My Husband’s Cooking Bites Me Chapter 01
After my husband Thomas was laid off, he became a stay-at-home husband.
Every dinner was balanced and packed with protein, beef, and vegetables.
But somehow, I kept losing weight.
There was only one reason.
His food always seemed to “bite” me.
A strange burning feeling would spread through me.
I secretly checked the ingredients.
Nothing was wrong.
No allergens.
No explanation.
So I told my mom.
But she didn’t believe me.
“Everyone else eats the same food.”
“Why is it only you?”
“You’re just upset because Thomas lost his job.”
“He’s worked hard for years.”
“Let him take care of the family for a while.”
I tried to explain.
But nobody believed me.
So I stayed quiet.
Until one day…
I came home early.
And I saw Thomas cooking in the kitchen.
I froze.
…
It happened right after Christmas.
Thomas’s company went through a round of layoffs.
From the day he lost his job, anxiety seemed to consume him.
I tried to comfort him.
“Babe, maybe being out of work for a while isn’t such a bad thing.”
“Our son is getting ready to start elementary school.”
“He needs a lot of attention right now.”
“For now, could you take care of things at home?”
Thomas had been applying for jobs everywhere without any luck.
The moment he heard me say that, his eyes lit up.
“Babe, you don’t think less of me because I’m out of work?”
“Of course not.”
I smiled and rubbed his shoulders.
“I’m happy you can help take care of the house.”
“I really like having you here.”
“I mean it.”
Thomas immediately promised he’d take good care of our son and me while he was home.
He promised to make balanced, nutritious meals and keep us healthy.
That very night, he started researching recipes.
The next day, just like he promised, he made us a huge spread.
Early that morning, he handed me a fork.
“Babe, try this.”
“Tell me if you like it.”
“If you don’t, I’ll make it better next time.”
I looked at the hopeful expression on his face and smiled.
Then I took a bite of the sauteed green beans.
The second they touched my tongue, my mouth started burning.
I spat them out immediately.
Thomas froze.
“What happened?”
“Was it too hot?”
“Or did it taste bad?”
“Maybe it was just a little too hot.”
Thomas visibly relaxed.
He picked up another bite, blew on it a few times, then held it to my mouth.
But the moment I put it in my mouth, the burning started again.
Sharp.
Hot.
Immediate.
I looked at Thomas’s expectant face.
I knew I couldn’t spit it out again.
So I forced myself to swallow.
“Yeah.”
“Yeah, I love it.”
Thomas grinned.
“Good.”
“Then eat some more, babe.”
He pushed the vegetables and pasta toward me.
The bite I’d just swallowed was still burning.
The sensation spread from my mouth all the way down into my stomach.
I pressed one hand against my abdomen.
I stared at the food on the table.
I was just about to tell Thomas that eating his food made me feel awful when he spoke first.
“Babe, you know what?”
“Now I know you really don’t think less of me.”
I paused.
Thomas continued.
“I had this coworker who got laid off.”
“After that, his wife started criticizing everything he did.”
“His cooking wasn’t good enough.”
“The house wasn’t clean enough.”
“Nothing he did was right anymore.”
“But everyone was like, she looks down on my coworker.”
He smiled at me.
“But I’m lucky.”
“I’ve got the best wife.”
The words I’d been about to say died in my throat.