Chapter 459 Torture
"This is the dinner I saved for you. Been working yourself to the bone?" Seb chuckled and gave Susan a playful flick on the forehead.
Susan, all hyped up, rubbed her hands together. Without even washing up, she grabbed a piece of toast, took a big bite, and then went at the steak with a fork like she hadn't eaten in days!
Watching Susan chow down like a starved wolf, Seb's eyes went from affectionate to sad to downright pitiful.
After a few big bites, Susan finally spoke up, "When you're starving, everything's gourmet. A few days ago, I wouldn't have touched this greasy cream of mushroom soup, but now it's like heaven!"
Seeing her eat like there was no tomorrow, Seb frowned, "Slow down, no one's gonna snatch it from you!"
"My stomach's on a mission; it's totally empty," Susan said, grinning at Seb with her mouth full.
Seb shook his head and smiled knowingly.
He actually liked Susan like this. She was real, no fake airs. And she was also independent and tough, none of that delicate princess stuff. She was like a wildflower growing by the roadside; despite a rough start, she kept pushing up. The more time he spent with her, the more he dug her vibe.
Of course, she was stubborn too. When she got mad, she'd argue with him and drive him nuts. But he couldn't imagine life without her; without her, everything seemed so dull.
"After you finish eating, hit the shower and crash, or you won't be able to get up tomorrow morning," Seb finally advised.
"Got it. Your mom's been on my case. I don't want her ragging on me for sleeping in!" Susan laughed.
"As long as you know," Seb nodded with a smile.
Then, out of nowhere, Susan stopped chewing and stared at Seb. "Do you think..."
"What?" Seb frowned.
Susan glanced at the door and then lowered her voice. "Do you think your parents have a bad sex life? Is that why your mom's so mean to everyone?"
"What the heck are you talking about?" Seb's face darkened immediately.
Holding a piece of toast in one hand and a fork in the other, Susan ran barefoot to Seb, biting her lip. "I think that's it. That's why your mom can't stand your dad and takes it out on me!"
"Alright, cut it out and finish your meal!" Seb said, looking annoyed, and turned to head to the bathroom.
Seeing Seb's face change so fast, Susan tilted her head and muttered to herself, "It was just a joke. No need to get all serious. Geez!"
Susan quickly polished off the cream of mushroom soup and steak from the thermos, took a nice shower, and hit the sack.
In her sleep, she felt an arm wrap around her waist. Her lips curled up in a happy smile, and she kept on snoozing.
The next morning, Susan and Seb went downstairs for breakfast right on time.
Spring was still knocked out, but Hayden was already at the dining table with Todd and Carol.
"Morning, Dad, Mom!" Susan greeted them and then kept her head down, not wanting to catch Carol's snarky look.
Seb started eating and said, "Mom, I hired a part-time cleaner."
"Seb, no talking during meals. Have you forgotten all your manners?" Carol cut him off without even looking up.
Seb zipped it and exchanged a quick glance with Susan, who just kept her head down and kept eating.
For a moment, the only sound at the table was chewing, and the vibe was pretty tense.
After finishing his meal, Seb noticed Carol was almost done too. He smiled and said, "Mom, I hired a part-time cleaner to come in the morning for two hours and in the afternoon for another two hours. I know you're sensitive to dust, and the house can't have any. When she arrives, you can tell her what needs to be cleaned."
Carol wiped her mouth with a napkin, then tossed it on the table and sneered. "You're not doing this for me; you're just afraid your wife will get tired, aren't you?"
Susan kept eating slowly, knowing arguing with Carol was a waste of breath, so she pretended not to hear.
Seb smiled and said, "Mom, it's not good for anyone to get too tired. If someone in the house is uncomfortable, we're all worried."
"I see, you've married her and forgotten all about your mom," Carol said with a stern face.
"What are you saying to the kids?" Todd said, clearly annoyed.
Carol shot Todd a look and then said to Seb, "Alright, go to work. Since you hired a part-time cleaner, I'll let your wife do some light work. She won't get tired. If she does, I can't explain it to you!"
Seb smiled, stood up, and said, "I'm off to work then."
As Seb left, he passed by Susan and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, signaling her to hang in there and not clash with Carol.
After breakfast, the part-time cleaner showed up. She was young, around twenty-six, and super capable. Carol had her cleaning the carpets, washing all the cushions and pillows on the sofa, and even scrubbing the nooks and crannies until they were spotless. Susan finally got what it meant to be a clean freak. Carol would check the cleaner's work with white gloves to see if there was any dust left, which freaked Susan out.
If Seb hadn't hired the cleaner, Susan would've been dead tired. Luckily, Seb knew his mom well.
With the cleaner around, Susan thought she could at least chill a bit, but she was wrong.
"Susan, I saw you took down a big pile of dirty clothes today. Are you planning to take them to the dry cleaners?" Carol asked, standing on the stairs and looking down at Susan.
"Yes, Mom," Susan replied.
Carol frowned and said, "Didn't I tell you? The machines at the dry cleaners aren't clean. If you keep sending clothes there, what if they catch some virus? And Seb's clothes are expensive; you need to hand wash them. Otherwise, they'll get deformed, and it'll be embarrassing for him to wear them out."
Hearing this, Susan knew Carol was just piling on more work. It was clear she was just trying to make her life harder!
"What? Are you not happy? Are you not listening to your mother-in-law?" Carol's voice rose when she saw Susan standing still.
Carol's voice was so sharp it felt like it was drilling into Susan's ears.
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