Ficorpio
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
I got fired after making food so good my last employers’ entire family gained twenty pounds.
My new employers had only one requirement: fatten up their precious little boy.
But I’d been trying for days, and the kid refused to eat anything.
Poor nanny. She still thinks he won’t eat because her cooking isn’t good enough.
The truth is, after he found out someone had been spitting in his food, he developed anorexia and depression. At this point, not even a world-class chef could fix it.
Oh no—he’s severely allergic to eggs, and she made him custard?
The butler told her to make it on purpose. In ten minutes, the boy will go into respiratory distress and die because help won’t come in time. Then the butler will dump all the blame on the nanny, and she’ll be convicted of negligent homicide.
By the time I finished reading the floating comments hanging in the air, my hands were shaking with rage.
I looked toward the corner of the room.
There sat the Sterling boy—Ethan—thin as a matchstick, curled into himself so tightly he barely seemed real.
Holding the bowl of fresh custard, I started walking straight toward him.
“I don’t want custard. I won’t eat it.”
The second he saw the bowl in my hands, the little boy shrank into himself like I’d brought him poison.
The butler’s words from that morning flashed through my mind, and cold sweat prickled down my back.
“The young master loves custard. Make it for him often.”
“If he refuses, coax him. And if that doesn’t work, force a few bites if you have to.”
“He’s the Sterling family’s only son. He’s been spoiled since birth. Picky as can be. We’ve all had our hands full with him.”
I looked at Ethan, then at the custard.
“I added a little butter and some herbs,” I said gently. “It smells amazing.”
I scooped up a small spoonful and blew on it.
“You don’t like eggs, do you?”
He gave the tiniest nod. “No.”
I lowered my voice. “Do you think I’m going to spit in the bowl or something?”
He sniffled, eyes wide with fear.
Then I smiled and put the spoonful straight into my own mouth.
I’m a total foodie. And because I love to eat, I’m a pretty great cook too.
At my last job, I fed the entire family so well they all gained ten pounds. In the end, they had to choose between dieting and keeping me, and they fired me.
I was furious. I posted about it online, and somehow it blew up locally.
That was how my new employers found me.
“Our son is unbelievably picky,” Mrs. Sterling had said. “We go through more than a dozen nannies a year. Nothing works.”
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
“If you can help my son gain weight, I’ll pay you by the pound. Ten thousand dollars per pound. Ten pounds, one hundred thousand. And so on.”
The Sterlings were the richest family in the city, with Mr. Sterling at the head of the Sterling Group. They threw money around like it meant nothing.
The couple was constantly busy, flying around the world all year long, leaving the entire household in the butler’s hands.
Their son, Ethan Sterling, was only seven. He hardly ever saw them.
“Gerald Pike is a distant relative of ours,” Mrs. Sterling had told me. “He’s managed this house for over ten years. If you need anything, go to him.”
“As for your pay, it’ll be based on however much weight Ethan gains each month. I keep my word, so don’t worry.”
And after saying all that, the two of them left the country again. I heard they wouldn’t be back for another month.
Thinking about that, I quickly finished off the entire bowl of custard.
“You see?” I said to Ethan, holding up the empty bowl. “I didn’t spit in it.”
“Don’t worry. If you don’t like eggs, I won’t make eggs again.”
“Just tell me what you do like, and I’ll make it for you. Anything you want, okay?”
I hugged the empty bowl against my chest and looked at him.
“Anything?” he asked, biting his lip, staring at me like he couldn’t believe it.
“Anything. If you can name it, I can make it.”
Ten thousand dollars a pound. A hundred pounds would be a million.
At that rate, even if the kid wanted dragon meat, I’d find a way to cook it.
“I… I want KFC.”
Ethan’s voice was so soft it was barely louder than a mosquito.
“What’s so good about this stuff?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Back when I was grinding through office jobs like a corporate pack mule, I’d eaten enough fast food to get sick of it.
“If it’s too much trouble, forget it. It’s okay.”
There was a flash of disappointment on Ethan’s face, but it vanished almost instantly.
A stream of floating comments flickered into view.
[She probably has no idea this rich little heir has never had KFC even once.]
[Every time he sees kids at school eating fries and burgers, he practically swallows his own tongue watching them.]
[But you can’t really blame the nanny. If the butler finds out, he’ll definitely use it against her.]
Use it against me?
The second I saw the word threaten, I was interested.
“After school tonight, I’ll pick you up and take you,” I whispered, bending down toward him. “Secret mission.”
His mouth split into a grin, and he nodded hard.
At four that afternoon, I used grocery shopping as an excuse to leave the house. Once I’d bought what I needed, I slipped over to the elementary school entrance.
“You really came?”
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
The moment he saw me standing outside the gate, Ethan ran over with one hand clutching the strap of his backpack.
“Of course I did. I keep my promises. But you absolutely cannot tell anyone, especially Mr. Pike.”
I made sure he understood.
“Okay. I won’t say a word.” He slapped a hand over his mouth like he was sealing it shut.
When we got to KFC, we happened to hit one of their promo specials.
I ordered him a spicy chicken sandwich, a medium fries, two fried wings, and a Coke with just a little ice.
“All of this is for me?” His eyes lit up as he stared at the tray I set in front of him.
“All of it. And if it’s not enough, I’ll get more.”
After I said that, I turned around and went back to the counter to buy two ice cream cones.
By the time I came back, he had wiped the tray clean.
“Sorry. I ate too fast.” He opened his hand sheepishly. “I saved you one wing.”
“You eat it. I have this stuff all the time. I’m tired of it already.” I waved him off.
“Really? Then I’m eating it!”
In less than a minute, the wing was gone too, reduced to bare bones.
He licked his fingers, still looking like he wanted more.
More comments flashed in front of me.
[Isn’t this kid supposed to have an eating disorder? How can he eat this much?]
[I thought he was just curious about what KFC tasted like. I figured he’d nibble a little and stop.]
[What eating disorder? The butler lied to his parents so he could squeeze more money out of them for treatment.]
That bastard really was a piece of work.
“Here, have some ice cream too,” I said, holding one out to him. “You need something sweet after all that salty food. That’s the best part.”
But just as I passed it over, a large hand intercepted it.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” Gerald Pike said through gritted teeth. “Taking the young master somewhere like this without permission.”
He hurled the ice cream onto the floor.
“If he gets sick, can you afford the consequences?”
Ethan stared at the ice cream splattered on the floor, then sprang out of his chair and ducked behind me.
His little hands clutched the back of my shirt. He was trembling.
“Mr. Pike, Ethan’s never had this before. I just wanted to let him try it,” I said, keeping my voice even. “One time isn’t going to hurt him.”
The butler swept me with a cold look and gave a contemptuous snort.
“There are plenty of things the boy has never eaten,” he said. “This is junk food. Don’t you know that?”
He pulled out his phone. “Just wait. I’m calling the boss right now and having you fired.”
I stayed where I was and watched him make the call.