Chapter 3 - The Empty Kitchen
Inside the brightly lit house, silence fell like a heavy lead blanket the moment the front door clicked shut.
David stood frozen by the couch, the wine bottle hovering mid-air over Brenda’s empty glass. Rachel frowned, her eyes wide with irritation as she stared at the front entryway.
"Wait, where is Mom going?" David muttered, setting the bottle down on the coffee table. He rushed to the front window, peeling back the curtains just in time to see Patricia’s sedan pulling out of the driveway and disappearing into the darkness.
"Is she serious?" Rachel snapped, crossing her arms and marching toward the kitchen. "She left a sink full of grease! Brenda’s almond cake is in the oven, and the dessert plates aren't even washed! What is wrong with her lately?"
Brenda took a slow sip of her wine, tutting loudly. "Honestly, David, your mother has become quite dramatic. You give her a roof over her head, you let her live in this beautiful house, and she throws a tantrum because she’s asked to help with dinner?"
"She's getting older... maybe she was just tired," David murmured defensively, though his voice lacked conviction. He pulled out his phone again and dialed Patricia’s number for the third time, but it went straight to voicemail.
"Tired?" Rachel scoffed, pointing at the stack of dirty plates Patricia had left on the marble counter. "David, my mother is a guest in our home! Your mother lives here for free! The least she can do is pull her weight around the house instead of acting like a princess."
David looked at the greasy dishes, feeling a strange, uncomfortable knot form in his stomach. For the first time in months, he remembered how his mother used to smile when she cooked for him as a child.
"I'll... I'll clean the dishes," David offered quietly, stepping toward the sink.
"You will do no such thing!" Rachel commanded sharply. "You're an executive, David. You don't scrub dishes while my mother is watching. Leave them. She’ll come back when she calms down, and she can finish them before breakfast tomorrow."
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They had no idea that Patricia was not coming back to finish the dishes. She was driving straight to an attorney's office.
👉 Read Part 4 to see where Patricia went on the night she left.
