Chapter 1

I'm a foodie, and my mother-in-law, Jane Foster, is an even bigger foodie.

Whenever the two icy CEOs in our family saw us laughing out loud while stuffing our faces, they'd just shake their heads helplessly, then turn around and hand each of us an unlimited black card.

One day, while we were debating whether sweet or savory pancakes tasted better, a message popped up in the rich ladies' group chat.

[The Anderson Ladies are coming back home soon. I heard they're the Foster Men's forever unattainable crushes.]

[Back then, Michael almost got his legs broken by his father just for dating Angela. And James once went wild, racing his car at night and nearly crashed into a mountain, all just to make Lily smile.]

[I bet those two foodies are about to get booted from the Foster mansion.]

Jane and I looked at each other, then went upstairs to check what we had.

Three days later, hand in hand with all our stuff, we boarded a flight to Vaeldris.

*****

Just as I was about to head upstairs, Lily's post popped up on my social media feed.

[I'm back, and this time, I'll cherish you.]

The photo showed her in a school uniform, smiling sweetly as she cozied up to James.

Actually, I was in the original photo too, but she edited me in as the biggest third wheel ever.

I showed the post to Jane.

She handed me her phone. Angela had posted the exact same thing, with the same caption and photo.

But what really got me was that both James and Michael had liked and commented "Welcome" on both posts.

Those two never say much online. Jane and I share food posts every day, but they've never once given us a like, let alone left a comment.

I felt a pang of bitterness in my chest. I glanced around the villa, and before I knew it, I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Jane, startled, hurried to wipe my tears. "Why are you crying? Those two heartless men aren't worth our tears."

I stammered, about to say something, but then I burped, and my mouth was still tasting the sweet pancakes.

"I'm not upset about them. It's my food, my bags, and my money I'm mourning," I muttered.

"Mom, do you think we'll ever get to eat all the delicious food around the world again after we get kicked out?" I asked.

Jane couldn't help but let out a long, helpless sigh too.

We'd always known the Foster Men had their unrequited loves, the ones forever out of reach.

We were just the women the family patriarch forced them to marry for the sake of a business alliance.

Otherwise, those two would just keep sighing whenever they saw us and barely said a word to us day in and day out.

At least we both loved to eat, and the Foster family was loaded and generous.

Back at our own families, we only got a set monthly allowance, and it was never enough to get by.

The living room was eerily silent. The only thing one could hear was Jane and me softly sobbing.

Suddenly, Jane shot to her feet, grabbed me by the arm, and looked me dead in the eye.

"We can sell all the bags, clothes, and jewelry we've collected over the years as used online. That way, we'll have some money to spend," she said.

Yeah, but the happiness lasted only a second before reality hit me again.

Jane had been part of the Foster family for thirty years, while I'd only been here for three.

Jane seemed to notice how down I was and gently comforted me. "Once we leave this house, we won't be mother-in-law and daughter-in-law anymore. We'll be besties."

"Besties do everything together, right? So my money is your money," she added.

My eyes lit up, and I hugged Jane tightly. "From now on, you're my ride-or-die, Janey."

Jane ruffled my hair. "Don't worry, Emily. We're foodie soulmates. We'll never be apart."

Just as Jane and I were about to make a pact to be besties for life, a noise came from the door.

Michael and James walked in, faces icy, sizing us up from head to toe, looking a bit baffled.

Jane and I exchanged a glance, then rushed over to grab their briefcases, acting extra helpful.

Michael cleared his throat awkwardly. "No need for that, the maids will take care of it."

James pulled his hand back. "Did you spot some new food you want? Running low on cash again?"

I gave an awkward smile. Guess I was acting a bit too eager tonight.

Normally, I hardly ever notice James, even when he's right in front of me, because I'm always way more interested in whatever food's on the table.

I grabbed his briefcase anyway. "No, no, it's nothing."

But thinking about how we might get kicked out any day now, I forced a sweet, flattering smile.

"So, I came across this super special way to eat king crab, but the thing is, it has to be flown in fresh from Caeloria early in the morning, and, well, I'm not sure if that's even possible now," I said.

Before I could finish, my phone buzzed with a text notification.

I opened my phone and saw a transfer, six zeros. That's a million dollars sitting in my account.

Michael sent Jane a transfer too, and judging by her bright smile, it was definitely another million.

We gave each other a thumbs-up.

After dinner, it was time for our weekly "royal tax", when we had to cough up all our hard-earned loot to the family.