Chapter 3: Ambrose Cooks

Elizabeth, not wanting to argue again, looked at Ambrose and held his hand then began to lead him out of the room. Ambrose followed quietly, casting a worried glance back at Ava as he left.

Margaret turned her attention to Williams, her son, with a look of disappointment. "As my son, you watch your wife disrespect your mom even in your presence? Look at how you people have ruined my granddaughter's life because of that idiot. Who in this city doesn't know of that good-for-nothing guy?”

Williams sighed, feeling torn between his loyalty to his wife and his mother. "Mom, you know she's Ava's mom. I value you both, but rest assured, Ava will divorce him soon and marry someone better," he replied. 

Margaret looked at Lucas and Lily and said, "You two go and get ready for school."

She then turned to Ava and asked, "Ava, are you trying your best to secure the contract for our company? You know if we get it, it might be a life-changing opportunity for us."

Ava bit her lip and replied, "Grandma, I'm doing my best. Rest assured, I'll add more effort to do everything."

Margaret nodded approvingly. "I trust your abilities. Do your best." With that, she walked out of the room, and Williams followed her.

Meanwhile, in the hall, as soon as they arrived, Elizabeth raised her hand and slapped Ambrose across the face.

"Ouch!" he winced in pain, covering his cheek and not daring to look at her.

"For the fact that your mother and I were once classmates, I accepted you here and even made you my daughter's husband. What is wrong with you, trying to violate my daughter out of her own will?"

Ambrose quickly shook his head and said, "It's not like that, mother-in-law."

"Then how is it?" Elizabeth demanded. "Explain.”

Ambrose took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "I woke up needing to use the bathroom. I was still half-asleep and didn't realize Ava was in there. I just walked in without thinking. I swear I had no intention of doing anything wrong."

Elizabeth stared at him, her eyes scrutinizing his every word. "And you expect me to believe that?"

"Yes, please," Ambrose pleaded. "I would never harm Ava. It was a misunderstanding.”

Elizabeth's expression softened slightly but remained stern. "This is your last chance, Ambrose. Prove that you can be trusted, or you'll be out of this house for good.”

Ambrose nodded lightly.

Elizabeth looked at him and said, "Go to the kitchen and start preparing breakfast for the day. There are already foodstuffs in the kitchen."

Ambrose nodded again, knowing this was already his routine. Most of the time, he was the one who prepared the dishes, and occasionally Elizabeth would step in to cook. Without another word, he walked into the kitchen.

Entering the kitchen, he took a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension and the sting from the slap. He began gathering ingredients, his hands moving automatically as he set about preparing breakfast.

As Ambrose was still setting things up to prepare the meal, Margaret walked into the kitchen and eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing?" she asked, her tone sharp.

"Grandma, I'm preparing breakfast for today," Ambrose replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

"What breakfast are you preparing?" the old woman inquired, her eyebrows knitting together.

"I'm making jianbing," Ambrose said, mentioning the popular Chinese dish often enjoyed by middle-class families. 

Margaret's expression remained stern, but she shook her head. "Didn't we eat that last week? Why are you preparing it again? I don't want it. Make tangyuan instead."

Ambrose's heart sank. "I don't know how to prepare tangyuan well, and I haven't made it before," he admitted.

Margaret's eyes narrowed. "Go and call your useless mom to come and prepare it then. Start preparing it, or you won't take it lightly with me."

Ambrose bent his head in shame. Hearing his mom being addressed as useless made him feel the pain, but there was nothing he could do. He nodded and said, "I'll try.”

Slap!”

Margaret slapped him sharply. "Do it well! I didn't ask you to try." She walked out. 

As Margaret walked out, Ambrose let out a heavy sigh, his frustration boiling over. "Why am I enduring all this?" he muttered angrily to himself. "It's because I love Ava. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't stand for any of this treatment. But no matter what, I'll keep pushing through for her sake."

Without wasting time, he quickly took out his phone and opened YouTube. He typed in "how to prepare tangyuan" and found a video tutorial with a step-by-step guide.

He watched the video closely, noting down the ingredients and instructions. 

Ambrose gathered the ingredients from the kitchen and followed the tutorial preparing the tangyuan.

Since it was his first time preparing tangyuan and he was making it for everyone, it took Ambrose almost two hours. When he finally finished, he carefully served each portion into bowls and carried them to the dining hall.

As he entered, he saw that everyone was already seated. Ava was dressed in a chic business outfit, ready for work. She wore a blue blazer over a white blouse, paired with a pencil skirt and elegant heels. Her hair was styled neatly, and she looked every bit the professional.

Ambrose couldn't help but let his eyes linger on her, admiring her beauty and poise. She looked stunning, and for a moment, he forgot about the tension and the task at hand.

Ava noticed his gaze and frowned. "You spent two hours preparing today's meal, and instead of serving it, you're staring at me?" she snapped.

Ambrose quickly averted his eyes and began serving everyone, placing a bowl of tangyuan in front of each family member. 

Ambrose was also coming to sit down, but Grandma Margaret's stern voice halted him in his tracks. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, her eyes locking onto him.

Ambrose felt a lump form in his throat. "I was going to sit and eat," he replied, trying to keep his voice steady. 

"No, you can't sit with us and eat together," Margaret snapped, her tone brooking no argument. "How many times do I have to tell you this?”

Ambrose felt his face flush with a mix of shame and anger, but he managed to keep his composure. "I understand," he said quietly, bowing his head.

"What's wrong with him joining us?" Elizabeth asked, her voice firm but calm. "Didn't he prepare the dish? Can't he join us to eat?"