Chapter 110
Lunch ended in an atmosphere that appeared harmonious.
The Sanders family acted unusually considerate, even scrambling to clear the table and wash the dishes afterward.
Margaret, in particular, pulled Fiona aside and spoke to her in a soft, intimate tone, saying all the right things. By the time she was done, Fiona’s expression had visibly softened, and the lingering resentment in her heart temporarily faded.
By afternoon, the storm seemed to have weakened slightly, though the sky remained heavy and overcast.
Tommy complained that his eye hurt and insisted on going back to his room to rest. Vanessa, of course, stayed by his side, tending to him attentively.
The others returned to their own rooms as well.
Suzy, watching through the surveillance feed, thought the drama was finally over. She was just about to turn it off—
When suddenly, a furtive figure appeared on the screen.
Her eyes lit up.
Looks like there’s a second act.
Margaret moved with clear purpose, heading straight for the kitchen’s storage room.
The door wasn’t locked.
When Wendy had still been around, she kept the key—but now that she’d left, she had taken it with her.
All it took was a twist of the handle.
The door opened.
Margaret’s heart pounded wildly, a mix of nerves and excitement coursing through her.
She pushed the door open gently.
No windows.
Pitch darkness.
She fumbled along the wall until she found the light switch.
The moment the light flicked on, she sucked in a sharp breath.
Then her eyes exploded with wild, unrestrained joy.
The small storage room was packed—neatly stacked with boxes and woven sacks.
Some boxes were open, revealing bags of rice and flour inside.
Others were labeled with canned goods, compressed biscuits, and self-heating meals.
"Oh my god... this much food? Where did the Kale family even get all this? No wonder Vanessa insisted we move in... with this much, they could eat for ages!"
Margaret wandered through the room, her fingers brushing over every box she passed, her entire body trembling with excitement.
It was the first time she had ever seen so many supplies in one place.
For a moment, she wished she could claim all of it as her own.
The Kale family was living far too comfortably.
Then she thought back to the lunch they’d just had.
Despite having all this, they’d fed them so sparingly.
It was obvious—they didn’t take them seriously at all.
A trace of resentment surfaced in her heart. So much food, yet they couldn’t spare more for them?
She pressed a hand against her stomach.
She wasn’t even full.
Well then—if the Kale family had so much, she wouldn’t hold back either.
After circling the room, Margaret stopped in front of a stack of self-heating rice boxes.
She opened one carton, took out three packs, and hugged them tightly against her chest before slipping out of the storage room.
She glanced around furtively.
No one nearby.
Then she hurried straight to her room.
The path was clear.
Once inside, she shut the door quickly, breathing hard.
Her husband, Jack, frowned when he saw her acting like a thief.
"Where did you go?"
Margaret pulled open the edge of her clothes and revealed the three packs she had hidden.
"Look what I found."
His eyes widened instantly. "Where did you get that?"
It was self-heating rice! A rare commodity these days—something you couldn’t even buy even if you wanted to.
There was no way the Kale family would generously give them three packs.
Margaret locked the door, placed the food on the table, and said casually, "I took it from their kitchen."
"You took it? You mean you stole it," Jack said bluntly.
"Oh, come on—why say it like that?" Margaret waved him off. "We’re all family now. What’s theirs is ours. What’s wrong with taking a little? You weren’t full either, were you? Let’s have a second round. Go call Patrick."
Jack hesitated for a moment.
But looking at the food on the table, he couldn’t help swallowing.
They really hadn’t eaten enough earlier—and in front of the Jiang family, they hadn’t dared to.
Now that they had the chance...
Why not?
It was already here.
"Alright. Heat it up. I’ll go get him."
Margaret quickly opened the packaging, added water and seasoning, and activated the heating pack.
Soon, a rich, tempting aroma filled the room.
Jack knocked on their son’s door, said nothing, and simply dragged him over.
The moment father and son stepped inside, they were hit with the fragrance of hot food.
They swallowed instinctively.
"Mom... what is this...?" Patrick stared hungrily at the self-heating rice.
"Don’t ask. It’s ready—come eat," Margaret urged.
The three of them dug in, devouring the food.
But the portions were small, and Patrick was still growing. Even after finishing a whole box, his stomach still felt empty.
"Mom, I want more."
"Not now," Margaret said. "This is enough for today. I’ll find another way to get more next time."
Jack nodded, still slightly uneasy. "Is this really okay? What if they find out?"
Margaret waved dismissively.
"They won’t. Don’t worry. That storage room is packed—I took just a little. They won’t even notice."
Father and son exchanged a look, greed flickering in their eyes.
"A lot?" they asked.
Margaret nodded. "Boxes everywhere. All full."
After cleaning up, Margaret sent Patrick back to his room.
But as he stepped out, he rubbed his stomach again.
Still hungry.
Thinking of what his mother had said, he hesitated—then turned in a different direction.
Downstairs.
Through the surveillance feed, Suzy watched everything clearly.
Just as expected. He was heading for the kitchen.
With no one on the first floor, Patrick rummaged through the refrigerator and grabbed a chocolate.
Then he wandered around until he found the storage room.
Unlocked.
He pushed the door open—and froze.
When he came out again, his arms were full.
Three more packs of self-heating rice.
Several packs of instant noodles. Stuffed to the brim.
Compared to his mother, he was even more shameless.
Suzy couldn’t hold back her laughter.
George and Tommy hadn’t just let guests into the house—they had invited rats.
"What are you watching that’s making you so happy?"
A voice suddenly sounded beside her.
Suzy looked up—and froze for a moment.
Derek had just finished working out. His body was slick with sweat as he stood there, looking down at her.