However, my mother's following words left me stunned. "Elodie, don't be hard on Freya. Wash the dishes, don't tire your brother out. You're his older sister, and you should take care of him."

What? Me? I stared at my mom in shock as Freya smirked mockingly. What was my mom thinking? Was she just letting Freya off the hook? What on earth happened while I was away?

Just as I was about to argue back, my mom shoved me into the kitchen.

"Why make a fuss over her? Even if she's lazy, she's the wife your brother chose. From now on, you'll be in charge of the dishes. Don't you stir up trouble between them!"

The mother, who was always by my side, now felt like a stranger. What did she mean by stirring up trouble? How could she not see that an outsider was bullying Gideon?

"Mom, what do you mean by this? You're just going to ignore this? Look at how arrogant Freya is!"

Losing patience, my mom retorted, "Ignore? What can I do? Was it easy for your brother to get married? Remarrying would cost a fortune, are you paying for it? Besides, being divorced once already makes it harder to find someone else. Who's being unreasonable here, you or me?"

Her sharp words left me speechless. Indeed, getting a wife these days did cost a fortune, and it would be even more challenging for Gideon if he were divorced. My mom was being practical, thinking of the bigger picture. A divorce would just lead to more problems.

"Enough, don't make trouble for nothing. Wash the dishes and then start preparing tomorrow's meals. Do you expect your brother to wait for you?"

With that, she turned and left the kitchen. Gideon was in the living room comforting Freya, and my mom joined in, putting on a placating smile. Despite my reluctance, I couldn't lash out; life felt suffocating.

I began washing the dishes, the cold water flowing over my hands. Listening to the laughter in the living room, I couldn't help but tear up.

After cleaning up the kitchen, I started preparing tomorrow's meals. Gideon had always loved my pulled pork, a dish I hadn't cooked for him in years. I decided to showcase my skills tomorrow and whip up a few more of my signature dishes.

By the time I finished tidying everything up, it was nearly midnight. The living room was pitch dark, and no one was around. Gideon's home has three bedrooms and a living room; he and his wife occupy one room, and my mom and I each have our own.

I entered the room I shared with Aiden. He was already fast asleep. Lying on the bed, I relished the comfort of my waist—the bed was substantial yet soft.

At the crack of dawn the next day, I got up to start cooking. Stepping out of my room, I found my mom already sitting on the couch.

"Mom, up so early? I haven't even started on breakfast yet!"

My mom glanced at me. "No rush, your brother won't wake up until noon. We have time."

Noon? What about breakfast? I knew Gideon liked to sleep in, but I didn't expect him to stay in bed until noon.

"What about Freya? Let her whip up something for us to eat. Aiden should be getting up soon, too."

I was about to head to Gideon's room to wake Freya, thinking how she acted like she owned the place, sleeping in as the sun came up.

My mom quickly stopped me. "Don't disturb Freya; she and your brother went to bed late. I'm counting on her to give me grandchildren, so don't stir up trouble. Just make some simple sandwich for breakfast; there's pickled vegetables in the fridge. We'll make something nice for lunch once your brother wakes up."

Hearing my mom say this, I felt a pang of sympathy. I had thought that once Gideon was married, my mom could finally relax. Freya was being incredibly lazy; this wasn't how a wife should act. Today, I definitely needed to have a serious talk with her.

After Aiden woke up, the three of us had a simple meal. Since Aiden was still growing, I boiled an extra egg for him.

After breakfast, I dropped Aiden off at preschool and picked up some groceries on the way home. By the time I got back, it was already past 9 o'clock. I rushed into the kitchen in a panic; braising the pork alone would take hours, and I was running out of time.

By the time I finished cooking and set the table, it was precisely 11:30. As I headed to the living room to call them for dinner, the door suddenly swung open. A well-dressed middle-aged woman, a stranger to me, entered, yet she knew our home's door code.

She looked at me without any hint of surprise. "You must be Elodie. I always hear your mom talking about you. I'm Freya's mother. Make yourself at home here."

It was Freya's mom, Scarlett Langley! She looked so young! She couldn't have been older than forty, and she was in great shape.

"Freya's still asleep, I'll go wake her up."

With that, Scarlett walked over to Gideon's room and knocked. "Freya, honey, Mom's here, time to get up!"

I rushed to my mom's room. "Mom, Scarlett is here! Why didn't she let us know beforehand?"

My mom was just as surprised. "What? What's she doing here? Let me tell you, these city folks are all about appearances. Look at her, all dolled up. You better keep your wits about you."

Seeing my mom like this, I started to feel disgusted with Scarlett. Her daughter was married, and she showed up without a word. How rude.

My mom and I walked out of the room, and Freya and Gideon came out, too. You could tell they had just woken up. Freya's hair was a mess, and she had no shame in pulling her mom to the dining table. We followed.

"Wow, Elodie, you're amazing! I've always heard Gideon rave about your cooking, and it's true! It smells delicious."

Her words pleased me. "It's nothing. I'll start teaching you today, and you can cook for Gideon in the future. It's really easy."

My mom chimed in. "It's no big deal. If you're interested, Freya, you can learn too."

Freya glanced at us and suddenly looked guilty. "Oh, I'm really clumsy. If you're tired, Elodie, just let Gideon cook. He's a good cook too."

Then Freya winked at me, and I shuddered.

"Yes, Amelia, you're so lucky. Both your son and daughter turned out so well. Unlike my Freya, I spoiled her rotten growing up. She can't do a thing around the house. Thank goodness for Gideon, or I'd be worried sick."

Scarlett said this to us with a smile, seemingly praising us, but she was clearly making excuses for Freya. Liked mother, liked daughter, useless and proud of it. All they wanted was a free ride.

It disgusted me to see them gobble up the dishes I made for Gideon. They were two lazy, good-for-nothing!

Gideon spoke up. "We're all family. It doesn't matter who does it. I'll do it, I'll do it."

Gideon had really grown up. I was so proud to hear him say that. But how could I let him do it? My mom and I were still here. It was not his turn yet.

"Gideon, just eat. If your sister wants to do it, let her. Come on, try the pulled pork your sister made especially for you."

My mom put a piece of pulled pork on Gideon's plate. Gideon ate it, and his eyes lit up with happiness. "Elodie, you're amazing. This is the taste, I haven't had it in years."

My brother's praise made me overjoyed. "Then I'll make it for you more often."

The atmosphere at the table was harmonious. After the meal, Gideon picked up a dishcloth to wash the dishes. I quickly stopped him. Scarlett was here today, and I didn't believe this family could be so blind to right and wrong.

I walked over to Freya with a smile. "Freya, I cooked the meal, so isn't it your turn to wash the dishes?"

Freya smiled back at me. "Elodie, it's the same if Gideon washes them for me. He's the best at washing dishes." Freya even emphasized the last few words.

Seeing us at a standstill, Scarlett interrupted, "Freya, come on, the TV show is about to start. Let Gideon wash the dishes. Come and keep your mom company."

I was speechless. So they were all taking advantage of Gideon, huh? I walked over to the TV and turned it off. "Scarlett, is this how you raise your daughter? Whose wife doesn't wash dishes after getting married?"

Scarlett's face grew cold. "My daughter can do whatever she likes at home. What's wrong with Gideon? Is he missing an arm or a leg? If you're not satisfied, you do it. Don't disturb our mother-daughter quality time!"

Her words sent my blood boiling. She was shameless, lazy, and greedy! Gideon really drew the short straw with this family.

Seeing us arguing again, Gideon quickly pulled me aside. "Elodie, take a break. I'm grown up now, I can handle this work. Freya's hands are delicate; she shouldn't be touching cold water. Your brother's skin is tough enough, it's no big deal."

His comforting words brought tears to my eyes. I quickly dried his hands. "It's okay, I'll do it. I'm used to it. You're the most promising in our family, you shouldn't have to do this."

Gideon still looked hesitant, but I pushed him out firmly.

"Elodie, you're always the best to me. I've loved you the most since we were kids."

My kind-hearted brother, always so considerate, justified the effort I put into raising him from childhood. Washing dishes was nothing if it meant Gideon could focus on his career and ditch Freya. Eventually, she would be begging me on her knees.

After tidying up the kitchen and preparing the ingredients for dinner, it was about time to pick up my son. As I was leaving, Freya and Scarlett were still watching TV on the couch, seemingly planning to stay for dinner. I was a bit annoyed. "Scarlett, you better head home early before the traffic gets bad."

They giggled at the TV as if they hadn't heard me. I turned and left, thinking about how to deal with her if she was still there at night.

After picking up Aiden and returning home, the living room was thankfully free of that woman. Relieved, I took Aiden to the bedroom, but as I pushed open the door, I saw that woman lying on my bed, scrolling through her phone!

How shameless could she be, casually invading someone else's home and brazenly lying on their bed? My suitcase from yesterday had been pushed into the living room.

"Scarlett! What are you doing? This is my room, please get out! Aren't you old enough to have some sense of boundaries? How can you shamelessly mooch food and drink at my place?"