The comments went into a frenzy the moment those words left my mouth.

[Wait, what? Is Lily actually going to turn David into a roast? Does she know the piggies are David and Sarah?]

David stopped his business immediately. The pigs stared at me in confusion with their beady eyes.

[No way. His transformation is flawless. Maybe she’s just craving pork?]

[Zero stars! What kind of story turns the male lead into a dinner platter? I want a refund!]

[Relax, he’ll be fine. Toby is right there. He won’t let Lily hurt them.]

Just as the comment went past, Toby jumped in front of the two pigs and shielded them with his body.

“Mom! You can’t turn them into roast pork!”

Despite what I had read in the comments about his future betrayal, a part of me still did not want to believe it.

Maybe the comments were lying to me.

“Why not, Toby? You’re always telling me how much you’d love to have some roast pig. These two look nice and plump.”

I watched him like a hawk and scanned for any flicker of emotion.

He panicked and said, “I don’t want to eat pork now. I want to keep them as pets! If you hurt them, I’ll never speak to you again!”

[Go, Toby! That’ll stop her.]

Toby grabbed my hand and put on his best puppy-dog eyes. “Mom, please? Let’s not eat the piggies, okay?”

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and kept my voice steady.

“Toby, tell me the truth. Did you really find these pigs in the park?”

He looked me dead in the eye with pure innocence. “Of course, I did. I would never lie to you, Mom.”

The screen erupted in a chorus of “LOLs.”

[Toby is a natural! Look at him lying through his teeth.]

[Think about it. Every time David and Sarah had a secret tryst, they brought Toby along. Lily almost caught them a few times, and it was Toby who covered for them.]

I stared at that comment as my heart shattered. I could not understand. Why would Toby do this to me?

The answer scrolled by seconds later.

Apparently, Toby hated that I made him do homework and attend tutoring sessions.

Sarah, on the other hand, let him have his phone, let him play video games all day, and even took him out on school days.

Over time, his love for Sarah grew in direct proportion to his resentment toward me.

Sadness was choking me.

I worked myself to the bone to give him a better education, and that very effort had turned my own son into my enemy.

I took a deep breath and looked down at him coldly.

“You say you want to keep them as pets? You live under my roof and live off me. How do you plan to support them? With what money?”

Toby flinched, then snapped back defiantly, “I don’t care! You just can’t hurt them!”

I ignored him and called again to see where the hotel chefs were.

[Toby’s losing ground. Is David actually going to end up on a plate?]

[Chill out. David has already secretly contacted the hotel. They aren’t coming.]

Sure enough, the hotel told me that David had just sent a message canceling the service.

“Mrs. Dunn, if you still want someone to come to you, it’ll be at least a three-hour wait. We’re fully booked currently.”

[I love a smart David. That move was genius. The transformation lasts two hours. All they have to do is distract Lily until they turn back into humans. Then, the chefs will be useless.]

[Haha! I bet David will even find a way to turn it around and make Lily feel guilty.]

I looked down at David. He let out a series of smug and triumphant grunts.

I could not understand him, but thankfully, the viewers could.

[Wow, they’re literally plotting her downfall right now!]

[Haha! They’re so mean. They’re saying that once they change back, they’re going to make her pay.]

[Check out Sarah’s idea! She wants to use drugs to drive Lily mad!]

[That’s so smart! They’ll bribe the people in the mental asylum to make sure she never leaves, and then David will get to inherit everything as her spouse!]

[Surely, I’m not the only one thinking that these two have the best relationship ever? David looks at Sarah with such devotion. He thinks Sarah’s idea is brilliant too!]

I did not see the romantic devotion that the comments were talking about. I only saw the raw malice in those pigs’ eyes.

If these were the “heroes” of the story, then the world was truly broken!

Toby stood in front of the pigs and looked up at me expectantly.

“See, Mom? They’re so cute. We can’t eat them, can we?”

I smiled but said coldly, “They’re so cute. That’s exactly why they’ll be delicious. We aren’t having a simple roast by the hotel chefs anymore. We’re having...

“A traditional backyard hog slaughter!”

I recorded a quick video of the two pigs and posted it with a caption.

[If you know how to butcher, come over now. If you help me prep, you eat for free!]

I threw some money at the post to boost it to the top of the local feed.

Soon enough, the comments section was flooded with responses about coming over to help with the preparation.

People from nearby could not wait any longer and immediately drove to where I was.

Within thirty minutes, my yard was crawling with eager foodies.

A man stepped forward and said, “I’ve been a professional butcher for fifteen years. Where are your pigs? I’ll deal with them!”

I pointed to the pigs in the cage. “Those two.”

The man reached in and hoisted David up. “A bit small, but look at that tender skin. These are going to taste amazing!”

David flailed wildly in the air after hearing that.

Sarah was scared too. She retreated to the furthest corner of the cage. She was shivering so hard she could barely move.

[The plot is literally going up in flames. Is David really going to be the first hero in history to be turned into BBQ?]

[I’m out. This is too much. He’s literally a dead pig walking.]

[Toby, do something! Stop them before they end up in a stew!]

[How can Toby stop this? Lily’s determined to make them into a feast. Are you suggesting that Toby tell her the truth?]

The comments were a blur of panic. Toby walked to me reluctantly.

“Mom, you can’t eat them. This pig is my…”

I smiled warmly at Toby. “Toby, what did you say these pigs were to you again?”

Toby squeezed his eyes shut and yelled, “This pig is my Daddy! You can’t eat him, Mom!”

The comments scrolled through frantically.

David began thrashing with renewed vigor and squealed at me.

[Toby to the rescue! David and Sarah are safe now!]

[I knew they wouldn’t die like this. That’s why they’re the protagonists!]

[I can’t wait for David to change back and put Lily in her place.]

[That will surely happen! Not just Lily, but her parents too! After Lily dies, her parents will crawl to David, begging to know what happened to her.]

[David will tell them to their faces that he killed her. Her mom will die of a heart attack on the spot. And when her dad tries to take revenge, David will pay a madman to run him over!]

[Flowers and celebrations! The whole family will be gone! That’ll clear the way for the couple who have true love!]

I ground my teeth so hard that my jaw ached. All my family members were nothing but stepping stones for this monster!

If the comments said they would not die easily, then I was going to prove fate wrong. David and Sarah would definitely die!

I told Toby with a terrifyingly calm smile, “Toby, these are pigs. This pig isn’t your father.”

Toby wanted to argue, but I cut him off. I said, “Go to your room and do your homework. I’ll bring you a big plate of BBQ later.”

Before he could sabotage me further, I shoved him into his bedroom and locked the door from the outside.

The backyard was a hive of activity. Some were boiling water to scald the hides, and others were sharpening cleavers.

Soon enough, everything was ready.

David and Sarah were picked up by two burly men. Their terrified screams filled the air.

The comments were chaotic as they flew by.

[Someone save them! I can’t look!]

[Instead of saving himself, David is still screaming insults at Lily! He’s saying such mean words!]

[I think he ran out of ideas. When he gets out of this, Lily is a dead woman. You don’t treat David like livestock!]

I watched the comments coldly.

It was not a question of whether he would let me live. Rather, it was about how I was deciding his fate.

[There’s only thirty minutes left on the transformation time! They’re going to be slaughtered while they’re still pigs!]

Among the fans who were worried for David, a few dissenting voices started to pop up.

[He deserves it. If he loved Sarah so much, he should have divorced Lily instead of staying for her million-dollar inheritance. He’s trash.]

That hit the nail on the head.

If David had asked to divorce me, he would have earned my respect.

However, he wanted Sarah and my money, and he wanted me dead to get it. He did not deserve this life.

[No way! David and Sarah are dying!]

[Don’t worry! David’s backup is arriving soon!]

I felt a jolt of anxiety. I did not expect him to have help coming.

However, my anxiety disappeared immediately when I saw David and Sarah get pinned down to the bench.

I wonder who would be faster: the rescue team or the knife?

The butcher spat on the ground and raised his blade, but the pigs were fighting back with hysterical strength.

The butcher grumbled, “They’re kicking around too much. I can’t get a clean angle to cut into them.”

The comments exploded with compliments.

[That’s our David! He’s not easy to kill like a normal pig! Just hold on! Help is almost there!]

[Their love is being forged in fire. This will only make them stronger.]

I chuckled. Stronger? Let us test that!

I walked over to the bench and looked down at David and Sarah with a smile.

“You two certainly have a strong will to live. I suppose I’m feeling generous. I don’t need to kill both of you. I’ll let one live.

“But since there are two... which one should I choose?”