Chapter 26: Do Not Fall For His Scaremongering

After only a few bites, Jesse pointed at the shrimp. “I want this.”

“Peel it yourself,” Caleb replied.

“Dad…”

Caleb reminded himself to be patient. Jesse was quite the actor; arguing openly wouldn't work in his favor. He worked swiftly, peeling shrimp one after another. Jesse wasted no time, savoring each piece with evident delight. He was eating them one after the other—no small feat given that these were the jumbo variety.

It was hard to believe he was supposedly unwell, given his enthusiasm. After finishing a small bowl, Jesse still wasn't satisfied. “Want more.”

Without uttering another word, Caleb brought over another bowl, with all the shrimp already peeled. After finishing this bowl, Jesse still wanted more.

Caleb warned, “If you overeat and end up in the hospital, don’t come crying for sympathy.”

In a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, Jesse asked, “Caleb, are you tired? Maybe I should do the peeling myself. After all, you’re unwell and shouldn’t overexert yourself.”

Upon hearing the commotion from the living room, George shouted angrily, “Caleb, it’s just shrimp! Stop being dramatic. If Jesse enjoys it, just do it for him!”

I’m being dramatic?

Throughout his time in prison, Caleb had endured countless beatings, silently bearing the pain with grit and resilience. In stark contrast stood Jesse, who couldn’t even manage to peel a shrimp on his own.

Caleb, ever pragmatic, cautioned, “Eating too much shrimp can lead to diarrhea. If you truly care about Jesse, you’d do well to keep an eye on his diet.”

Concerned, Deborah advised, “Jesse, you should stop eating for now. Overeating isn’t good for your health.”

George, however, waved it off with disdain. “We’ve hosted banquets every year, and no one’s ever gotten diarrhea from eating shrimp! Don’t fall for his scaremongering. He just can’t bear to see Jesse enjoy his food.”

He believed that Caleb held a grudge against Jesse due to past events, so his words couldn’t be trusted at all. Yelena also chimed in. “Jesse only had two small bowls. It’s far from the amount that would cause any harm. Eating more won’t be a problem.”

Raquel, in her usual obliviousness, remarked, “Caleb, you used to peel shrimp so willingly for me. Why can’t you do the same for Jesse?”

Realizing further protests would be futile, Caleb remained silent and methodically peeled another bowl of shrimp. He had delivered every warning he could, but whether Jesse would suffer from overeating was now left to fate.

After polishing off five bowls of shrimp, Jesse finally leaned back, satisfied, as Caleb’s fingers glistened with grease from all the peeling. “I’m full, Caleb. You can do the dishes.”

When Caleb returned to the dining room, he noticed that not a single scrap of food remained on the plates—there was nothing left for him.

After washing the dishes, he was heading back to his room when Deborah approached, carrying two platters of fruit. “Caleb, take this to Jesse.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow. “You shouldn’t eat fruit right after having shrimp.”

Deborah appeared puzzled. “I thought you said eating too much shrimp wasn’t good, so I brought fruit to balance it out. Are you saying eating fruit is bad too?”

As Yelena entered the kitchen for a glass of water, she overheard the exchange. With an irritated tone, she interjected, “Caleb, stop making a fuss! It’s just a little fruit, and it won’t hurt anyone. Mom, trust me on this. Fruit is beneficial for your health. Why don’t you bring some over to Jesse?”

“Oh okay.”

Deborah was unsure whose advice to follow. Her only concern was what was best for Jesse. She entered the room with a fruit platter in hand, her tone soft and gentle as she said to Jesse, “Jesse, have some fruit. You ate a lot of shrimp earlier, and I’m worried it might upset your stomach.”

Jesse, already full from the shrimp, hesitated before suggesting, “Let Raquel feed me. I haven’t been intimate with her in a long time.”