My Husband’s Cooking Bites Me Chapter 04
“Bites you?”
“Yeah.”
“Every time I eat his cooking, I get this burning feeling all the way down my esophagus.”
“I’ve already had a full checkup. Everything came back normal.”
“I even had the food tested.”
“No allergens. Nothing.”
“I honestly don’t know what’s going on.”
Mom stared at me.
“What about when you eat out?”
“Does it happen then?”
“No.”
Her face changed immediately.
“Wait. So you can eat anywhere else and you’re fine, but the second Thomas cooks for you, you feel sick?”
“Ellie, come on.”
“Food doesn’t bite people.”
“Maybe it’s not the food bothering you.”
“Maybe it’s Thomas.”
“You’re upset that he’s not working, and you don’t even want to admit it.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Mom cut me off.
“And don’t go telling Thomas this.”
“He’ll be crushed.”
“The man’s worked his butt off for years. So what if he takes some time off?”
“It’s not like he’s sitting around doing nothing.”
“He’s cooking, taking care of the house, taking care of your son.”
“Your kid’s even gained weight!”
She shook her head.
“And seriously, if there were something wrong with the food, wouldn’t the rest of us feel it too?”
“Ellie, I’m warning you!”
“Good men like Thomas don’t grow on trees.”
“You two are doing fine financially.”
“Don’t turn this into a problem when it doesn’t have to be.”
By the time Mom finished chewing me out, I didn’t even want to explain anymore.
Not because I had nothing to say.
If even she didn’t believe me, no one else would.
I lowered my head and clutched my clothes tightly.
A tear slipped down my cheek.
Mom froze.
“Why are you crying?”
“Mom…”
“I know you don’t believe me.”
“But this really isn’t because Thomas doesn’t have a job.”
“I really do feel awful.”
“Physically.”
Mom stared at me.
“You really feel that bad?”
I nodded.
“Anything else?”
“Any other symptoms?”
“Has it caused any actual health problems?”
I shook my head.
Mom thought for a moment.
Then she asked one last question.
“Back when Thomas still had a job, did you ever eat his cooking?”
“Yeah.”
“Did it make you feel bad then?”
“No.”
Mom seemed to make up her mind.
“Then maybe it’s psychological.”
“Make an appointment with a therapist.”
“And don’t tell Thomas about any of this.”
“Even if he believes you, you know how sensitive he is.”
“It’s going to hurt him.”
What Mom said made me start doubting myself too.
Was I secretly frustrated that Thomas wasn’t working?
Had I just not realized it?
To put Mom at ease and answer my own growing doubts, I promised her I wouldn’t tell Thomas.
Then, right in front of her, I made an appointment with a therapist.
After a series of psychological evaluations, the therapist looked over the results and told me,
“Your evaluation looks completely normal.”
“Based on what you’re experiencing, I don’t see signs of a psychological issue causing these physical symptoms.”
Everything was normal.
So why did Thomas’s food still “bite” me?
Over the next week, my investigation still went nowhere.
But after forcing myself to eat Thomas’s cooking for seven straight days, my body finally hit its limit.
I was at work when my vision suddenly went black.
Then I passed out.
My assistant, Aria, rushed me to the hospital.
Once the doctor confirmed it was only low blood sugar, she finally relaxed and drove me home.
After Aria left, Thomas looked at me anxiously.
“Babe, are you feeling any better?”
I nodded weakly.
Thomas took my hand.
“Babe, you’re this weak because you’re barely eating.”
“And I’ve noticed something.”
“Ever since I started taking care of the house full-time, you’ve been eating less and less.”
“Tell me.”
“Are you upset because I was laid off?”
“I sent out ten resumes today.”
“I’m sure I’ll find something soon.”
“Babe, don’t think I’m useless, okay?”
I quickly shook my head.
“No, babe.”
“That’s not it.”
“I’ve just been really busy with work lately.”
“I haven’t had much of an appetite.”
Thomas lowered his head.
“I guess I’m just useless.”
“If I hadn’t been laid off, you wouldn’t be under this much pressure at work.”
He looked back at me.
“But your health comes first.”
“I made some creamy mushroom soup for you.”
“Think you can have a little?”
The pleading look in his eyes only made me feel worse.
I forced a smile.
“Really?”
“That’s so sweet of you!”
“I’m actually a little hungry.”
“Could you get me a bowl?”
“Sure!”
A smile instantly spread across Thomas’s face.
He hurried into the kitchen and came back with a bowl of creamy mushroom soup.
Before feeding me, he carefully blew on a spoonful to cool it down.
I didn’t take the spoonful he held out.
Instead, I took the bowl from his hands and drank the whole thing in one go.
The burning sensation swept through my entire body.
It felt like a fire was raging inside me, ready to burn me up from the inside.
I quickly got out of bed, desperate for a glass of ice water to ease the discomfort.
But the moment I opened the freezer, I froze.
I finally knew why Thomas’s food had been “biting” me.