Chapter 2
Lewis had a bunch of lines ready to deal with Phoebe's crying and whining.
He'd even figured he'd fake a few comforting words once she was done throwing a fit, then brush it off and let the whole thing slide.
But Phoebe didn't make a fuss at all. She just went along with it, totally calm.
Lewis felt frustrated and unsatisfied in a way he couldn't even explain.
Angelina was surprised too, giving her a skeptical look.
Angelina said, "See? That's how a family should be. Peaceful and friendly."
Phoebe just ignored her and headed into the kitchen without a word.
Behind her, Lewis's voice sounded again, with a hint of annoyance in his tone. "Remember, 30 dollars, three days, that's it. Don't come asking me for more. I'm not giving you a penny more."
Phoebe's steps faltered for a second.
She didn't turn around.
"Got it," she replied.
Phoebe closed the kitchen door behind her. It sealed her off from everything outside.
In the living room, Lewis stared at the tightly shut kitchen door, his annoyance building up with every passing second.
Lewis felt something was off.
Today, Phoebe was so calm, it was like she'd been replaced by someone else.
Angelina sidled up to Lewis and whispered, "What's up with her today? Did she have a personality transplant or something?"
"What's up with her today? Did she have a personality transplant or something?"
Lewis shook his head, feeling just as lost.
"Who knows what kind of game she's playing now," he muttered.
He yanked at his tie in frustration and plopped down on the couch.
"Just ignore her, Mom. Go watch TV. No way she can turn things upside down with just 30 dollars," he said.
Angelina nodded, thinking Lewis had a point. "Yeah, like she'd ever dare."
In the kitchen, Phoebe leaned against the door and closed her eyes.
The 30 dollars in her pocket felt like a red-hot iron, burning against her skin.
She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.
It felt like that cotton-like heaviness in her chest was being expelled with her breath.
For the first time in ages, she felt truly light, like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
Phoebe opened her eyes and took in the kitchen she'd called home for five years.
Everything here was chosen and arranged by her own hands.
She used to think this was where her happiness would begin.
Now she realized it had been her prison all along.
It was all good now. From today on, everything was going to be different.
Phoebe pulled out her phone and tapped on a profile she hadn't reached out to in forever.
It was her upperclassman from college, now a partner at a well-known law firm.
Phoebe quickly typed a message and sent it off.
[Hi, are you free? I wanted to ask about divorce and how assets are divided.]
The message went through.
Phoebe set her phone down and opened the fridge.
There were still some leftovers from yesterday inside.
She pulled out the 30 dollars, peeled off ten dollars, and slipped it into the kitchen drawer.
This was her money for today.
The other 20 dollars, she carefully slipped back into her pocket.
Then she pulled out a notebook and a pen.
On the first page, she carefully wrote a line at the top.
"Day 1. Today's budget: 10 dollars. Shopping list:"
She looked at the words, a cold, almost mocking smile curling at her lips.
'Lewis, Angelina. So you two want to see how I make 30 dollars last three days, huh? Alright, just watch. I'll make sure you see every bit of it,' Phoebe thought.
At 6 pm, Lewis got home from work right on time.
He pushed open the door and was greeted by the faint aroma of dinner cooking.
It was subtle, but unmistakably the smell of food.
He kicked off his shoes, and the knot of irritation in his chest loosened a little.
'Looks like Phoebe hasn't changed after all. She can sulk all she wants, but in the end, she'll still cook dinner like always,' Lewis thought.
Angelina came out of her room, wrinkling her nose as she caught the scent of food.
"Something smells good. What did she make?" she asked.
Both of them headed to the dining room, getting ready for dinner.
But when they saw what was on the table, their faces instantly went stiff.
There were three bowls of plain mashed potatoes.
Besides the mashed potatoes, there was only a plate of plain stir-fried cabbage.
The cabbage leaves were a vivid green, the stalks snowy white, with just a few drops of oil scattered on top. And that was all.
Not even a scrap of meat to be found. Nothing else was on the table.
Lewis's face turned stormy.
"Phoebe! Seriously? This is your idea of dinner?" he snapped.
Phoebe came out of the kitchen carrying three glasses of plain water, calmly setting them down in front of everyone.
"Yeah," she replied. Her tone was as bland as the plain water on the table.
Angelina pointed at the plate of cabbage, her voice shooting up several octaves. "Is this all we get? Not even a bit of meat? Are you trying to starve us?"
Phoebe pulled out a chair for herself and sat down without a word, acting like she didn't care about anyone else at the table.
She picked up her fork, grabbed some cabbage, and started eating slowly. It was like she had all the time in the world, totally unbothered by their reactions.
"Angelina, I only had thirty bucks to work with today," Phoebe said clearly between bites, making sure they caught every word.
She continued, "Cabbage cost one dollar, the potatoes were three dollars, and the last six dollars went to oil and salt.
"Ten dollars, spent to the last cent. Mashed potatoes and cabbage. Enough to keep us from starving."