Chapter 2

Just then, my stomach growled. I lowered my head, feeling embarrassed.

Would he think I was just some girl who couldn't stop eating?

Ugh, this was so embarrassing. First impressions really mattered.

Todd just said, "I'll go make dinner." Thankfully, Todd didn't say anything else and just headed straight for the kitchen.

I hurried after him.

"Let me do it," I offered.

Back home, I was always the one doing the laundry and cooking.

But Todd just shook his head. "Come on, you're a little girl. How could I let you do the hard work?"

Watching him walk away, I felt a mix of emotions swirling inside me.

Ever since I could remember, my mom always told me that girls were meant to wait on men hand and foot.

So my dad and my brother never had to lift a finger at home. They just lounged around like kings.

I was always busy from morning till night, and most of the time, they wouldn't even leave me any leftovers.

But now, Todd was telling me that girls shouldn't have to do the hard work.

My nose tingled and I felt a lump in my throat, but I tried to shake off the feeling. I walked over to my desk, pulled out my books, and started studying.

Now that I didn't have to deal with all the family drama and chores, I could actually focus and get stuff done.

After some time, the mouthwatering scent of meat hit me, making my stomach rumble all over again.

I set my pen down and followed the delicious aroma out of my room. Todd had already laid out the food on the table.

There was a heaping bowl of braised pork, a side of fresh greens, and some buns.

My mouth watered. This giant bowl of meat could feed my whole family for a year.

It smelled amazing, and my stomach hadn't tasted anything this rich in ages.

Todd handed me a fork.

I sat down, my eyes glued to the feast in front of me, but I couldn't bring myself to dig in.

"Can I really eat this?" I whispered, almost not believing it was for me.

Back home, meat was a rare treat, and whenever we did have some, my dad and brother always got the lion's share.

If I ever dared to ask for a piece, my mom would smack my hand with her fork.

She'd snap, "Your dad is the head of the family, and your brother is still growing. What are you fighting them for? You should be grateful you even get to eat."

So when I stared at this giant bowl of meat, my first feeling wasn't happiness. It was a jittery kind of anxiety.

Todd blinked, a little thrown, and shot back, "Why not?"

"The meat always went to my brother," I muttered, eyes downcast.

Todd didn't say a word. He just took my plate, heaped a generous spoonful of meat on top, and poured some meat gravy over it.

Then he set the plate back in front of me.

"At my place, you won't ever go hungry for meat. Dig in, eat your fill," Todd said.

With his permission, I grabbed my plate excitedly, like a beast unleashed, and started wolfing down the food as if I hadn't eaten in years.

It was really good.

I really enjoyed it.

Compared to this, my old life was just plain hell.

When I finished my first plate, Todd didn't even hesitate and scooped me another right away.

He said, "Girls shouldn't be too skinny. People will pick on you if you're not strong enough."

Well, if that was the rule, no way I was gonna hold back. My stomach was still a bottomless pit anyway.

After we finished eating, I jumped up and volunteered to do the dishes.

Todd didn't say no this time. He just turned around and went back to his room, not saying another word to me.

He really wasn't much of a talker.

But that was alright. I'd win him over eventually.

After I finished cleaning up, I went back to my desk and knocked out two more practice sets.

Turned out, a full stomach really did make my brain work faster.

I closed my workbook and glanced at the clock on the wall. It wasn't even nine yet, and I was already done with my homework.

After washing up, I flopped onto the fresh, clean sheets, feeling like I was in heaven.

Staring up at the spotless ceiling, I couldn't help but feel that I really made the right call coming here.

Before I knew it, a whole month had flown by.

I'd packed on a couple of pounds, and my face was looking way healthier with a nice glow.

With real food in my belly, my motivation to study was through the roof.

Plus, with no heavy chores dragging me down every day, pretty much all my time went into studying.

My scores went through the roof.

Honestly, my life now was a million times better than before.

The only thing that bugged me was that Todd didn't really warm up to me.

Maybe I could even call him cold.

It felt like I was just a guest here, never really part of the family.

That wasn't gonna work. After all, I was counting on him to support me through school.

I had to butter him up, get him to like me for real.

But whenever I tried to pitch in with the housework, Todd always turned me down.

If I made him coffee or brought him water, he'd just shoo me off to go study.

I even tried giving him a leg massage, but he said my hands were way too soft for the job.

I couldn't help feeling a little discouraged. Why wouldn't he ever accept my help?

One morning, just as I was about to head out, a mischievous idea struck me. I waved at Todd, who was out in the yard sharpening his knife, and gave him my sweetest smile.

"Dad, I'm heading to school," I chirped.

Todd froze for a moment, and then looked up at me. His eyes went wide with surprise, and there was something else there, too. Something I couldn't quite read.

He stayed silent for a long moment before finally replying, "Sure, off you go."

I kept up the act every day.

Every morning, I'd call him "Dad" in the sweetest, most affectionate voice, acting as clingy as I could.

At first, he barely acknowledged me, just grunting in response.

But as time went on, he started opening up a bit, chatting with me more.

He'd tell me to wear something warm when it was chilly out.

Or he'd even check what I wanted for dinner that night.

There was still a bit of awkwardness between us, but honestly, things were way better than before.

I was pretty happy with how things were going.

I'd just take it slow.