it sound as though he would buy her whatever she named.

“I want the deluxe spicy seafood platter from Ember Bay.”

After sending the message, Caleb didn't reply again.

Mercy didn't think much of it. She opened her game and started playing.

Across the table, Evelyn and Joshua were still arguing.

Before they could finish, the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?"

Evelyn muttered before turning to Mercy.

"What are you waiting for? Go answer the door."

Mercy stood up without a word.

Over the past four years of marriage, being ordered around by her mother-in-law had become routine.

"Are you Miss Mercy Park?"

The delivery driver asked for her by name the moment she opened the door.

"Yes."

"This delivery is from Mr. Shaw. Please sign here."

Mercy's eyes widened in surprise.

She only knew one Mr. Shaw.

Even after signing for the order, she could hardly believe Caleb actually sent her food.

"What is it?"

Evelyn, Wendy, and Yuna all leaned over curiously, wondering what was delivered.

Joshua, on the other hand, was more interested in the mysterious "Mr. Shaw."

Mercy was curious herself.

She hadn't expected Caleb to actually find the meal she'd mentioned.

The moment she opened the bag, the rich aroma of spices filled the entire room.

When she saw that it really was the deluxe spicy seafood platter from Ember Bay, she was completely stunned.

"Wait... Is that really Ember Bay's deluxe spicy seafood platter?"

At the sound of Wendy's voice, Mercy turned around.

Wendy looked even more shocked than she was.

"Of course it is."

Mercy answered without hesitation.

"That's impossible..."

Wendy refused to believe it.

Ember Bay was owned by an award-winning celebrity chef and was famous for its deliberately limited menu.

Their signature deluxe spicy seafood platter was capped at just ten servings a day, never one more.

People started lining up before dawn, and reservation spots were resold for outrageous prices.

The restaurant didn't even offer delivery.

And even if it did, there was no way anyone could still get one at this hour.

Yet the unmistakable aroma and Ember Bay's signature packaging left Wendy with no choice but to believe it.

The spicy fragrance filled the entire house, making Evelyn cough repeatedly.

She couldn't exactly throw Mercy out to eat, so she had no choice but to endure it.

Mercy happily enjoyed the viral dish Wendy always dreamed of trying, leaving Wendy both jealous and hungry.

She absolutely loved spicy food.

She got up before dawn countless times to try for one of those coveted platters, yet had never managed to get one.

Aware of Wendy's envious stare, Mercy smiled as she ate.

"I'm so jealous of you, Wendy. You're not a picky eater, so you get to enjoy my mother-in-law's cooking. Unlike me. Since I'm so picky, I have no choice but to settle for this."

Evelyn took Mercy's words as a compliment and immediately piled more food onto Wendy's plate.

"That's right, Wendy. Home-cooked food is much healthier than eating out."

Wendy stared at the mountain of food on her plate and felt sick to her stomach.

Evelyn was a terrible cook to begin with, and tonight every dish had been overloaded with cilantro.

At some point, Joshua quietly set down his utensils and walked over to where Mercy was eating at the coffee table.

"Who is this Mr. Shaw?"