"You're not allowed to do anything until you eat with us," Vernon said. Honestly, it sounded like an ultimatum, and the strong arm wrapped around Chloe's hips proved that Vernon would not let her go unless she ate with them.
"Yes, Mommy! Let's eat first. Mackie will help you do the laundry later!" Mackie volunteered so her Mommy could eat with them.
Chloe felt she was being pitted and trapped to eat, just like yesterday.
She looked at Vernon and Mackie simultaneously, nervous about what she should do to escape them.
"I—I'm not that hungry…." Chloe said weakly, hoping it'd be effective enough to escape the death grip from Vernon. "Y—You two should eat first…."
"Then I won't let you go," Vernon said nonchalantly. He knew that meat might be too heavy for her since she reacted terribly by eating pumpkin and ginger soup. So Vernon stabbed one cherry tomato and offered it in front of Chloe's lips. "Eat."
"I—I'm not hungry—"
"Eat," Vernon repeated his command.
Chloe stared at the cherry tomato in front of her. Her stomach started churning when she imagined the food going down her throat.
Whenever she was nervous to eat, her body would react by rejecting all kinds of food, even if it was a healthy one with zero calories.
Because she kept imagining how Vincent insulted her for eating even the slightest food in front of him when she was fat.
Even if she ate fruits, he'd call her a fat slob and tell her to stop eating because she was already too fat, which triggered her nervousness whenever she was being watched when eating. Thus, she always ate alone, hidden somewhere safe so she could be relaxed when eating.
Though the portion was so pitiful, it was barely enough to keep her functioning daily.
"I—I will eat later, okay?" Chloe continued to refuse. She didn't want to ruin the morning breakfast mood by retching or puking.
But her refusal pissed Vernon already. He tightened his arm around Chloe's thin waist and said, "You're not going anywhere. At least eat this cherry tomato."
Chloe curled her lips. She was reluctant to even look at the tomato in front of her. She knew it was very childish and ridiculous to reject food that had been offered, but She. Just. Could. Not. Eat. Anything!
Mackie noticed the unwillingness in Mommy. Mommy always did this when she was being watched when eating other than with Mackie.
So, Mackie intended to help her Mommy by telling Uncle Vernon, "Uncle, look away!"
"Huh?"
"Look away, so Mommy can eat!" Mackie instructed.
"What the— do you think I'm that gross?! Is that why you don't want to eat the food I offered?! HUH?!" Vernon's pride was hurt when he heard the instruction from his little niece.
He glared at Chloe, who jolted out of shock. She felt that blood had been drained out of her body, feeling lightheaded, and thought that she'd
She never found Vernon gross or disgusting. She was just nervous!
"I—I—I—don't—"
"Gee, Uncle is stupid!" Mackie interrupted as her Mommy was stuttering. "Mommy is scared! She's scared of everyone except Mackie! Uncle, turn your head around, so Mommy can eat!"
Mackie didn't back down even when she met Uncle Vernon's scary glare. Vernon was ready to lash out at his little niece because this little girl didn't seem to be scared at all by him, much to his annoyance.
But when he realized the woman's trembling body sitting on his thigh, he finally checked at his sister-in-law again.
His anger instantly vanished when he saw Chloe's pale face and the cold sweat that wetted her forehead.
What Mackie said was true, Chloe was terrified right now, and it was because of him.
Vernon continued staring at his sister-in-law for a while, and the petite woman got even more scared of him.
Vernon was annoyed by her reaction, but he still wanted her to eat, so he looked away and commanded, "Eat."
Chloe gulped when she was forced to eat again. But Vernon already looked away in an effort to make her eat.
So she opened her mouth slowly and put the grilled cherry tomato in her mouth. She munched it slowly, and the cherry tomato burst into her mouth.
It actually tasted nice, and Chloe had a strong preference for vegetables and fruits rather than meat. She swallowed the tomato and said, "D—Done, please release me, Vernon…."
Vernon checked his fork and stabbed another cherry tomato, "Eat."
"I—I already ate…."
"That's not enough," Vernon said.
"But…" Chloe hesitated. She looked at her daughter, asking for support because her daughter was so courageous even when facing her Uncle.
But Mackie looked so happy as she watched how her Mommy ate.
She stabbed one mushroom from her plate and offered it to her Mommy as well, "Mommy, eat Mackie's food too! I want to share my food with Mommy!"
Chloe was distressed when she got two forks shoved to her face. Vernon and Mackie wanted her to eat while her stomach was already churning due to nervousness.
Knowing there was no way out, she reluctantly opened her mouth and ate Vernon's tomato first. She munched very slowly and then ate Mackie's mushroom.
It was such hard work to eat both, but she didn't have much choice. She swallowed the food and looked at Mackie, "Dear, go eat your food, okay?"
"Mommy, don't you want more? Mackie can share!" Mackie stabbed another mushroom from her plate, but Chloe refused to eat more.
"N—No, dear, Mommy will eat more later. I'm already full right now."
Mackie was a little disappointed because she thought Mommy could eat more. But this was much more than what she usually ate in the morning, so she was satisfied!
"Okay, Mommy must promise Mackie that you will eat more later!" Mackie demanded.
"I promise…"
"Un!" Mackie nodded and looked at Uncle Vernon, who was still looking away. "Uncle, release Mommy now! She already eats her breakfast!"
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