Their Banquet, My Revenge

Synopsis

In the scorching apocalypse, everyone was on edge. But my soft-hearted husband, Martin Grace, and his mother, Helen Grace, just wouldn't listen to me. They went ahead and invited our neighbors, Yvette Carter, and her son, Lucas Carter, over to eat and drink their fill. I watched the weather forecast, the temperature still sky-high, and something just felt off. I tried to talk Martin out of inviting them over again. But to my surprise, Martin, usually so calm, snapped. He pointed right at my face and yelled, "Why are you being so selfish? They're our neighbors. What's wrong with inviting them over for meals?" Helen jumped up and slapped me hard. "We're running out of food, you good-for-nothing. Can't you just eat less? Lucas is a child. His life means more than yours. You can't even give us a child. Just make sure he's fed." Before long, they'd eaten almost all the food I'd hoarded. To save on rations, Martin and Helen, absolutely heartless, actually kicked me out of the house and left me to survive on my own. I was burning up and dying of thirst. Less than half an hour after being thrown out, I was cooked alive right there in the hallway. Helen watched through the peephole as I took my last breath. Then she clapped her hands in delight. "Perfect. That deadweight is finally gone. Now her house and car belong to my son and my grandson." That's when it all clicked for me. Lucas was actually Martin's son. They'd been plotting to get rid of me for ages. Then, I went back to one day before the heatwave. I stared at the news, the heatwave warning blazing across the screen. I looked at Martin and Helen and said, "I'm heading out. Won't be back for two weeks." This time, I'll be kicking back, feasting on barbecue, sitting in the cool air, and watching their whole family burn.