Sidney opened it and found that it was a richly illustrated cookbook. Each page was filled with photos, and handwritten notes beside them. The recipes were all for simple, home-cooked dishes, but they were written with such care—every detail was included, from the usual seasonings to special marinades.
The handwriting was elegant and meticulous, each stroke showing the patience with which this book had been created. Sidney couldn't help but be amazed. The dishes were full of clever ideas, with half the usual amount of oil, sugar, and salt, yet still balancing color, aroma, and taste. She thought the author must really love cooking, perhaps even a renowned chef. Flipping to the last few pages, she saw the recipes for desserts—mostly cakes, one per page, with seven cakes in total. The candles in the photos were labeled with ages, from three years old to nine. Sidney wondered who had made these cakes. Her instinct told her it must have been Finnegan's mother.
She knew that Jayson's mother had passed away early, and maybe this was something she had left behind during her life. Sidney felt that she must have been a gentle person, so how could she have given birth to a devil like him? Sidney carefully placed the book back in its original spot.
On her way downstairs, she ran into the butler who was preparing to go out to buy groceries. Sidney impulsively blurted out, "Buy some eggplant, please! I feel like eating it."
The butler looked up at Sidney, nodded in agreement, and then went out the door.
After the butler returned with the eggplant, Sidney followed her into the kitchen, eagerly saying, "Can I try making a dish?"
The butler began to take out and organize the vegetables from the basket, casually asking, "What dish would you like to make?"
Sidney replied, "Eggplant Parmesan!"
The butler replied, "I can make Eggplant Parmesan. Why don't you wait in the living room for now?"
"...No thanks." "No, no! I want to try making it myself!"
Seeing her insist, the butler stepped out of the kitchen, leaving Sidney to handle it herself. She mentally reviewed the recipe she had memorized, then took out the eggplants, washed them thoroughly, and sliced them into rounds. Actually, Sidney had joined similar clubs when she was in school, so making simple dishes wasn't difficult for her. When her aunt's family went out and no one was left to cook for her, she had been cooking for herself since she was twelve. As she grew up, Esteban invested money in her to study cooking, even forcing her to take exams and obtain certification. Later, she realized that he had ulterior motives, planning to groom her into a high-society lady that he could use as leverage.
After slicing the eggplant into rounds, she salted the pieces to draw out excess moisture, then patted them dry. Sidney glanced in the fridge and realized there was no broth, so she reluctantly added a bowl of water instead. As the sauce simmered, she turned to the eggplant. After dipping each slice in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, she fried them until golden. Once the eggplant was cooked, she layered it in a baking dish with marinara sauce and a generous amount of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, then baked it until the cheese was melted and bubbly, the top golden brown.
Once she placed the baking dish in the oven, Sidney waited for a few minutes. Soon, the cheese melted, the surface bubbled, and it turned a golden brown. The marinara and cheese had melded perfectly—Eggplant Parmesan was ready to be served. Looking at the dish, Sidney's confidence grew. It wasn't a bad way to pass the time and she could also brush up on her cooking skills. The only problem was, would she be able to eat all of this by herself?
Sidney brought the Eggplant Parmesan to the dining room and called the butler over, asking her to try it. The butler initially politely declined, but Sidney insisted, so she reluctantly took a small bite. The butler chewed quietly, not saying anything. Sidney watched her with eager anticipation. The butler finally said reluctantly, "It tastes good, but Madam, perhaps it's best if you leave the cooking to me in the future?"
Sidney was so happy she couldn't stop smiling. She said to the butler, "Don't you think I look like a useless person, cooped up at home all the time? It's rare that I have an interest in cooking, so let me do it! Besides, cooking lunch and dinner isn't even part of your duties!"
The butler was a bit troubled by Sidney's words. She said, "But sir already gave me a raise to take care of your meals, Madam."
Sidney responded nonchalantly, "'Fine, keep the money. But when I want to cook, I cook."
The butler hesitated, but Sidney cut her off before she could speak. She went back into the kitchen, grabbed a couple of eggs, and quickly fried them with a sprinkle of salt—another simple dish. She served herself and the butler some rice and called her over to eat.
The butler absolutely refused to eat at the same table as Sidney, so Sidney put some food on a plate for her and left it there for when she was ready to eat. After lunch, Sidney tried calling her sister again. This time, Sanaa's phone went straight to voicemail. She then tried calling her father, and he finally answered.
"Dad, it's me."
"What's up?"
"Did you see the entertainment section today?"
"I know."
"What's going on? Jayson is really upset."
"I don't know. Maybe someone's jealous and set you up. Tell him not to be angry. There's nothing to it—I didn't give him flowers that were used on the dead!"
"He will investigate this matter, of course, but Dad, you'd better send my sister to explain to him and calm him down, or Jayson has already said he'll make the Calderon family pay for this."
"Got it! I'll have your sister talk to him. You're his wife, you should calm him down and explain to him too! By the way, do you have any news about your stomach?"
"...It's too soon."
"Didn't mom get you some medicine? The ingredients are expensive! Remember to take it on time! Once you're done, I'll send you more. Are you done? Goodbye?"
After finishing his business, Esteban hurriedly hung up the phone, not interested in Sidney's current situation, and didn't even ask her to come home. Sidney put down the phone with a sigh, then spread out the newspaper again and looked at it repeatedly.
