Chapter 4

The Rowe relatives were green with envy.

One after another, they came to Juliana for her secrets.

"How did you train your brother's wife like that?"

"What method did you use?"

"How'd you turn her into a whole new person?"

"Come on, tell us."

Their eagerness was easy to understand.

Once Juliana's know-how and experience spread through the family, it would be put to use overnight, and a whole crop of dutiful little homemakers would be born.

Juliana held nothing back.

She launched right in.

"It's just like managing people at work. You set the rules first. No rules, no order."

"A new wife has all kinds of ideas when she first moves in, so laying down the law early is key. You crack her over the head right out of the gate."

"Training a person is like pressing on a spring. You go hard, she folds; you go soft, she pushes back. So you keep going hard, always."

"Bottom line, stick to one principle. Never, ever let her have a say in the house."

As she warmed up to it, some crude words slipped out.

Things like "you've got to grind her into the ground" and "you sit on her head and treat her like dirt."

Talking about it wasn't enough.

She wanted to show off the results.

"Tomorrow's the weekend. Everyone come to my place. I'll have Evelyn put out a whole spread for you, and you can see for yourselves what her cooking's like now."

The suggestion got an enthusiastic response.

"Perfect," they said, and "We'll see it firsthand."

At dinner that evening, Juliana said to me, "The relatives are coming over for lunch tomorrow, fifteen, sixteen of them. Get up early and prep. Bring your best. Make it a big spread. Don't embarrass us."

Same as always, I answered with a calm face, "Sure. No problem."

The next morning, before it was even light, I got up and went to the market for the shopping.

When I came back, the whole family had just gotten up, and seeing me haul in two big bags packed with fresh vegetables and meat, they all looked pleased.

After breakfast, Juliana said to me, "We're going to pick up the relatives now and take them to the beach for a while. We'll be back at twelve sharp. The food had better be done by then."

I said, "Don't worry. I promise you'll sit down to a hot meal the second you're back."

I watched them go, the whole family walking off without a care.

I smiled.

I'd swallowed it for so long, and now the moment to hold my head up had finally come.

The hour hand crept along with the ticking of the clock on the wall.

At last it pointed to twelve.

Footsteps clattered outside the door.

Juliana was back with the whole crowd of relatives, done with their outing.

They must have had a great time. Even through the door I could hear the laughter and chatter.

Juliana opened the door as she spoke. "We've been out all morning, everyone's starving. I already had my brother's wife get the food ready, so you can all dig in right—"

The door swung open.

At the sight in front of her, Juliana froze.

Every one of them froze.